It’s not every day that an individual who earned his Ph.D in Physics from Cornell University becomes the co-founder of a food company. The company, Liquid Nature, is now headquartered in the heart of the Finger Lakes at the Tech Farm adjacent to Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.

When Dr. Xinjian Zhou first earned his Doctorate from Cornell University, he dove headfirst into the cutting-edge field of advanced engineering, working for major companies such as Siemens and Xerox. But when his five-year-old son became sick, everything changed.

A Family’s Struggle, A Father’s Mission:

It began with a family challenge. When Dr. Zhou’s son developed a baffling neurological condition, he was devastated. He was told there was no cure but that the condition could be managed, to a degree, by drastically increasing his son’s fruit and vegetable intake.

A typical preschooler, Dr. Zhou’s son was understandably resistant. Demanding he finish whole fruits and vegetables was a constant struggle. Switching to daily smoothies showed encouraging results, but they were thick, gritty, and prone to separation. Convincing a child to drink them consistently was difficult and preparing them every day was time-consuming.

Dr. Zhou realized that, while whole fruits and vegetables are essential for health, existing formats were often inconvenient or stripped of important components. With the fervor of a devoted father he completely switched gears on his entire life and devoted his energy and considerable expertise to engineering a solution.

And thus Liquid Nature was born.

Assembling Expertise: A Visionary Team

Joining Dr. Zhou as Liquid Nature co-founders are Dr. Rui Hai Liu, professor of Food Science at Cornell University and Zhaoji (Jim) Jin, graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Co-founder Dr. Rui Hai Liu, a professor in Cornell University’s Department of Food Science, is internationally recognized for his pioneer research on whole-food nutrition. Dr. Liu is among the world’s top agricultural and food scientists and he was instrumental in the development of the whole fruit antioxidant science production process. His landmark studies thoroughly exemplify the vital importance of Liquid Nature’s production process, which secures the highest concentration of antioxidants and bioactive compounds, and maximizes the foods’ health value.

Dr. Liu’s groundbreaking research focuses on the synergistic effects of antioxidants, bioactive compounds, and nutrients in whole fruits and vegetables in that the individual nutrients come together in a complicated biological symphony of health benefits far greater than the sum of its individual parts.

As Dr. Liu explains, “Liquid Nature’s high-pressure processing technology breaks down whole fruits and vegetables into fine particles that are over five times smaller than traditional smoothies. This high-pressure process delivers nutritional benefits with richer flavors, creamier textures, and greater shelf stability.”

Liquid Nature co-founder and CEO Zhaoji Jin (Jim) describes the tremendous business potential of the company. As CEO, Jim manages daily operations, supplier partnerships, equipment implementation and commercialization strategies. Describing his motivation as co-founder Jim states, “Especially as a new father, I strongly believe in the mission of improving access to real nutrition for families. Liquid Nature will become a proven platform technology for fruits, vegetables and grains. We will provide endless possibilities for bringing nature’s bounty to consumers in more convenient, nutritional and flavorful products than are on the market today.”

Revolutionary Technology: The Science of the Small

Utilizing his experience in applied physics and Dr. Liu’s expertise in nutrition and antioxidant science, Dr. Zhou led the development of a revolutionary and disruptive new food technology process.

“While studying nanoscience at Cornell, I realized that making things small could generate entirely new phenomena. Our technological advances enable Liquid Nature to physically break whole fruits and vegetables down to tens of micrometers and turn them into a liquid format, while retaining the nutritional benefits,” continued Dr. Zhou. “Unlike traditional juice drinks, our products provide the maximum levels of nutritious antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids and fibers from whole fresh fruits and vegetables. We are not creating traditional juice but rather drinkable whole fruits and vegetables.”

This breakthrough development is the foundation of Liquid Nature’s products: the most nutritious and delicious fruit and vegetable drinks now entering the consumer marketplace. Products that combine the convenience of a drinkable supplement with the unmatched benefits of whole fruits and vegetables.

Liquid Apple: The First Pink Whole-Apple Beverage

Liquid Nature’s inaugural product, Liquid Apple, is the first ready-to-drink beverage made from the most nutritious parts of the apple—including the peel and pulp. Most apple juices on the market are clear yellow or brown because the juice is filtered and clarified. During that process, the peel and pulp are removed, along with much of the nutritional fiber and natural antioxidants that give apples their vibrant color.

Liquid Apple is naturally pink because it includes the whole apple, including the red peel. By retaining a substantial portion of the apple’s original antioxidants and plant compounds, the beverage maintains both its color and the maximum amount of its nutritional value. The product represents a shift away from filtered juice toward genuine whole-fruit consumption in liquid form.

Liquid Nature is currently producing its apple drink and engaging in test marketing in a variety of retail outlets across the Finger Lakes region. Liquid Nature sources apples from the Finger Lakes region, supporting local growers while introducing a new way to enjoy one of New York State’s signature crops. The company enjoys the advantage of producing this product only a few miles away from one of the most significant apple growing areas in the nation: Wayne County, New York. Another significant advantage for Liquid Nature is its location at the Cornell Tech Farm, adjacent to the outstanding apple, fruit, and vegetable research performed at Cornell AgriTech for over 100 years.

Liquid Salad: A New Category of Drinkable Salad

The company is excited to unveil its revolutionary second product, Liquid Salad. Developed at its facility on the Cornell Tech Farm campus with Cornell patented technology, Liquid Salad will be a game changer. Minimally processed, Liquid Salad is made from real vegetables and fruits, preserved using high-pressure processing (HPP) and provides the consumer with freshness, rich color and maximum nutritional benefits.

“Liquid Salad has all the nutritional benefits of eating a salad in an extremely convenient way without any preparation time. Unlike many cold pressed vegetable juices that throw away the nutrient-rich solid pulp, our Liquid Salad allows the consumer to conveniently drink tasty, fiber-rich, and nutrient loaded wholesome vegetables,” added Dr. Zhou.

Built in the Finger Lakes Ecosystem: Homegrown Innovation

Liquid Nature operates its facility at the Cornell Tech Farm in Geneva, NY – the heart of the Finger Lakes region.

The company benefits from a strong local innovation ecosystem, including collaboration with Cornell’s Food Venture Center for product validation and scientific support, guidance from the Center of Excellence, and partnerships with local growers, suppliers, and food industry businesses.

The region’s agricultural strength, research institutions, and supportive business community have played a key role in helping the company move from concept to production.

By combining Cornell research, advanced physical processing, and the strength of the Finger Lakes agricultural network, Liquid Nature aims to pioneer a new category of whole food. Liquid Nature is currently producing its apple drink and engaging in test marketing in a variety of retail outlets across the Finger Lakes region.

Another advantage of whole food drinks from Liquid Nature is food waste reduction. For that reason, Liquid Orchard Inc, in collaboration with Cornell University, was awarded the highly competitive Phase I SBIR grant from the USDA in 2025. The natural fibers and micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which are discarded as wastes in traditional juicing processes, will be retained in Liquid Nature Products, increasing the utilization rate of agriculture products.

Liquid Nature: A Mission of Health

Liquid Nature was driven by a very personal and yet wholly universal mission: to make whole fruits and vegetables conveniently drinkable while preserving maximum nutritional value. Liquid Nature was created to close that gap.