The new Institute for Food Product Innovation and Commercialization is funded by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. “This grant is focused on farmers who want to add value to their product,” said Dharmendra Mishra, institute director and associate professor of food science. A joint effort of Purdue’s departments of Food Science and Agricultural Economics, the institute is part of the USDA Agriculture Innovation Center Program. Phase 1 consists of six online training courses that introduce participants to the basics of food product design, food safety and business planning. Once participants pass the online training, they can proceed to Phase 2 for a one-day on-campus workshop on the food product life cycle.