As a Chemical Engineer, I have had R&D week circled on my calendar since our CMTP schedule was first announced last month. This past Tuesday at the Glenview Tech Center did not disappoint and showed me a side of R&D that I didn’t know existed. We began the day with a presentation on the Grocery business unit and the role that the Glenview scientists play within the business, but quickly moved on to one of many of the activities we enjoyed that day. We learned about the value the culinary team brings to Glenview by cooking a full lunch buffet using a variety of Kraft Heinz products, and using the recipes the culinary team brings to life was a great way to get to know the products.
On Tuesday we also saw the pilot plant and were given a sensory panel simulation. Our pilot plant tour was fascinating even though we were unable to see any product trials running. The variety of equipment and possible testing ability was much greater than any pilot plant I had seen, so I was blown away by the hour-long tour. In sensory we were asked to identify which caramel out of three samples was different. The smell was a giveaway early on but it was much harder to identify based solely on color and texture, so I understood why the trained professionals would be needed to quantify how changes in the formula or process affected the final product. All in all it was a very eye-opening day at Glenview and I’m excited to see what else I will learn throughout this program.
Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention the fact that fellow trainees Alex, Cami, Gabby, Lauren, Peter and I took home trivia gold at Will’s Northwood’s Inn on Tuesday night, and will attempt to form a dynasty in future weeks.
