Good Enough to Eat

On International Women’s Day, we honor the many remarkable women who have participated in Academic Mentorships coordinated by Community Resources, Inc. since 1984. Recently, we celebrated the conclusion of one such mentorship with an interactive presentation in an 8th-grade classroom at Denver Language School. Guided by her mentor, MK O’Brien, a food engineer at Danone, Abriella delved into the fascinating world of food science.

During her visits to Danone, Abriella had the chance to explore various aspects of their operations. She visited their onsite pilot plant, where they focus on scaling up new products. She also toured their co-creation space, where Danone collaborates directly with consumers to tailor products to their preferences. Engaging with other food scientists, she discussed ongoing projects and attended an in-person tasting session for upcoming innovations, sampling products undergoing shelf life studies. Finally, Abriella explored Danone’s onsite microbiology lab to gain insight into its functions, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of the scientific work at Danone. Overall, her experience gave Abriella a firsthand glimpse into the life of a food scientist.

At the conclusion of her mentorship Abriella created a wonderful classroom presentation that involved hand-crafted lollipops and a taste perception experiment with her classmates. So fun! Can you guess the flavor of the lollipop in question?