Middlesex County, NJ is part of the #1 metropolitan area in the U.S. for employment of food scientists and technologists.

• The concentration of food scientists and technologists per capita in Middlesex County is over five times the national average.
• Middlesex County is home to a deep pipeline of talent fed by world-renowned research universities such as Rutgers University and Princeton University, as well as Middlesex College.
• Rutgers Graduate Program in Food Science is consistently ranked among the top five food science programs in the world.
• The Middlesex County Office of Career Opportunity provides free recruitment services, employment counseling, and leadership development.
• The NJ Manufacturing Extension Program is a statewide nonprofit that offers specialized resources and training to improve the profitability and competitiveness of New Jersey’s manufacturers.
• Middlesex County is #1 in the state for manufacturing employment.
• There is a deep supply of talent in packaging and labelling (2,012 employees compared with a national average of 173 employees). This number is expected to grow an additional 8% between 2020 and 2025.
• There is a deep supply of talent in flavoring syrup and concentrate manufacturing (166 employees compared with a national average of 22 employees for an area this size).
• There is a deep supply of talent in spice and extract manufacturing (738 employees compared with a national average of 71 employees for an area this size). This number is expected to grow 13% between 2020 and 2025.
• Students who grow up in Middlesex County have higher GED and college graduation rates than 98% of students in the U.S.

From agricultural resources to a high concentration of food, flavor, and ingredient companies, R&D, packaging, manufacturing, and distribution, Middlesex County, NJ has one of the best infrastructures for food innovation.

• Rutgers has a packaging engineering program that partners with major food corporations. In fact, it’s the only U.S. packaging program housed within an engineering school.
• There is nearly 244 million square feet of industrial inventory in Middlesex County (CBRE Research, Q3 2021).
• As the state’s land-grant institution, Rutgers University is conducting a tremendous amount of R&D in food through programs such as The New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health; the Rutgers University Microbiome Program; and the Rutgers Cell and Cell Product Fermentation Facility.
• Rutgers is also committed to advancing the sensory sciences and driving innovation within the flavors and fragrances industry through their Center for Sensory Sciences and Innovation.
• In partnership with Middlesex County, Rutgers launched the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Beginner Farmer Training program providing participants access to a farm incubator. A team of agricultural experts and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension statewide network of specialists, farmers, and mentors guide individuals step-by-step through the process of building a farm business.

Located just outside of New York City, Middlesex County is uniquely positioned in the middle of the Northeast Corridor and is one of the most connected destinations in New Jersey with access to 38 million consumers and $2.8 trillion GDP within 150 miles. It is at the center of AMTRAK and NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor Line, which transports millions of riders per year. Approximately 10% of the U.S. population lives within 100 miles of Central NJ.

If you’re in the food business, you’re in good company. In addition to flavor & ingredient industry giants, many other notable players in manufacturing, packaging, retail and agriculture call Middlesex County home.

• The Robertet Group is one of the top 10 flavor and fragrance companies in the world. The 160-year-old, global fragrance and flavors manufacturer has a flavors division in Piscataway.
• Archer Daniels Midland Company is one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers. They have a 15,700 square foot “flavor creation, application, and customer service facility” in Cranbury.
• Berje’s 235,000 square foot headquarters in Carteret has 4,000 solar panels supplying 70% of their electrical needs. The family-run company supplies raw materials to the flavors and fragrances industries.
• Ronpak, the leading manufacturers of custom paper bags, packaging, and food wraps, has operations in Middlesex County.
• Sabert Corporation (headquarters in Sayreville) designs, manufactures, and distributes a wide spectrum of packaging solutions for food distributors, restaurants and caterers, grocery stores, national food chains, and consumer entertaining.
• All American Poly is the largest, privately held polyethylene extruder in the U.S. with over 350 employees and production headquarters in Piscataway. They serve a wide variety of industries, including food and beverage.

 New Jersey is consistently ranked #1 for public education in the nation and Middlesex County is home to the #1 public school in the state: The Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies. A diverse range of technical and vocational schools, union training programs, and leading institutions of higher education contribute to the fact that children who grow up in Middlesex County have higher GED and college graduation rates than 98% of students in the U.S. Explore stories about Middlesex County from the people who live in the County.

With over 40 languages spoken, diversity is the backbone of Middlesex County. The County celebrates and takes pride in the strength of the community’s cultural life. From providing residents with experiences in the arts to programs that train students for careers in the arts, Middlesex County invests in its arts community.

Middlesex County embodies all the perks of small-town appeal with the benefits of city-living, providing residents with the perfect live-play-work balance.

See how your food innovation business can thrive in Middlesex County.