Expert Details
Food Science & New Food Products
ID: 740337
California, USA
Previously, Expert served as Vice President of Product and Process Development at Tezza Foods, where she spearheaded the launch of a plant-based cheddar product and provided strategic leadership across multiple functions. Her decade-long tenure at Impossible Foods as Vice President of Product Development saw her build and lead a team of 37 scientists and engineers. She was instrumental in launching the iconic Impossible Burger and scaling up various products, including meatballs, sausages, and chicken nuggets. She also established robust food safety programs, optimized processes to improve margins, and set up sensory and consumer testing frameworks.
Expert began her career at Genencor-Danisco/DuPont Industrial Biosciences, where she advanced rapidly from a Research Associate to a technical leader. She contributed significantly to R&D, developing formulations for enzyme products, improving manufacturing processes, and transferring technologies globally. Her technical expertise includes precision fermentation, protein analysis, and microbiology.
Expert holds an MS in Dairy Products Technology and a BS in Food Science with a minor in Packaging from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. A recognized leader and mentor, she has been involved in various professional and community initiatives, including mentoring emerging professionals and volunteering for science outreach programs.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2000 | Degree: MS | Subject: Dairy Science | Institution: California Polytechnic State University |
| Year: 1996 | Degree: BS | Subject: Food Science | Institution: California Polytechnic State University |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2024 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Founder | Department: |
Responsibilities:▪ Scale up of food products and ingredients from bench to full scale manufacturing▪ Process design, equipment selection, co-manufacturer evaluation, and tech transfer ▪ Quality, food safety & microbiology expertise to inform GMP and HACCP program design and training ▪ Packaging design, procurement, and implementation ▪ Shelf life testing expertise for frozen, refrigerated, and ambient foods ▪ Label development including nutrient facts panel, ingredient statement and other requirements ▪ Design and operation of lab kitchens and pilot plants for R&D ▪ Product evaluation including QC tests, consumer sensory, chef evaluations, and application testing ▪ Mentoring, Coaching, and Leadership Development |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2023 to 2024 | Employer: Plonts (fka Tezza Foods) | Title: VP, Product and Process Development | Department: |
Responsibilities:▪ Responsible for development, scale up, and manufacturing of the company’s first product, a plant-based cheddar, launched in 2024.▪ Providing leadership and coaching for multiple functions including pilot plant, facilities, quality, and human resources. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2013 to 2023 | Employer: Impossible Foods | Title: VP, Product Development | Department: |
Responsibilities:▪ Built a team of 37 scientists and engineers responsible for Product Development, Renovation, Packaging, and Food Safety and Quality▪ Led the startup of first production plant; Impossible Burger launched from Oakland manufacturing plant in 2017 ▪ Responsible for building Food Safety program including QA systems, QC testing, GMPs, HACCP, and managing auditing and regulatory permits ▪ Scaled up multiple SKUs leveraging ground meat technology such as meatballs, cased sausage, and chicken nuggets. Responsible for piloting and technology transfer to co-manufacturer production partners ▪ Conceptualized and implemented a Product Renovation program that improved margins through alternate ingredients, process optimizations, and manufacturing quality strategies ▪ Oversaw food piloting operations; design and build of facility and ongoing scale-up of recipes and processes from bench to manufacturing scale ▪ Built a Sensory and Consumer testing program ▪ Set up R&D kitchen to support bench scale product development and culinary evaluation |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2000 to 2013 | Employer: Genencor-Danisco / DuPont Industrial Biosciences | Title: Formulation and Process Development Scientist & Technical Project Leader | Department: |
Responsibilities:▪ Responsible for initiation and execution of R&D projects for new product development and manufacturing process improvement▪ Led product and process development projects, including scale up and technology transfer to manufacturing plants located in US, Europe, Asia, and South America ▪ Developed product quality assays and defined new product specifications and quality metrics ▪ Developed liquid and solid enzyme product formulations for extended shelf life and enhanced application performance ▪ High collaboration with Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory groups ▪ In-depth technical knowledge of precision fermentation downstream processing: precipitation, flocculation, filtration, centrifugation, ultrafiltration, microfiltration, fluid bed coating, spray drying, and tabletting ▪ Analytical skills: enzyme activity assays, shelf life testing, microbiology, proximate analysis, extensive protein analysis (mass spec, SDS-PAGE, and other protein quantification methods) |
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Career Accomplishments
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| ▪ Mentor, Plug and Play Tech Center, Alberta, Canada (2023) ▪ Mentor, Expanding Your Horizons an organization that introduces young girls to science (2001–2005) ▪ Instructor of a General Dairy Science class, Lompoc Prison (1999) ▪ Founder, Cal Poly chapter of Phi Tau Sigma, Food Science Honor Society |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Recipient of four different Food Science scholarships and two product development awards. |
Additional Experience
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Completed short courses in Cheese making, Sanitation, Dairy Ingredients, Dairy Chemistry, Project Leadership, and People Management (1998-2012) |
Fields of Expertise
food science, meat protein functionality, pouch, food product shelf-life study, food shelf life, food shelf life extension, food shelf life testing, food shipping, food package, food packaging equipment, food packaging material, baked food product freezing, baked food product, confectionery food engineering, food engineering, consumer food product, enzymal food processing, FDA food labeling regulation, food additive, fermented baked food product, food analysis, Food and Beverage, food antioxidant, food additive microencapsulation, food spray drying, food freezing, fermentation, butter, cheese, breading mixture, frozen vegetable, cheese microbiology, food microbiology, food formulation, sausage