During the 1960s and 1970s, at the request of renowned psychologist B. F. Skinner, P. J. Noyes Company developed the first precision food pellet for use in animal research. The company developed a line of specialized foods for laboratory animal research that were produced in tablet form, using pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. These “Noyes Pellets” became the standard food reward for behavioral research in psychology, and were later adapted for a wide range of studies in nutrition, neuroscience, medical research, and the NASA space program.
