By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó Ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co. visited the N.C. Research Campus on Tuesday and might partner with the biotechnology complex in downtown Kannapolis.
The global food giant sent a team to the Research Campus, the company confirmed Wednesday.
N.C. State University, one of eight schools at the campus, is in “very preliminary talks” with Heinz, said Dr. Mary Ann Lila, director of the NCSU Plants for Human Health Institute in Kannapolis.
“It was basically a show-and-tell kind of visit,” Lila said.
Heinz is looking for research partnerships “and we certainly have a lot to offer and state-of-the-art instrumentation,” Lila said.
The Research Campus’ focus on health and nutrition and its arsenal of cutting-edge equipment appeal to food and beverage companies interested in boosting the nutritional value of their products.
Dole Food Co. and PepsiCo will have research labs on campus and plan to partner with the universities. Dole Food owner David Murdock founded the campus.
Heinz is evaluating how a partnership with the campus could fit with the company’s long-term product research and development initiatives, specifically relating to nutrition and wellness, a company spokeswoman said.
“The Heinz research and development department is impressed and intrigued by the capabilities emerging at the North Carolina Research Campus,” Jessica Jackson said.
Heinz, a $10 billion company headquartered in Pittsburgh, owns brands including Classico, Ore-Ida and Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones.
Outside the United States, Heinz is the leader in several countries in baby food and infant formula.
Companies like Dole Food, Heinz and PepsiCo, which owns Quaker Oats and Frito-Lay, are interested in not only healthier products but also better seeds, higher yields and drought- and disease-resistant crops, all possible developments at the Research Campus.
While some companies will have a presence on the campus, others will partner with a university on a promising research project but not move to town.
“If a corporate partner doesn’t want a lab here but still wants to be plugged in, they may just sponsor faculty research,” Lila said.