Thursday, October 14, ,1982
Page 6
Daily Nebraskan
Food processing,
research plant
in planning stage
Within the next few years, Nebraska
may have its own food processing and
utilization plant, a UNL faculty member
has said.
Larry Branen, head of the department
of food science and technology, said Ne
braska is working on the development of
the Midland Center for Food Research,
which should help Nebraska economically
and agriculturally.
"There is an interest in the state and at
UNL in food processing and food utiliza
tion," Branen said. "This would be done to
attract more processors into the state and
process more food in Nebraska and then
ship the food out, rather. than send the
food out to other states in its raw form.'
Some members of the department of
food science and technology are studying
the feasibility of such a center. Branen said
there are many centers across the country
similar to the one planned for Nebraska.
"We are spending a year here studying
various successful centers across the
country," he said. "Each one is different so
it wUl take some time to look at all of
them and put one together for Nebraska."
The Abel Foundation of Lincoln and
the Department of Economic Develop
ment each have donated $10,000 toward
the development of such a center, which
Branen estimates could cost $20 million to
build.
"The center would help us to better
utilize Nebraska commodities,' he said.
Branen said it will take five to 10 years
to have the operation working at the level
currently discussed. He said he anticipates
that the staff will be comprised of people
living in Nebraska.
"We'd like to see the place staffed by
some of the university faculty, graduate
students and others," he said. "The people
staffing the center would be from Nebra
ska, so there would be new job openings,
so it would be good for both business and
agriculture."
