Drexel Food Lab is a food product design and culinary innovation lab that applies culinary science to improve the health of people, the planet and economies. We do this through research and programming that help us: understand consumers, develop new food products, and introduce new products to market. In doing so, we not only develop new food products and menu items with entrepreneurs, industry, non-profit, and government partners, but also develop our flagship "product," graduates across disciplines who are poised to improve the food system. The lab was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Deutsch, PhD, CHE, CRC along with a standout undergraduate student, Alexandra Zeitz. The lab is endowed through a transformative gift from the Octavia Foundation. The lab is open to Drexel students in any program who want to learn about food product development. Students and faculty can engage with the lab in a variety of ways including pursuing their own research or startup projects, extracurricular instruction, or as paid student workers on funded projects. The team brings unique and extensive experience to every project and engagement. The Drexel Food Lab maintains a client list from start-ups through multinationals and is funded through philanthropic support, government and foundation research grants and contracts, and industry consulting projects.
