Our expert contributors
With over 15 years of experience in healthy marketing and having worked in more than 20 countries, from the US to Kazakhstan, Aurore brings a global perspective and expertise, enabling brands to better understand customers’ health needs to develop better, targeted brands, quickly to market. Furthermore, having led brand positioning and innovation projects for medical nutrition, food, beverage, and ingredient clients, she has cross-sectoral expertise, aiding her clients' understanding of the market.
She developed a passion for nutrition, health, and wellness as an innovation manager at Nestlé, working on strategic initiatives to deliver the company’s Health and Wellness Ambition for the UK market. Aurore holds a masters degree in food science management and marketing from the leading global food institute Agro Paristech.
Susan, a former lawyer, set up Pep & Lekker when struggling to find nutritious food for her vegan son. Pep & Lekker’s baked seed snacks are made using 14 all-natural, allergy-free kitchen cupboard ingredients and are low in sugar, high in fibre, a source of protein, vegan, and gluten free. Mindful of sustainability, there is no palm oil, and the snacks are sold in recyclable packaging.
Carole is a technical specialist working in the product and ingredient innovation team at Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL). During her time with RSSL, she has undertaken both ingredient evaluation and product development projects for food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers across a wide range of food categories. Recent projects include development of dairy alternatives, vegan meat and fish alternatives based on plant proteins, and a range of vegetable-based sauces, dips, and cheese alternatives. Carole has also worked extensively on sugar reduction, evaluating both high-potency sweeteners and bulking agents in beverages, confectionery, and baked goods.
Post food science and marketing studies, Julie worked for FMCG companies for several years, joining Nexira in 2016. Julie has been working in the food industry for almost 20 years. She is passionate about food, from farm to fork, and about nutrition.
Kirsten originally trained in plant biochemistry and her research focuses on links between agricultural methods, plant chemistry, food quality, and health of humans and animals. In particular, she is interested in the multidisciplinary aspects, where information from one subject area can be used to improve the understanding of processes and mechanisms in another area.
Presently an important part of her work is to co-ordinate efforts to increase the impact and application of food and nutrition science at Newcastle University, linking a range of research groups with specialised expertise in food-related areas, such as human nutrition, consumer science, and agronomy. The objectives are to enhance the impact and exploitation of the research and training activities in industry and society, and to facilitate the creation and success of multidisciplinary research projects.