Anyone who knows me well probably knows of my cousin and closest childhood friend, Isabel McNeill. We've been inseparable since our days of playing with fairy dolls but just a few years ago Isabel moved to St Louis to begin her career in Food Science. Isabel currently works at Nikken Food and I couldn't be prouder of her professional progress. Take a look at our interview below to learn more about what it takes to be a food scientists and learn about what her job entails.
Start off by introducing yourself. What’s your background, what did you study in school?
I received a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition with a focus in Science and a minor in Business from the University of Missouri- Columbia in May 2018.
The Food Science department is very small at Mizzou, I was one of twelve students in my graduating class. I can say I graduated as one of the top twelve in my class!! Most people are unfamiliar with the field of Food Science, or believe it’s a branch of Nutrition or Dietetics. There’s no doubt in the overlap of information learned from these different fields; however, the separation comes from how the information is applied. Nutrition and Dietetics focuses on how food effects our health and well-being and for Food Science, it’s the study of how food functions from a product development and manufacturing standpoint.
How did you get interested in this field of work? (When did you know this is what you wanted to do?)
I’ve always been a big foodie. Since high school, I had a passion for finding new foods and playing around with different flavors. I originally heard of Food Science from my cousin Abigail, who studied it at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. I was immediately fascinated with Food Science and wanted to learn more. While doing my own research, my fascination grew when I learned about the abundance of different paths Food Science had to offer. Some of these paths include, being a Flavorist, Product Developer, Quality Control/Assurance Manager, Culinologist, Enologist, Food Law Lawyer, and Food Sales Representative!
Can you explain what you do -what your job entails- for those who may be unclear?
I currently work for the company, Nikken Foods USA. Nikken Foods is a Japanese-based company that manufactures umami ingredients. The USA product line includes a variety of soy sauce powders, seafood, vegetable and specialty ingredients. Our ingredients are sold mostly to food manufacturers and they’re either used at low levels for flavor enhancement or higher levels for their actual flavor. When I first joined Nikken, I had a dual position, working in both applications and sales. When I worked in applications, I would create recipes using our ingredients to demonstrate how our products can be applied. These demos would then be used by the sales representatives during sales meetings to highlight our products.
What’s an average day of work like for you? How you prepare for the work you do?
My main responsibly is maintaining customer relationships. Most of my day-to-day work is spent emailing, calling or arranging in-person meetings with current and potential customers. I am responsible for coordinating the meetings, arranging airfare, hotels and rental cars. I visit customers 1-2 times per month, so planning these trips takes up most of my time.
What do you find cool for interesting about your job or the work you do?
A lot of my time is also spent researching companies and creating personalized presentations for our customers. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about all of the different industries and developmental work going on! I also enjoy traveling and racking up frequent flyer points.
What kind of misconception might people have about your job and what would you say to help clarify this?
I think a lot of people figure our ingredients end up in mostly Asian products and that’s not the case. Allergen-free ingredients have flexible labeling options, allowing for many of our ingredients to be added without changing much on the ingredient label (other factors come into play, of course*). We sell to many big fast food chains (I cannot say the exact ones because this is proprietary) and club stores nationwide.
What advice would you give to someone interested in doing what you do?
1. Be a sponge. Take in as much information as possible and ask questions. Also, never assume, always ask.
2. Get to know your coworkers and ask for their opinions. Especially the ones who have been with the company for awhile because they know what they’re doing.
3. If you can’t solve a problem or complete a task, present alternative solutions. Don’t show up empty-handed or simply give up.
4. Focus on yourself and not the work of others.
5. Don’t complain. No one likes complainers.
6. Make folders on your email. I swear this has been huge for me. I have a folder for each of my regions on my email.
7. If you’re staring at a computer all day, get blue light glasses and get foot stool for posture.
I hope this career segment on Food Science was handy to anyone looking to see how their passion for food could lead to career opportunities and gives others a better insight into this type of industry. A huge thanks to Isabel for graciously answering my questions even though she's next-level busy at her job! Next week we'll take a dive into the life of law with my pal, Ari Reyes. Until then, have a wonderful week full of amazing food and company.
Comments