The partnership will leverage the university’s research strengths across multiple food and life sciences fields.
Kansas State University has entered into an agreement with PepsiCo, Inc. to focus on making nutritious food and beverage products more affordable and accessible.
As part of the collaboration, the university’s faculty and students will work on projects to develop innovative new product ideas for the global food and beverage leader.
The partnership will leverage the university’s research strengths across multiple food and life sciences fields to help the company attain its stated goal of increasing the availability of convenient, affordable and enjoyable nutrition for consumers around the world.
PepsiCo will provide funding for up to five years that will be used to hire graduate students, develop a course that integrates professional and product development skills, conduct independent research, and provide edible prototypes to PepsiCo.
PepsiCo’s nutrition brands, which include Tropicana, Quaker, Aquafina and Naked Juice among others, comprise about 25 percent of PepsiCo’s $63 billion portfolio of food and beverage brands. PepsiCo’s goal is to grow this portion of its business faster than the rest of its portfolio over the next 10 years.