Kumar Kartikey is a new product development scientist, whose work is to develop and launch natural sugar free food products. As a budding food scientist, he has successfully launched natural sugar free food products in multiple categories. He comes with a bachelor’s degree in Food Technology from SHUATS, Prayagraj. Presently, he is employed as an Executive Product Development Scientist at Arboreal.
My journey in science started with my curiosity over natural phenomena occurring in our universe. This inquisitiveness gave me an increased focus on subjects like physics and biology during my high-school education. Particularly, I was greatly drawn by the concept of the food web and how the whole ecosystem is interconnected by the common factor “food”.
Eventually, I underwent my Bachelor’s degree in food science at SHUTS Prayagraj. During my college, I was pretty fascinated by the process of food product development and the role of nutrition in living organisms. I still remember the day when I was awe-struck by how food innovations have evolved the food industry and changed the way humans eat food. The dynamics involved are a marvel. Fortunately, during the final year of my degree, I got an opportunity to develop a fruit jam with functional properties. The process involved was very diligent and gave me clarity on my career interest. At this point, I developed a deeper inclination towards Food research & product development.
With this profound knowledge, I was able to envision my career path as a food product developer. Later the same year, I was fortunate enough to kick start my career in my area of interest and landed as a Product Developer at Arboreal. Being a fresher and fresh out of academics, the transition period from college to work was challenging. During this period, I worked on my lacunas and converted them into strong assets. Also being in a start-up, I had to be very flexible and learned about other department functionalities too. This experience is unmatchable.
“I was greatly drawn by the concept of the food web and how the whole ecosystem is interconnected by the common factor “food.“
Learning and unlearning became my usual routine at work. However, I was very much focused on developing my core skills. I learned more about the science of food ingredients, the criticality of food processes, and the importance of food safety in processing units. As an R&D person, I had to train and deal with much non-technical staff. As I belong to the epicenter of the product creation team, we were judged at every step. So, I had to be very careful in the kind of communication I pass on to them. Beyond this, I grasped more project management skills as well, as it helps to toggle between different projects and stick with the timelines.
In this pursuit, I have already completed 3 years. I have personally learned patience, compassion, focus and a positive attitude will help us to grow in the research profession. In the future, I wish to become the best version of myself as a food technologist in the field of knowledge, learning, and leadership.
About: Kumar Kartikey is a new product development scientist, whose work is to develop and launch natural sugar free food products. As a budding food scientist, he has successfully launched natural sugar free food products in multiple categories. He comes with a bachelor’s degree in Food Technology from SHUATS, Prayagraj. Presently, he is employed as an Executive Product Development Scientist at Arboreal.
Edited by: Ritvi Shah
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