Every blog must have an inaugural post, pontificating about the writer’s hopes and dreams for their slice of electronic real estate.  I suppose this is no exception.  So please stay with me for a minute as I have a personal moment in my professional capacity.

TL/DR:  I’m here to share my love of food science and interesting ingredient developments with the world at large.

In my line of work, it feels like PhDs are a dime a dozen.  And even without a PhD, years of experience in product development and applications command respect.  There are dozens of colleagues and scientists in the industry I admire.  Until recently, I never thought I measured up, even having a degree and achievements of my own.  But at this juncture in my life and career, thanks to an empowering boss and a few years of working for the best technical editor in the biz, I have found my voice.  I have found myself, professionally speaking. 

I always thought I’d end up working in a lab somewhere, but the world had other plans for me.  I’ve worked in product development, sales, technical sales and support, and technical writing, definitely not the hard core scientist I had once envisioned myself.  However, each of those experiences taught me important lessons about the ingredient industry.  What I once thought was a mishmash of odd skills has turned out to be the necessary list of capabilities allowing me to research ingredients, make recommendations based on science and experience, and communicate the benefits of such ingredients.  A scientific storyteller, if you will.

And in finding myself, I have emerged as the Ingredient Doc.

After spending time as a stay-at-home mother and regular contributor to Prepared Foods Magazine, I began work as Innovation Scientist at Step Change Innovations, working for a dear friend I met at a previous job over a decade ago.  We do things different at Step Change, offering expertise and services in a way that hasn’t been done before.  I actually get paid to do things I love–researching innovations in the industry and authoring marketing and technical materials.  I’m swimming in unique samples and materials.  It’s delightful!  Current trends in sustainability and plant-based materials have driven innovation, resulting in an explosion of ingredients.  I’m constantly excited by new discoveries and research.

So my hope and dream for this space is simple–I want to share my love of ingredients and clearly explain the science behind them with whoever happens to pass by this website.  This is my outlet to share with the world the things I find interesting, the concepts I think could take off in the marketplace, the science of ingredients that can better our lives.  If you have found yourself here, I welcome you and hope to expand your knowledge of food science and ingredients.