Expert Details
Food & Beverage Product Development Consultant
ID: 740409
Massachusetts, USA
With a deep-rooted expertise in protein chemistry, Expert has successfully developed and commercialized a diverse range of consumer packaged goods (CPG), including cold-form bars, extruded bars, granola products, nut butters, plant-based meat alternatives, protein beverages, and ready-to-mix powdered drinks. Her work also extends into ingredient technology, where she has played a pivotal role in the development and application of hydrogel pellets, precision fermentation proteins, enzyme blends, upcycled food waste streams, and starch-based food ingredients. Her ability to bridge scientific research with commercial viability has enabled the launch of groundbreaking products that cater to evolving consumer demands.
Beyond product development, Expert has led strategic initiatives within fast-paced companies to enhance operational efficiency and accelerate commercialization. She has designed and implemented internal programs focused on statistical analysis, texture analysis, analytical method development, food and beverage technology scouting, innovation strategy, cost optimization, and co-manufacturing technical transfers. Her expertise in leveraging existing technologies for novel applications, technology scouting, agile scale-up, and ingredient functionality refinement makes her a sought-after leader in food innovation.
Currently, Expert consults for food and beverage companies, guiding them in innovation strategy, technology assessment, and the creative application of intellectual property to expand their product portfolios. With a proven track record in driving innovation and optimizing product development processes, she continues to shape the future of food through science, strategy, and creativity.
Her operational skills include:
· ESHA Gensis Formulation Software
· Experimental Design
· HPLC and Ion Chromatography
· Minitab Statistical Analysis
· Protein Functionality Assays
· Ingredient Characterization
· Ingredient and Finished Goods Product Commercialization
· Bench-scale to Manufacturing Scale-up
· Process Optimization
· Creating and implementing technical programs and processes
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2021 | Degree: MS | Subject: Food Science & Human Nutrition | Institution: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign |
| Year: 2015 | Degree: BS | Subject: Food Science | Institution: Purdue University, West Lafayette |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2024 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:· Acted as a technical lead for ingredient, process, and packaging technology scouting used to aid innovation strategy development for a > $6B CPG company across 3 category-specific ‘pods’· Co-led two-day innovation sessions to develop product concepts for clients’ mid- and long-term strategies, including line extensions and disruptive innovations. |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2021 to 2024 | Employer: Motif FoodWorks | Title: Technical Lead & Senior Scientist | Department: R&D, Food Applications |
Responsibilities:· Commercialized a novel ingredient technology from bench scale (50g) to in-house production scale (MT capacity) within 18 months, acting as the technical lead for a team of 2 technologists throughout the product life cycle· Streamlined data accumulation and analysis processes across Applications, Process Technology, QA, and Material Science teams to improve trouble-shooting and decision making under aggressive scale-up timelines · Led a technical team for the agile product development, scale-up and commercialization of PorkWorks Grounds (awarded QSR's top 12 F&B products at the National Restaurant Association) · Lead the co-manufacturing set-up, scale-up, and product maintenance initiatives for three unique food service SKUs from bench-scale prototypes within 9 months, generating 100% of the 2023 revenue · Established internal technical transfer requirements and milestones for finished product commercialization · Acted as a technical lead for B2B and Food Service innovation pipeline development for 2024-2025 · Managed three summer interns, ranging from undergraduate to PhD candidates, and one full-time technologist |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2018 to 2021 | Employer: RXBAR | Title: Senior Scientist | Department: Research & Innovation |
Responsibilities:· Led and managed 1 technician supporting the Alternate Supplier and Design to Value platforms, resulting > $1M cost-optimization opportunities identified over 12 months· Partnered with Kellogg’s eighteen94 Capital team to characterize and evaluate ingredient performance in Insurgent Brands’ product portfolio for existing collaborations and scoped opportunities · Subject matter expert for protein chemistry research ventures, primarily focused on egg white characterization · Led proactive and reactive research initiatives for core ingredients (egg whites, dates, almonds, cashews, peanuts). Bench-top research translated into expansion of 3 new product categories, resulting in 2 submitted IDFs · Developed and maintained 5 internal platforms to expand R&I capabilities and improve efficiencies · Statistical Analysis; Rheology; Method Development; Proactive Research Scoping; Sensory Analysis |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2015 to 2018 | Employer: DuPont Industrial Biosciences | Title: Associate Investigator | Department: R&D, Grain Processing Applications |
Responsibilities:· Led a team of 2 engineers and 1 scientist on a global application launch package for a novel liquefaction enzyme· Created application data packages and remotely supported launches for 3 liquefaction enzymes and 2 yeast strains · Developed 2 fuel ethanol enzyme blends and 2 carbohydrate processing enzyme blends within a small team setting · Optimized the liquefaction and saccharification processes for > 20 fuel ethanol and carbohydrate processing customers · Led re-formulation & application assessment of an out-of-specification enzyme product, resulting in $30K in cost-savings · Coordinated kitchen research & competitive intelligence between the 4 global carbohydrate processing application teams |
|||
Career Accomplishments
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| • WSET Level 2, Wine & Spirit Education Trust • Financial Accounting, Harvard Business School, Online • Negotiation Mastery, Harvard Business School, Online |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Expert has one provisional patent for plant-based adipose tissue, and one awarded patent for plant-based meat alternative. She currently has two publications on the impact of measuring conditions on the relationship between the sensory and measured juiciness in plant-based burgers; and insights from traditional fermented foods to inform innovation of modern plant-based meat analogs. |
Fields of Expertise
food technology, food science, protein chemistry, consumer food product, enzymal food processing, Food and Beverage, food biotechnology, food chemistry, food formulation, food functional property, food component enzymic modification, food ingredient technology, food innovation, food product development, food product cost reduction, food product design, food product manufacturing, food product research and development management, food product quality improvement, protein food product, vegetable-protein food product, snack food product development, food research and development, food sensory testing, food sensory science, food industry troubleshooting, food shelf life testing, food starch chemistry, functional food development, food waste reduction, non-thermal food processing, consumer packaged goods industry, egg processing