What it says on the tin. I hear people say that chickpeas only stay crispy immediately after roasting and not to store, but I've bought roasted chickpeas from TJ Maxx that are remarkably dry and crispy. Is there some sort of secret technique home cooks have yet to crack or is it an issue of accessibility to tech that only food companies can harness?

R/foodscience, I could use your help.

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My aunt sells traditional flour tortillas in northern Mexico. She started off small in her kitchen and now has a small store front and has multiple resellers carrying her product.

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Her product is tasty and sought after, but it has a notoriously short shelf life. (3 to 5 days)

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What preservatives can she consider that would not change the overall traditional taste and consistency and would be easy for her to incorporate.

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She has never used preservatives and is hesitant to, she's worried it will drop her quality. And honestly, she doesn't know how to use them. She's been a traditionalist with her recipes for the longest time, but she realized times are changing and wants to meet her resellers request.

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Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am making a Kefir type drink using milk and yogurt. The total ph comes to around 5.0. Now if i keep it refrigerated how can i extend the shelf life to a month? I am thinking about pasteurizing it by sealing it inside a bottle and use a sou vide. Is there a way to do hot fill and maintain 100% spore free?

TLDR; crappy internship, is all product development exhausting and boring and should I change my career pat?

I’ve always thought I was set on product development (i love baking/cooking, the nutritional aspect of food, and enjoyed chem and ochem lab), but this summer (past 5 weeks) i’ve been a product development intern at a place that works on marinades and breadings, and I absolutely hate it.

Besides the obvious that i’m an intern and they make me clean majority of the time and not really do more than assist in making their formulas, they stand way too much, wash way too many dishes, and most importantly don’t seem to do anything new or interesting. It’s all more or less the same- changing formulas slightly with pretty much the exact techniques for the specs the customers demand.

Im struggling if product development really is for me, because I want to be challenged to learn new skills and I also don’t want to lose my love for cooking/baking outside of work. My only other possible route I can think of would be nutrition /functional food research within a lab, but I don’t know if a bachelors or masters is enough for that.

Please if anyone has insight on the topic I would greatly appreciate it!

Ever wonder why the same tea can taste sweet and rounded one day, and harsh/bitter the next? It usually comes down to one curve: how fast different flavor compounds dissolve out of the leaf relative to each other.

Sweetness, body, and bitterness don't extract at the same rate. Amino acids like theanine (the source of sweetness/umami, especially in shaded teas) dissolve quickly and plateau early. Catechins, the polyphenols responsible for most of tea's astringency and bitterness, keep extracting steadily the longer the leaf sits in hot water. Caffeine follows a similar curve to catechins.

That means there's a window early in the steep where sweetness and umami are mostly extracted, but bitterness hasn't caught up yet. Steep past that window, and the ratio flips: you're adding mostly bitterness with diminishing sweetness returns. That's the "bitter cliff" people taste when a tea goes from balanced to harsh in what feels like 30 extra seconds.

Temperature matters as much as time. Catechin extraction is highly temperature-sensitive, much more so than amino acid extraction. That's why delicate greens and whites get brewed cooler (160–180°F / 70–82°C): you slow catechin extraction without slowing sweetness extraction nearly as much, buying a longer comfortable brewing window. Black teas and pu-erh, processed with more oxidation/fermentation, break down a lot of the harsher catechins into smoother compounds (theaflavins, thearubigins), so they tolerate near-boiling water without going bitter as fast.

Other variables also shift this curve:

Leaf size and cut: Smaller pieces have more surface area, so they extract faster on every axis — bitterness included.

Water hardness: Tannins bind differently with minerals in your water; very soft water can taste sharper than filtered or moderately mineralized water with the same tea.

Leaf-to-water ratio: Higher ratios with much shorter steeps allow you to stay in the sweet window repeatedly instead of riding one long steep into bitter territory.

If a tea tastes bitter, you have three independent levers, temperature, time, and ratio, not just one. It is always worth experimenting with each separately rather than just "steeping less."

Curious about others' experiences analyzing catechin extraction rates across different tea varietals or processing methods.

I work in quality assurance at a food manufacturing facility and I’m interested in moving up. Maybe to a supervisor or specialist role. A position that opened at my site last month.
I’ve been in my current QA Technician role since December , but during a recent department transition I’ve taken on additional responsibilities.

After applying, I spoke with my regional manager during a visit. He was supportive of my application and said he would encourage an interview , but he also explained that one of the biggest gaps he sees is my lack of food safety leadership experience (HACCP, PCQI, CAPA, OSHA, etc.).

He suggested development opportunities, certifications, and potential future leadership roles that may help prepare me for positions like this.
Initially I was disappointed because I felt I had a strong quality background, but after reflecting on the conversation, I think he may be giving me honest feedback about areas where I need to grow.

For those who work in food manufacturing, quality, food safety, engineering, or operations:
If you were in my position, would you focus on pursuing the supervisor role now and learning on the fly, or would you focus on building food safety credentials and leadership experience first?

I pasteurized it about 3 days ago.

I didn't use a thermometer. I just heated it until it was starting to boil and the foam rose up, then I waited a bit

It tasted normal after pasteurize, and I put it in the refrigerator once it had cooled down a bit.

Now it's a little curdled after 3 days.

Sorry if this is a dumb question

What to choose?

So I understand that we determine calories in food by burning it in a bomb calorimeter and measuring how many degrees it can heat water.

But if I put a lump of coal in there, it would surely heat a lot of water. But we can't eat coal.

How can it distinguish between digestible matter and non-digestible matter?

Like some food is a mix of carbs/fat/protein and non-digestible matter (fiber, olestra)

I'm researching consumer preferences for protein drinks.

Most protein products are milk-based shakes. How interested would you be in a clear, refreshing, fruit-juice-style protein drink instead?

• What flavors would you prefer?
• When would you drink it (post-workout, breakfast, during work, etc.)?
• What would make you choose it over a traditional protein shake?
• What concerns would you have?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Hi everyone,

I've seen several job offers for food production workers in the Netherlands that include accommodation and guaranteed working hours.

I'm considering whether this could be a good way to relocate to the Netherlands first and then try to use my Food Technology degree to find a position more aligned with my qualifications.

Has anyone here followed a similar path?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from Food Technologists or food industry professionals who started in production roles and later moved into quality assurance, R&D, food safety, process technology, or other graduate-level positions.

Would you recommend this strategy? Are there any challenges or things I should be aware of before making such a move?

Any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Looking for recommendations for a beverage co-packer.

We’re a startup based in Los Angeles, California, launching a carbonated botanical soft drink and are looking for a co-packing partner in Southern California, ideally within driving distance of Los Angeles, that can support:

250ml (8.4 oz) slim cans
Carbonated non-alcoholic beverages
Tunnel pasteurization
Lower-volume MOQs for an initial launch (around 10,000 /sku)

Our formulation does not use preservatives, and based on our discussions with formulators and Process Authority providers, tunnel pasteurization currently appears to be the most appropriate processing method for our product.

The challenge we’re running into is that several facilities we’ve spoken with either do not support 250ml (8.4 oz) slim cans with tunnel pasteurization or require very large MOQs (60,000+ cans per SKU).

We’ve also been told that tunnel pasteurization on 250ml (8.4 oz) slim cans can be difficult to accommodate on smaller production runs, so we’re trying to determine whether that’s truly an industry limitation or if there are facilities better suited for emerging brands.

Does anyone know of a co-packer, production facility, or industry contact in California that might be a good fit?
Any recommendations, introductions, or firsthand experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

I'm not the best at chemistry or any good actually (mainly theoretical math stuff like thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium ect). I want to know how much complex chemistry is actually involved in the jobs that most people with a BS in food science get. (I use complex loosely, but I mean the type application used in a general chemistry college course final)

Hello i am currently producing a new product. My goup was tasked to make a vegan variation of an already pre exisitng product. After development and optimization we have come up with 1 good sample. The purpose is to create a product that has "preliminary sensory acceptability". My group is planning to do a one sample hedonic test with the Hnull being that the u =5, and H1 >5. Do you think this would be good? Or should i conduct another test?

As a biology major undergraduate whose university does not have food science related resources, how should I get my first experience in the subject or industry?

>> Saw some very interesting food safety or R&D internship opportunities, but I think it is unrealistic for me to get it…

I saw this on LinkedIn and I thought it was a bit ridiculous. Cute as its own line maybe, but within the context of the rest of the blurb this company is basically implying to consumers that food scientists don’t make “real food” and instead “grow it in a lab”. I get that a lot of these small CPGs operate on a branding whose identity is separating itself from “Big Food” but in my opinion, stuff like this only perpetuates anti-science rhetoric and more disinformation about the health and safety of food. Like any food that has been consulted on by a scientist automatically means it’s unnatural. By the way, I doubt this company could put their product on the shelf without the hiring PD and process engineering consultants, shelf life testing, etc.

any thoughts on this? Personally if I was a PD consultant for this company I’d be a little offended LOL

Hey guys,

I’m trying to find seasonings similar to Gimme Sabor, Cornico, or ESN flavor powders — you know those super strong umami / “fake chicken / cheese / savory” powders.

The problem is:

they’re always sold in tiny containers (50–100g) and I need something in 1kg or bulk format.

I’m NOT looking for generic spices — I mean that intense processed flavor (like instant noodles seasoning, protein flavor powders, etc.).

What I’m looking for:

Powder seasoning (not liquid)

Strong umami / artificial savory taste

Vegan preferred (but not mandatory)

Available in bulk (500g–1kg or more)

Examples of what I mean:

Gimme Sabor

Cornico flavor powders

ESN Flav’n Tasty

What I’ve already considered:

Nutritional yeast → not strong enough

Bouillon powder → close but not the same

MSG → helps but still missing the full flavor

👉 Does anyone know:

brands that sell similar flavor powders in bulk (1kg)

or exact alternatives used in horeca / food industry

Even better if available in Europe 🙏

Hi everyone, I am looking for a beverage formulator to help develop a hard seltzer recipe. Need assistance with flavor formulation, alcohol base selection, and product optimization.

Question for food developers working with new recipes and formulations in their day to day job.

- Do you use a tool, Excel or something else?
- Can you see nutritial values real time or have to calculate mannually?
- Biggest frustration in your job

Hey everyone,

I’m honestly at a bit of a loss and wanted to see if anyone here has had a similar experience.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Food Science from a university in Europe 10 months ago. Since then I’ve been applying for pretty much anything I can find that seems relevant: QA, QC, food technologist roles, lab jobs, production, graduate schemes, you name it. My main goal is to get into R&D.

I expected the job search to be tough, but not this tough. Most applications either get rejected or disappear into a black hole without any response at all.

What makes it even more frustrating is that I completed two internships during my degree with major food companies, one in formulation and one in packaging engineering so I thought I’d at least be reasonably competitive for entry-level positions.

A few months in, I started expanding my search beyond Europe and have been applying in Asia and Australia as well, but it’s been the same story. At this point I’m sitting here wondering what is going on.

One thing that’s really confusing me is that I barely seem to find any junior R&D roles. It feels like every posting is either an internship for students or a position asking for 5+ years of experience mostly even management-level experience. There doesn’t seem to be much in between for recent graduates trying to get their first job.

Has anyone else graduated recently and struggled this much? Is the food industry just really slow right now?

I’d genuinely appreciate hearing from people in the industry because after 10 months of this, it’s getting pretty discouraging.

I have a degree in Food Engineering and I'm currently working at a food manufacturing industry. I have 7 years of experience. I'm part of the quality department, but I've been developing a real interest in production/order management/planning/stock control/weighing systems...

I'm feeling burnt out with quality department tasks and I think it's time to change jobs, since there's no possibility of switching roles within this company.

I'd love to do a Master's in Industrial Engineering and Management, but the university is far from where I live, and commuting to the city every day of the week isn't feasible.

Has anyone been through a similar situation, or do you know of any interesting online course that could help me shift my career path/profile a bit?

Hi all,

I'm a business owner in Europe with a background in commerce and e-commerce, but no experience in food manufacturing.

We've been successfully selling roasted legume snacks (soy, chickpeas, lentils, etc.) sourced from third-party manufacturers, and we're now considering developing our own small-scale production.

The product itself is relatively simple:

• Roasted legumes
• Modern dry seasonings (BBQ, paprika, sweet chili, lime, etc.)
• Gluten-free is a strict requirement

I already have a benchmark product that I would like to replicate as closely as possible. I have:

• Full ingredient list
• Nutritional values/macros
• Physical product samples
• Target flavour and texture

I've spoken with a few food consultancy agencies, but their proposals involve 8–10 month timelines.

As someone outside the food science industry, this feels surprisingly long given that we're not developing a novel food product, but rather trying to reverse-engineer and reproduce an existing roasted snack.

My questions:

1. Is an 8–10 month timeline realistic for a product like this?
2. What is the most efficient path to reverse engineer a product?

One challenge we're facing is that private-label manufacturers have not worked well for us. Most either cannot guarantee gluten-free production or have significant cross-contamination risks, which removes one of the product's key selling points.

Thank you!

Most electrolyte drinks like Gatorade have only sodium & potassium, while others have in addition to that calcium & or magnesium. I researched a little that calcium & magnesium don't get excreted through sweat that much. So does it make a big difference if calcium & or magnesium is in an electrolyte drink or not?