If you are a Montana food business seeking assistance with food product development, improvement, or testing, and your product utilizes Montana crops and/or meat/poultry*, you may be eligible for our free technical assistance/R&D support, via a program managed by Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA).

Our current service offerings include:

  1. Expert consultations on:
    1. Product recipe development/improvement with our culinary research chef
    2. Food product technical issues/troubleshooting with our food scientist
    3. Extruded product formulations and ingredient testing with our food extrusion unit manager
  2. Sensory testing for studying product marketability

To determine eligibility, please:

  1. Fill out our client intake questionnaire to tell us more about your product and how we can assist you.
  2. Contact your local Food & Ag Development Center (FADC) representative to determine your project’s eligibility for this program. You'll need to obtain FADC approval before we can work with you.
  3. When your FADC notifies us of project approval, we'll schedule a meeting with you (remotely or in-person) to determine the scope of work.

Note that we have 40 hours to assist your project. All project outcomes and proprietary information will belong to you.

Please email sensory@montana.edu if you have any questions regarding this opportunity.

*Crops or meat/poultry used in the product must be actively cultivated or raised in Montana and comprise at least 50% by weight of the finished product (excluding added water). Wild harvested or hunted products are not eligible.