2016 Internship: Food Innovation Center

Week two went much smoother than week one since I am beginning to learn the ins and outs of the operation. I was able to help with my first sensory study which was fascinating to experience outside of the classroom setting. The sensory testing allowed me to really get to know the people I am working with since there were a lot of periods of waiting. I learned that during sensory days its important to wear comfortable shoes and to take lots of pictures, since there needs to be proof that the results came from actual people and were not fabricated. Most of the time a three digit code will be used but it was decided by the company we are working with that letters added simplicity which helps prevent possible confusion by the consumers tested. For sensory testing one of the most important things is uniformity, making sure that the set up on the trays and the food given are as similar to one another as possible so that the only unknown variables are the ones trying to be researched such as differences in spices used in the product. Below is a picture of the setup for each of the ten stations and a picture of one of the products worked with in this weeks study.

At the beginning of anything new there is always a learning curve where there is a lot of new information being thrown at you and all you can do is hope that it sticks. It was nice that during my first week there was an overlapping period where the new intern(me) and the old intern(a graduating OSU student) were working together. This was helpful in getting an idea of the responsibilities of the intern as well as getting some helpful tips and hints. I really enjoyed all of the meetings that I was able to sit in on to see all of the amazing ideas people have and just watching how the brainstorming process unfolds. It was cool to see that even the seasoned employees were learning new things every day, so I know that I will definitely learn a lot while here. More than once during my first week there were mentions of things needing to be trademarked which just shows how innovative and creative the ideas are from the people I am working with. During this week I began to learn how to use Genesis, the nutrition facts database. I also learned about the first project that I am going to be working on. So many new things are happening which reminds me of a quote I heard once, “you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable”. Not everything in life is easy or familiar but the things that are hard are the things that mold you as a person.

Before It All Began.

Before the start of my internship I was excited and nervous to get experience in the field which I had became a part of only a year prior, food science and technology. The hardest thing about starting your first internship is the unknown of what you need to know before going in. Lucky for me though one of the first things mentioned to me at my interview was that there are no dumb questions. This helped to relieve some of the nerves that I had about being able to remember all that I had learned thus far so that I could apply it in the internship. I feel so lucky to have received the internship that I have since not only is it working with an awesome company and group of people but there are so many things that I will get to do and learn that I know coming out of it I will be prepared for any job that I will receive in the future.

Background Info:

• OSU Student
• Majoring in Food Science and Technology
• 6 Month Internship-Food Innovation Center
• Start Date: March 28th