With stagnant sales revenues, the 3G effect, and changing consumer preferences, the food industry has experienced massive shifts with constant change being the only norm. Retailers are increasingly pressuring “big brand” food companies to lower their pricing forcing margins to become exceedingly thin driving the need for growth in sales among categories where sales have been flat or declining in past years. This has created considerable acquisition activity of growth brands being acquired by larger brands of holding companies, hungry for products that will drive growth in sales. With all this flux, how are science of food professionals fairing and what do they need to do to keep themselves relevant in the job market?
In this podcast, we will explore the how changes in the industry are impacting the current and future job market, including compensation and benefits. We’ll also share some go-to tips to help you advance your career.
Moira McGrath is president and founder of OPUS International, Inc. Following graduation from Cornell University with a degree in Hotel Administration, Moira focused her early career on hotel and restaurant operations and management. She worked in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Ohio until a career change brought her to Florida. Shortly thereafter, she chose to pursue the field of executive search. After working for others for a few years, she started her own firm in 1993. She and her staff at OPUS specialize in placing scientists in research and development and quality assurance positions with food and food ingredient manufacturers.
John Mossman is one of the principle partners at M.K. and Associates, Inc. He has been in the industry since 1983, recruiting for a variety of technical industries. John's career began in Chicago, where he was a manager for a large recruitment firm. During the years, John developed his technical expertise in several industries, focusing initially on chemical and electrical engineering. Since establishing M.K. and Associates Inc., John has developed expertise in all technical areas of the Food Industry. In addition to running his recruiting desk, John is the Administrative Manager at M.K. and Associates, Inc. and is responsible for hiring, training, and coaching the staff.
Matt Teegarden, M.S., IFT Student Association Past President 2016-2017, Ph.D. Candidate, The Ohio State University
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A small study from researchers at Pennsylvania State University and two other universities suggests that the antioxidants in cheese may offset the damage caused to blood vessels by sodium consumption.
International researchers led by the Institute of Medical Microbiology at the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) in Germany have discovered a highly virulent strain of Listeria monocytogenes that may present a new food safety threat.
Researchers from the UK and France have found that a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) improved some gut symptoms and improved health-related quality of life for sufferers of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Animals born to mothers fed a high-fat diet during gestation were protected against brain changes characteristic of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published by researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
Leading food science researchers discuss advances in lactic acid bacteria, probiotics, fermentation, and CRISPR genome editing that have transformed the fermented foods industry.
Based on recent research, breakfast’s no. 1 sidekick—a cup of coffee—may well be the most important drink of the day.
As part of the RIPE (Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency) project, a group of international scientists has determined that it’s possible to quickly and efficiently measure the impact of genetically engineered improvements using a process called spectral analysis.
Applications of blockchain promise to increase transparency and add efficiencies for the food industry, but adoption of these potentially groundbreaking new technologies will have some limitations.
Novel protein sources hold the key to creating an innovative, appealing, and sustainable array of new meat, egg, and dairy alternatives.
The Swiss Canton of Vaud, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the Swiss Hospitality Management School in Lausanne (EHL Group), and Nestlé have joined forces to develop and promote a global innovation ecosystem on food and nutrition.
A study published in Plant Biotechnology Journal suggests that genetically modified (GM) crops have human health benefits, particularly to small landhold farmers in developing countries.
Scientists from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Solynta, a Dutch potato breeding and biotech company that invented hybrid potato breeding, have published the most complete genome sequence for potatoes to date.
People have very individualized inflammatory responses to eating a high-fat meal, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and their University of California-Davis colleagues.
Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages by the amount of sugar they contain, rather than by the liquid volume of these drinks, as several U.S. cities currently do, could produce even greater health benefits and economic gains, according to a study published in Science.
