The Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the UMN, creates and shares knowledge to ensure a safe, healthy, and appealing food supply that supports the well-being and prosperity of people and the environment.

The department is affiliated with a number of research centers within the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota Dairy Foods Research Center, housed in the department, is jointly funded by Dairy Management Inc. (an arm of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board), and the Midwest Dairy Association (representing dairy producers in a multi-state area).

The Joseph J. Warthesen Food Processing Center (pilot plant), provides the University of Minnesota with excellent food product research and teaching facilities. The facility is available to industry to provide process and product development support, additionally, it can provide a vital resource for food companies that are just starting-up, or are evaluating new process and product lines. The facility is inspected by the State of Minnesota and is certified as a food production facility. The Center includes specialized equipment in the areas of dairy and cheese processing, twin-screw extrusion, aseptic/ESL processing, and various concentration operations (membrane processing, spray and fluidized-bed drying, centrifugation).