Contact
Biography
Kavya has previously worked in a variety of roles in the food industry, first as a qualified chef and member of the UAE Junior National Culinary Team, Dubai, and later led product development for her family's instant packaged foods business Veekes & Company in Bangalore, India. With this unique blend of technical skills in both spheres, she was keen to build and hone her skillset and so completed her MSc in Food Science and Innovation from Manchester Metropolitan University. She is also a member of the IFST Food Processing Special Interest Group. Leveraging the intersectional, creative nature of her experiences, she aspires to create and deliver innovative solutions that support small businesses and add value to their customers' lives.
With a strong passion for animal welfare, she also supports Pluricells, founded by Prof. Ramiro Alberio of the UoN. Pluricells makes pluripotent cell lines for use in the cultivated meat industry (cattle, sheep, pig).
Expertise Summary
- NPD/EPD formulation- Strong focus on alternative protein product development (such as meat analogues, hybrid meat products, plant based milks and dairy focussing on application), as well as NPD of valorised/upcycled products.
Most projects I work on involve
- Concept and research: Creating the methodology to be employed and detailed literature reviews around product formulation and feasbility
- Market research: Preparing detailed technical dossiers focussing on market analysis and trends, target consumer and segmentation, branding, packaging material selection and artwork briefs in line with UK and EU legislation, food safety process and HACCP plan for manufacturing, theoretical nutritional composition and nutritional claim validation, basic financial viability
- Designing and planning scientific projects including identifying suitable tests needed to achieve objectives.
- Conducting accelerated shelf-life studies, texture analysis, physical analysis of texture, measuring inherent product characteristics
- Sensory evaluation: Designing sensory methodology including affective and discriminatory sensory questionnaires as well as recruiting, briefing, and conducting a sensory panel. Relevant insights statistically analysed in SPSS/XLSTAT, interpreted and presented visually using the MS Office suite
Research Summary
Implications for manufacturers and consumers in the formulation of hybrid meat products (using intentional, nutritional plant based susbstitutes) as a viable alternative for future protein… read more
Current Research
Implications for manufacturers and consumers in the formulation of hybrid meat products (using intentional, nutritional plant based susbstitutes) as a viable alternative for future protein consumption.
Stabilisation of fruit liquers using hydrocolloids and understanding their behaviour in the presence of ethanol.
Past Research
MSc Dissertation
"To what extent can beef in a burger patty be replaced with kidney beans: Measuring physical and chemical attributes as well as consumer acceptance"
• Concept and research: Created the methodology to be employed and a detailed literature review
• NPD: Developed a formulation for standard control beef burger and two partially replaced burgers
• Analytical testing: Conducted physical analysis of texture, colour, yield; chemical analysis of protein, amino acids (HPLC), fat (Soxhlet), moisture, sodium, ash and basic microbiological plate counts
• Sensory evaluation: Designed sensory methodology which included affective (JAR) and discriminatory sensory questionnaires as well as recruiting, briefing, and conducting the sensory panel (n=30) at MMU's sensory suite. Relevant insights were statistically analysed in SPSS/XLSTAT, interpreted and presented visually using the MS Office suite
Future Research
Interested in
- Nutritional enhancement of plant-based alternatives using a clean-label approach
- Food waste at different points in the supply chain and how to mitigate/valorise/induce behaviour change/influence policy
- Application of cultivated meat mince to make viable products that consumers will accept
If you have ideas, I will be happy to discuss this. Kavya.krishnamurthy@nottingham.ac.uk