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Food & Beverage

New Jersey is a food tech powerhouse, propelled by its strategic location, robust infrastructure network, and pool of highly skilled professionals.

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A Taste of New Jersey’s Food and Beverage Industry

New Jersey’s strategic location, transportation infrastructure, and talented workforce allow industry giants — like Campbell Soup Company, Mars Wrigley, and Oatly — and innovative food tech startups alike stay competitive. Our thriving food industry accounts for one in five private-sector jobs in the state and brings in nearly $57 billion annually.

Incubator Space

New Jersey’s many commercial kitchens and food incubators offer affordable space, equipment, and resources for companies looking to scale. The award-winning Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC) is a unique business incubation and economic accelerator offering companies marketing, technical, regulatory, and manufacturing expertise. FIC is the only “Soft Landings” incubator in the world devoted to food, providing valuable support to startups and established food companies alike.

Food tech

New Jersey is a hub for food technology, supported by our world-class STEM workforce. Companies like ZenSoy and Esti are revolutionizing the way we produce vegan meat and dairy substitutes. We’re also a leader in vertical farming technology, which uses fewer resources to create healthier, more reliable crops. Companies like Oishii, which grows its proprietary Omakase Berry in the world’s first and largest indoor vertical strawberry farm in Jersey City, are leading the way in food tech innovation.

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Our team offers a range of services and personalized guidance at every stage of establishing and expanding operations in New Jersey.

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CNJ Website Expert AnastasiaBlasia

Anastasia Blasi

Business Development Officer

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Success Stories

Mush Foods

Mush Foods was attracted to New Jersey’s strategic location and excellent education system. Mush Foods contacted us through the Choose New Jersey website thanks to the site’s search engine optimization, ensuring high visibility and engagement. We arranged to meet with the Israeli hybrid meat startup at the SelectUSA Investment Summit to help them establish a United States presence at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC). Our business development officers introduced Mush Foods to the New Jersey-Israel Commission, NJEDA, New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, and NJBAC. With these connections, they were able to sign a lease at the FIC in September.

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Success Stories

Campbell’s

In 2023, Campbell Soup Company announced Camden, New Jersey, as the new headquarters for its consolidated Snacks offices, formerly in North Carolina and Connecticut, bringing 330 jobs to the state and a $50 million investment in Camden. Our team served as the convenor of this project by preparing an RFI for Campbell Soup Company, organizing relevant meetings, offering explanations of state incentive programs, and maintaining consistent communication to ensure ongoing assurance throughout the entirety of the process. A collective effort from New Jersey economic development entities sealed the deal.

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Success Stories

Rovagnati

Choose New Jersey met Rovagnati at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in 2017. The charcuterie company, based in Biassano, Italy, was looking to break into the U.S. market. Our team provided a full range of services from planning to purchase, beginning with an overview of New Jersey’s economic profile and State assistance information. We also made introductions to a commercial real estate firm and our partners at Cumberland County Improvement Authority. We then conducted a site search and collaborated with the Vineland Department of Economic Development and Vineland Zoning Division on a 64,000 sq. ft. production and wholesale distribution facility which was approved in October 2019.

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Success Stories

Mane USA

MANE, a French fragrance and flavor company, opened a 100,00-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Parsippany in 2018. The space houses its commercial, creative, R&D, and corporate teams, and is equipped with robotics, a consumer insights testing center, sensory odor booths, and testing laboratories. New Jersey’s expansive STEM resources and workforce is the ideal ecosystem for MANE to innovate.

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New Jersey’s Food & Beverage Leaders

ApplegateBai
FratelliBerettaBlueApron
Campbell sClio
Cream O LandFerraro Foods
FreshpetJack & Jill Ice Cream
Jimmy's CookiesLove Corn
MarsWrigleyMediterranean Snacks
MondelezFerraro Foods
Mitsui FoodsNabisco
Nitro BevrageNuts
OatlyOdyssey Elixir
OishiiParis Baguette
Partake FoodsPlaya Bowls
Prime IngredientsPure Indian
Robo BurgerScream Truck
Shop RiteSprout Foods
Undercover SnacksUniversal Yums
WakefernX Performance
Yummy BazaarMisfits Market
100%

of the world’s top 10 flavor and fragrance companies have a presence in New Jersey

Source: DrinkVolley

1/3

OF THE COUNTRY’S TOP 100 FOOD COMPANIES HAVE A PRESENCE IN NEW JERSEY

Source: Rutgers University

4,000

food manufacturing jobs added in the past 5 years

Source: LWD Cluster Report

Why Food & Beverage Companies Thrive in New Jersey

A Transportation Hub

New Jersey’s transportation network is unmatched, designed to move your products quickly and efficiently. New Jersey’s infrastructure includes highways, ports, and airports, ensuring that moving goods is streamlined and cost-effective. The State has nearly 3,000 miles of interstate and highways and the nation’s highest railroad density. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is part of the busiest airport system in the country. And, the deep-water ports of Newark, Elizabeth, and Bayonne, combined with the Port Authority’s regional air cargo network, position New Jersey as the gateway for cargo from anywhere. With this strategic advantage, businesses in New Jersey can outpace competitors, ensuring products reach markets faster and fresher. 

A Diverse Market

International companies are drawn to New Jersey by the rich diversity of its communities and the food they consume. At the heart of this multicultural tapestry is Jersey City, named the most diverse city in the United States by the Financial Times. This diversity isn’t just about numbers – it’s about real, tangible markets ready for exploration and engagement. New Jersey stands out nationally with the second-highest number of foreign-born residents in the United States. Companies based in New Jersey benefit from direct access to a broad spectrum of consumer preferences and tastes, offering a unique and competitive edge in both local and global food industries.

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Access New Jersey’s Talented Workforce

New Jersey Labor & Workforce Report

Industry
Strengths

In New Jersey, food technology pioneers, manufacturing giants, and agriculture leaders come together to propel the state to the forefront of the Food & Beverage industry.

Food Tech

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Food Tech

Food tech is thriving in New Jersey. Home to the highest density of scientists and engineers in the nation, we’re redefining the future of food. Innovations like Oishii’s groundbreaking vertical strawberry farm in Jersey City and Esti Foods’ plant-based delicacies put us on the map. These companies benefit from assets like Rutgers University’s pioneering research and active investors like SOSV. New Jersey is also home to the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, the only “Soft Landings” incubator in the world devoted to food. NJ Founders & Funders is yet another boon for companies and connects startup companies with elite investors.

Food and Bev Accordion Food tech

Food Manufacturing

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Food Manufacturing

New Jersey’s food manufacturing sector is a driving force in the state’s economy, with over 4,000 jobs added in the past five years. Positioned as a top-10 state in food processing, New Jersey boasts a $126 billion food industry that’s supported by the presence of over a third of the nation’s major food companies, including Campbell Soup Company, Goya, and Mars Wrigley. The state is also a pivotal location for flavor and fragrance innovation, with all of the top 10 companies in the sector having operations in New Jersey. This robust presence is a testament to New Jersey’s appeal as a food manufacturing leader.

Food and Bev Accordion Food manufacturing

Agriculture

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Agriculture

Nicknamed “The Garden State,” New Jersey blooms with over 10,000 farms across 750,000 acres of farmland, cultivating a farm-to-table ethos that’s second to none. The State boasts an annual farm revenue of $1.1 billion, ranking high in the production of cranberries, bell peppers, blueberries, tomatoes, peaches, and more. New Jersey’s vibrant agriculture not only feeds its communities but also strengthens its position as an agricultural powerhouse, where the bounty of the land is a celebrated part of daily life.

Food and Bev Accordion Agriculture

Incentives that Support Growth

The Emerge Program applies to qualifying projects that invest private capital into the state and create a minimum of 35 full-time jobs. It provides per-job tax credits ranging based on project location, bonuses, and the net benefit to the state. Tax credits may directly offset tax liability or may be transferred or surrendered for 85-90% of their value.  ​

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The New Jobs Investment program supports new or expanded business facilities that create new jobs in New Jersey. The investment must create at least five new full-time jobs employing New Jersey residents.

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The Manufacturing Equipment and Employment Investment Tax Credit applies to corporation business tax liability for investments in certain manufacturing equipment and for certain increased employment.

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The New Jersey sales and use tax exemption for manufacturers enables machinery, apparatuses, or equipment to be purchased without paying New Jersey sales and use tax. The equipment must be used primarily in the production of tangible personal property by manufacturers, processors, assemblers, or refineries.

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Companies operating in Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ) pay no duties on merchandise imported for manufacturing or assembling when the final product is exported outside of the United States. Duties are only paid when these products leave the zone for the domestic market.

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If a business is located within the 32 Urban Enterprise Designated Zones (UEZ) in New Jersey, there are a variety of benefits including a lower sales and use tax rate, tax-free purchases on certain items, subsidized unemployment insurance, and energy sales tax exemptions for qualified manufacturing firms.

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The New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Program establishes tax credits against corporation business or gross income taxes based on qualified investment in New Jersey’s emerging technology businesses to stimulate investment. The credits apply to 20% of the qualified investment made in an NJ emerging technology business, with a potential increase to 25% if the business is certified M/WBE or located in an Opportunity Zone or New Market Tax Credit Census Track.

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The New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund Program facilitates private sector engagement to raise and invest capital in qualified New Jersey-based companies and promote strategic collaboration in the state’s innovation economy. Proposed Qualified Businesses may access up to $5,000,000 of program investment capital for equity investments, or $6,250,000 for State-certified women or minority businesses, New Jersey university spin-offs, or businesses that utilize intellectual property developed at a New Jersey university that is core to its business model.

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The Net Operating Loss (NOL) Program supports companies in New Jersey with a net operating loss carryover and/or R&D tax credits and have no positive net operating income for the last two years.

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The New Jersey Manufacturing Voucher Program assists manufacturers that intend to purchase equipment that integrates advanced or innovative technologies, processes, and materials. The program provides grants sized at 30% to 50% of the cost of eligible equipment.

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The Workforce 55+ On-the-Job Experience (OJE) Program supports private, non-profit employers who offer eligible job seekers the opportunity to gain work experience and may do so at no cost. OJE participants’ salary is covered for four weeks by a federal grant, providing employers with an opportunity to observe and train the employee before making a permanent hire.

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The On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program is eligible to all New Jersey-based companies who hire full-time positions. Employers are reimbursed 50% of new employee’s wages for a period of up to 26 weeks in exchange for providing training in a specialized skill set.

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The Federal Bonding Program is a unique job placement tool that provides employers with insurance for hiring jobseekers who have poor credit histories, are recovering from substance abuse, are on public assistance, or are justice-involved.

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Upskill grants are block grants that are available to all New Jersey-based companies to help defray the cost of training of existing employees.

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The Opportunity Partnership for Business is available to all New Jersey-based businesses to support employers design the training program they need to fill a skills gap in their industry.

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The Registered Apprenticeship is an industry-driven training model that combines paid on-the-job learning with classroom instruction. The employer can develop training that aligns cohesively with their business needs.

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The New Jersey SmartStart Buildings Program can provide a range of support to yield substantial energy savings for new and existing buildings. Incentives are available for any size project, which can offset some of the added cost of purchasing qualifying equipment.

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What’s Happening In New Jersey?

Murphy signs MOU with province of Ontario with innovation and development in mind

PRESS RELEASE

New Jersey: Ideal for Foreign Business Success

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Campbell to Invest $50 Million in Camden Headquarters to Fuel Next Chapter of Growth

PRESS RELEASE

EAD Engineering opens U.S. Northeast Regional Office in New Jersey

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New Jersey, the Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Still Leads in Manufacturing

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World’s largest vertical strawberry farm opens in Jersey City

PRESS RELEASE

Rutgers Researchers Partner with Cultivated Meat Company to Create Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly, Low-Cost Meat

PRESS RELEASE

Irish Companies are Finding a Second Home in New Jersey

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Exploring Business Ecosystems in New Jersey

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Why Israeli Companies are Choosing New Jersey

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5 Major Italian Food Companies Succeeding in New Jersey

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Wining and dining: How top officials showed site selectors the Hub — and N.J. — is the place to be

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