If you’re starting a food business in B.C., or you have an idea for an innovative food and beverage product that is missing from the market, or you’ve already developed a product but you know it could be better, then let us introduce you to Shishira Suresh, Food Scientist & Product Developer with Good to Grow.
We were thrilled to welcome Shishira, an inventive, detailed food scientist and product developer, to the Good to Grow team this year as we extend our services to offer food and beverage product development.
Shishira’s Food & Bev Industry Experience
Shishira has worked as a food scientist in the food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, and retail industries for the last five years, conceptualizing and launching over 15 SKUs across multiple product categories in that time. She is highly qualified and certified with a Bachelor’s degree of Engineering in Biotechnology Engineering from India and a Master’s degree of Science in Food Science from McGill University.
She is Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certified and has led third-party HACCP audits achieving 98.2% compliance and implemented stage-gate processes for new product development. Shishira published a paper focusing on cellular agriculture policy in Canada with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute in Ottawa, and she is currently enrolled in a data analysis program to continue her education.
With her incredible experience, one can see why we are so excited to have Shishira on the Good to Grow team to support B.C. food and beverage processors to success.
Shishira shares a little more about herself:
What led you to a career in food science?
SS: “My main motivation was to learn how to conduct research and develop food and beverage products that are environmentally sustainable, nutritious, competitively priced, and taste great!”
What is one of your proudest achievements to date, or an exciting innovation that you’d like to note?
SS: “I’ve been very fortunate to work in developing sustainable protein products. I have always been passionate about finding solutions to factory-farmed food, and I am so grateful to the start-ups I’ve worked with for giving me an opportunity to shift the needle and make a difference.”
What do you look forward to most about supporting Good to Grow clients to develop their products and businesses?
SS: “Good to Grow was founded by Andrea with one purpose in mind: to support local entrepreneurs to be competitive and successful in the food and beverage industry. The consumer packaged goods space is super challenging because the margins are low, and business owners must figure out how to produce high volumes of products while maintaining quality compliance (this is where I can help!). It is incredibly rewarding to support passionate food processors to success no matter what stage of the journey they are at.”
What are some of your personal favourite foods and products, or some of your favourite food and products that you’ve worked on?
SS: “My go-to cuisine is South Indian; I particularly like appam and stew. With regards to packaged foods, I absolutely love all of TMRW Foods products. Their plant-based Bratwurst sausage is SO good. It’s inspired by the South African Boerewors sausage and is flavourful, wonderfully spiced, and lip-smackingly delicious!”
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Connect with Shishira to find out how she can support you to create an optimal, market-ready food and beverage product.
Read Shishira’s five food and beverage product development “did you knows”.
