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The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers (FIC) is a unique food business incubator that is a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES).
We support established early-stage entrepreneurs and existing food companies, from concept to commercialization. Combining years of industry expertise and the advanced technologies offered by Rutgers, we provide business, marketing, food safety, product design, and scale-up expertise within FDA- and USDA-certified facilities to help companies successfully build and grow their businesses.
Upcoming training and events
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Certificate Training – Virtual!
DATE: 11/03-11/05/2026
Cost: $749
Price: $749. This includes a link to course materials and supporting documentation for students, and a Rutgers certificate of participation with a Gold Seal from the International HACCP Alliance. Although necessary materials are presented online, early registration is encouraged to ensure you have time to print all necessary materials; if needed.
Course Overview
This 20-hour class given over 2.5 days covers information needed for writing a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan as required by USDA for FSIS-regulated meat, poultry, or egg products or for those producing foods under GFSI-format 3rd party audits requiring a HACCP certified individual to oversee their food safety plan. This course will give participants information for creating, implementing, and documenting a HACCP program.
Preventive Controls for Human Foods (PCQI Certificate Training) Version 2.0 – Virtual
Date: 12/01-12/04/2026 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)
Times : 9:00 am-3:30 pm each day
Price: $749
Course Overview
Food safety training is a core capability and competency of the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University (FIC). With the issuance of new regulations resulting from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the FIC is one of the first centers in the country to offer training in Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF), consistent with the principles of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA). The course includes 20 hours of classroom instruction over two and a half days. Participants in this training will be required to take a test and will earn an official FSPCA certificate for becoming an FDA-recognized “Preventive Controls Qualified Individual” (PCQI) with the credentials for creating an FDA Food Safety Plan with hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls.
About the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University
About the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University
The Food Innovation Center (FIC) at Rutgers University is a unique food business incubator and economic development program within the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The center provides integrated business, technical, and scientific expertise to support startups and established food companies—both domestically and internationally—from early concept through commercialization.
FIC operates out of a USDA‑ and FDA‑certified food manufacturing facility located in Bridgeton, New Jersey, enabling hands‑on product development, scale‑up, and pilot production in a regulatory‑compliant environment. The center facilitates the commercialization of innovative food and ingredient technologies and provides mentoring and applied services across marketing, research and development, food safety, regulatory compliance, manufacturing, and sales and distribution.
Specializing in high-acid and acidified shelf-stable glass and PET bottling on our 6 head filling line. In recent years, the Food Innovation Center has expanded its capabilities in plant‑based foods, alternative proteins, and precision fermentation, supporting the translation of novel, sustainable ingredients into market‑ready food applications. Through close collaboration with industry, academia, and government partners, FIC serves as a bridge between research innovation and real‑world commercial deployment.