KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte is helping create plant-based foods of the future in North Carolina.
What You Need to Know
Chris Patillo landed JWU-Charlotte's first internship at the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab in Kannapolis.
Patillo works with start-up companies to major corporations to create innovative products
Patillo researches the best way to extract nutrients, flavors and texture from plant-based foods like nuts and fruits
Chris Patillo has been passionate about cooking since he was 5 years old.
"I love it because it offers so many different possibilities," Patillo said.
Patillo went to Johnson & Wales University to pursue a culinary arts degree. A few years later, he got the chance to work at a restaurant in the Charlotte area. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he was laid off for about eight months.
"At that time, I was not sure if they were ever going to open back up," Patillo said. "So I kind of make that transition into what other career paths would be stable if something like [the pandemic] were to happen again."
Patillo changed his major to Applied Food Science. He was among the first students at Johnson & Wales to land an internship at the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab in Kannapolis.
Patillo spends his time at the lab researching ways to create plant-based foods from scratch.
"Every day is something different," Patillo said.
Throughout his internship, Patillo has helped create an organic-powdered fruit beverage and different types of plant-based milk.
"I've worked on eight different types of plant-based milk," Patillo said. "I'm like a kid in a candy factory here."
Patillo learns the best way to extract nutrients, flavors and texture from plant-based foods like nuts and fruits.
"There's a lot more opportunity for growth here than in a standard restaurant," Patillo said.
Patillo works for several clients, from start-up companies to major corporations to create products that are being sold across the country.
"I've helped them formulate, produce and distribute the product," Patillo said. "It's a healthy product ... It's new, and I'm a part of that innovation."
Patillo recalls a recent moment when he saw one of his creations at a grocery store in Charlotte.
"I was like 'that's my product. I was working on that, and here it is out in the real world,'" Patillo recalled. "I would have not thought about that when I was 5 years old working in a restaurant."
Patillo says he's hoping to work at the lab full-time once his internship is over.
The North Carolina Food Innovation Lab is part of a larger initiative to bring 38,000 new jobs to the state.