Food Product Scale-Up Strategies, A New Path for Chocolate Production

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Omnivore

Episode Description

IFT’s Renee Leber explains how food companies successfully scale products from lab prototypes to commercial production while managing the process, equipment, and formulation challenges that emerge during plant trials. California Cultured CEO Alan Perlstein discusses how plant cell culture could transform cocoa production, offering a more sustainable, scalable, and consistent approach to meeting rising global demand for chocolate.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of California.

Featured Guests

Renee Leber Technical Services Manager

Renee Leber, technical services manager at the Institute of Food Technologists, has a culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America and a bachelor’s in food science and technology from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining IFT, Leber worked in R&D and product development for U.S. Foods, Freshway Foods, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream (rleber@ift.org).
Alan Perlstein CEO and Founder

Alan Perlstein, founder and CEO of California Cultured, has more than 15 years of experience in cellular agriculture and food technology, beginning his career in early cell-cultured fish research. He previously founded Joywell Foods before launching California Cultured to develop cell-cultured cocoa as a more sustainable and scalable alternative to traditional chocolate production.

Omnivore

IFT’s Omnivore and Omnivore Presents: SciDish podcasts spark lively, thought-provoking conversations with the science, business, and regulatory leaders shaping the future of food. Each episode delivers sharp analysis, practical insights, and bold ideas designed to challenge assumptions, ignite innovation, and energize your work across the global food system.

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