Interview with a Food Scientist (CHEW)

Lynnea Young recently graduated as a Food Scientist from the University of Massachusetts and now works in CHEW in Boston, Massachusetts. Here she is interviewed by Christina Wormald as part of the Future Foods class at UMASS.

Q1: What company do you work for and what is your role within the company?

A1: My name is Lynnea, and I work as a Scientist in the Research and Development sector of a company called Chew. Chew is an up and coming food company, and I’ve been working in this particular role for a little over 4 months now.

Q2: What types of products do you process?

A2: Chew produces a lot of different products. We produce a lot of snack products, beverages (dairy and non-dairy), and really focus on convenience products. I work mainly on plant-based meat products, which is a big trend in the market right now. We also work with 3rd party clients to develop and produce their products.

Q3: What advancements/trends in food products do you find the most exciting?

A3: I think that the “food as medicine” movement is particularly interesting. I think that new technology that makes supplements in food more bioavailable and therefore more beneficial are exciting, and I’ve been doing a lot of research on the topic. I also think that the booming plant-based food market is especially exciting because I get to be on the cutting edge of research in my role at Chew. I think the way that scientists are incorporating new technology (such as engineering techniques) into food products will continue to open doors for us to push the level of innovation with our products and really revolutionize the market.

Q4: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our food system today, and how do you think the work that you’re doing helps alleviate this issue?

A4: I think that lack of sustainability is a major problem in our food system. When they produce new products, food companies/producers should work with a team of sustainability experts to try and lessen the environmental impact from food processing; from ingredients to the packaging and recycling capabilities of the packaging. Another issue that is particularly interesting is reducing food waste. I’ve gotten to do a lot of research on how much food gets wasted every year in America, and I think it should be the goal of the industry to try and combat this. I know it’s a bit of a double-edged sword – food companies want the product to go bad so that you purchase more of the product and they are more profitable – but I hope the industry shifts to a place where we can raise awareness about these pressing issues.

Q5: What made you interested in working with plant-based products? What did you do for your research before this that led you to this path?

Q5: My research when I was pursuing my Master’s was related to chemistry, and the metabolic pathways of fruit flies. I definitely think I carried my chemistry knowledge to this job, as I work to perfect product formulations. I particularly like working with plant-based products because I get to use an entirely different class of ingredients. There’s an interesting experimental process that takes place for us to replicate/mimic animal tissue for our products. It was shown with the Impossible burger that consumers are more likely to experiment with plant-based meat if it mimics real meat. Since the matrix of animal muscle and tissues have been perfected through years of evolution, it’s an extremely difficult (but exciting!) feat to try and replicate that.

Q6: Where do you see yourself in the future/where do you see yourself progressing in the world of ‘Future Foods’?

A6: I definitely want to stay within the realm of plant-based products for a while, so that I can develop a technical foundation in that area of food science. There is still so much work to be done, and I think that this is such a valuable time to be working for a company that produces plant-based products. I would like to experience the operations and management side of the food industry as well. I think it would be really interesting to contribute my scientific knowledge to more of a business-like position so that I could push the limit of innovation.

Q7: What is the draw to your product, and who is your intended audience?

A7: Our products target consumers that are interested in incorporating plant-based alternatives into their diets, but haven’t tried yet. A lot of the time we talk to consumers that are on the fence about eating a plant-based diet because of their cultures and beliefs, but they often mention that they are aware that new plant-based products are more ethical and sustainable for society. A way that companies are convincing these types of consumers is by creating products that are half plant-based and half animal-based. This helps consumers address their concern about sustainability, reduce their carbon footprint and reduce meat intake. These types of products will hopefully challenge consumers to go mostly plant-based once they see how delicious and nutritious these products can be.

Q8: What product produced by Chew are you most excited about and why?

A8: We produce a product for a client that is an entire salad packed into a savory bar. It resembles the pressed fruit bars produced by companies like Kind, but it contains dehydrated greens and pressed nuts such as almonds. This product is exciting because the “savory bar” market is very limited, and this product allows for convenience as well as a nutritional benefit of a salad. The college aged – 30 year old demographic has been trying out this bar, and it has the potential to have so many flavor options and varieties if it expands like I think it will.

Q9: What are your thoughts on sustainability, and what do you think could be done on a corporate level to sustain an overall sustainable food system?

A9: As I mentioned before, I think sustainability is a huge issue facing our food system. I do think that many businesses are using the “value-added” technique to better aid in the sustainability/waste problems, but I believe large corporate processors should be more responsible when it comes to educating consumers on the importance of reducing food waste, and recycling product packaging. The emergence of the “certified B-Corporation” status for businesses is something all businesses should strive for, as this shows consumers that taking the proper steps to protect the environment is important for everyone.

Q10: What new products/product claims bother you the most as a scientist and what do you think we could do to fix it?

A10: There are so many juice and smoothie products on the market right now! There’s a common misconception that juice and smoothies are good for you, and that you can consume them every day with no worries. The way fruit breaks down into smaller sugars during the blending process makes it readily available for our body to absorb upon consumption, and these products often contain way more sugar than anyone should be consuming in one sitting. There’s a lot of false advertising going on with these types of products, and they are supporting consumers’ bad habits, like consuming way too much sugar! It’s our job as food scientists to educate the public on common misconceptions surrounding these products. The same thing goes for non-dairy products. Often, plant-based alternatives to dairy products have a lot of added sugar in order to cover the nutty taste of the product. Just because it’s an alternative to a conventional product, does not mean that it is necessarily healthier 100% of the time!

Q11: Do you believe consumers are likely to adapt to a more plant-based diet?

A11: Yes! The market is going through a revolutionary shift right now, and plant-based alternatives are becoming more readily available and accessible for all. My advice to those who haven’t tried to incorporate more plants in their diet is to start slow. Try one of the new 50/50 meat/plant products on the market, and slowly integrate those products into your routine. You’ll be surprised with how versatile (and delicious) they are!