Pleasant Grove, Utah, United States
As a Food Scientist at Thrive Foods, I split my time between product development and process engineering. As the R&D Manager, I've been able to develop various recipes, including backpacking meals, bakery mixes, drink mixes, and other dehydrated/freeze-dried foods. I've also been key to the development of freeze-dry profiles for hundreds of different products for many clients. I've been able to create and optimize these profiles using test dryers that then are scaled to full-size production runs.
. Used laboratory equipment to test quality factors in dairy products, including fat content, moisture content, pH, salt content, and microbial load. . Assisted at times with production of products at the facility. . Conducted plant inspections to ensure adherence to plant cGMPs. . Was recognized by the company for correcting a labeling error, which, if gone unchanged, would have resulted in possible fines and/or product recall.
Helped run sensory panels for various clients in the food industry using BYU’s facility. Prepared reports of panels, including some statistical analysis of the data that was collected. Worked with computer software to help run questionnaires for panels. Have completed both IRB training and have received Food Handler’s permit.
. Maintaining a database of room usage for more than 42,000 rooms in 73 campus buildings. . Building relationships with university vice presidents and deans in collecting and verifying data within deadlines (consistently met), and in effectively communicating university-wide and specific college and department protocols using both written and interpersonal communications.
. Tested meat samples for presence of various food pathogens, including E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, coliforms, and others using rapid testing. . Took environmental swabs of mechanical equipment and run tests to determine the possible presence of microbes. . Assisted graduate students with research involving Salmonella. . Learned how to use aseptic sampling and work in a laboratory setting.
. Worked on a professor-led team of students developing new flavors for General Mills. . Ran consumer taste panels to discover consumer preferences. . Constrained by team-developed project timelines and budgets. . Communicated quality specifications to suppliers, and tested the quality of the products delivered against specifications.
Maintained high customer service while quickly serving food. Learned sanitation and cleaning of food processing equipment.