Kaavya Rathnakumar, Ph.D.

Experience

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  National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management - Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T)

  Sept 2013 - May 2015

  Undergraduate Researcher

  TITLE : GRADING OF TOMATO BASED ON COLOUR THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF MACHINEVISION SYSTEMMachine vision system is highly growing technology in the Agriculture and Food Sectors, mainly for on-line quality evaluation of various food products like fruits & vegetables, grain etc. India is the second largest producer of Fruits & Vegetables but it accounts very less percentage in GDP because of huge post-harvest losses due to poor handling and lack in implementation of technology. Intensive fruit and vegetable sorting is a common task in productive regions. Thus, initiatives have been taken by IICPT to develop a Machine Vision System along with Digital Image Processing for Sorting and Grading of Fruits & Vegetables based on external parameters (Size, Colour, and Blemishes etc.). As a part of this project, Classification of Tomato has been done using statistical tools and methods and color grading algorithm has been developed for tomato. Show less

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  Hatsun Agro Product Ltd

  Nov 2013 - Nov 2013

  Summer Intern

  Assisted in quality evaluation and production at Ice-cream plant and milk unit.

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  CavinKare

  Nov 2014 - Feb 2015

  Intern

  Trained in the following areas :Tetra Pak packaging of Milk Shake and Beverages.Processing of Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk.Processing of Cream, Curd, and ButterProcessing of mango juice in Pet BottlesProcessing of skim milk powderQuality evaluation of the samplesAnalysis on the packaging material

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  สถาบันเทคโนโลยีแห่งเอเชีย

  Jan 2016 - Dec 2017

  -Optimized the parameters for ultrasonic and microwave method for extraction of bioactive from pineapple waste and obtained 80% recovery of bio-actives compared to conventional methods.-Developed an encapsulation system for the enzyme bromelain using ionotropic gelation and evaluated thermal stability and modelled the invitro release of the enzyme in the gastro intestinal fluid (GIF)-Evaluated the effect of the bromelian enzyme as a tenderizer of the meat for enhancing the cooking quality of chicken-Supervised 4 undergrad students in extraction of anthocyanins from grape pomace and modelling Show less

  • Research Assistant

    Jun 2017 - Dec 2017

  • Post graduate Researcher

    Aug 2015 - May 2017

  • Student Assistant

    Jan 2016 - May 2016
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  Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University

  May 2018 - Jul 2018

  Field Officer

  Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Science University, Chennai, India Principal activities: Develop food products for dissemination with no apparent modifications in the original outlook of novelties. The products are energized and instantized to deliver the requisite nutritional closets to the consumers in a balanced proportion. Several technologies were involved:  Processing of Organic Ice cream: Low fat, millet Ice Cream  Processing of fermented milk products: yoghurt, yakult Designer chocolates: Omega 3 enriched Processing of Extruded Food Products: Skim milk panner based protein-enriched noodle Show less

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  South Dakota State University

  Aug 2018 - Apr 2021

  Graduate Research Assistant

  Extraction of phospholipids from dairy byproducts using Switchable solventsAcademic OGPA - 4.0 /4.0Research expertise:-Achieved 99% recovery of phospholipids from buttermilk using a novel solvent method using Switchable solvents -Developed Ultrasound-assisted switchable solvent extraction to improve the efficiency of phospholipids from beta-serum.-Studied the possibilities for reduction of stabilizers in Ice-cream using hydrodynamic cavitation to achieve a clean label -Recovered three value added fractions within one-step extraction by fractionation of Spent coffee ground -Trained in plant scale cheese, butter, cream and concentrated powder manufacturing process at Alfred Dairy Plant, SDSU-Served as a lecturer and lab technician for 3 graduate level courses (dairy chemistry , dairy product processing I & II) -Experienced in proposal and grant writing for 3 projects for National Dairy Council (NDC) and USDA Show less

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  New Mexico State University

  Oct 2020 - Apr 2021

  Visiting Researcher

  -Utilized dairy by-products like Beta-serum and butter milk for value addition of Ice-cream by replacing nonfat dry milk -Conducted quality analysis of beta-serum applied ice-cream and mapped the phospholipids in every stage of ice-cream manufacturing using analytical and quantitative measurements-Well-versed in thermal analysis and modelling of dairy powders such as non-fat dry milk powder, buttermilk and beta-serum powders using thermogravimetric analysis

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  University of Wisconsin-Madison

  May 2021 - Dec 2021

  • Led 8+ product development projects frozen dairy and plant-based frozen desserts, flavor development, advisement and troubleshooting for food innovation start-up, dairy & non-dairy industrial clients • Successfully coordinated 7+ pilot scale trials for manufacturing of dairy and plant-based frozen desserts and managed project tracking, invoicing, balance sheets, and pricing systems • Led 6+ analytical testing projects (physical, rheological and microstructural properties) for frozen desserts • Recommended scope for future research and scale-up ventures based on results obtained from the project trials • Co-organizer Frozen dessert center - Annual technical conference• Supervised and trained summer intern and undergraduate trainees on unit operations for frozen desserts Show less

  • Postdoctoral Researcher

    May 2021 - Dec 2021

  • Director- Frozen Dessert Center

    May 2021 - Dec 2021
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  Beyond Meat

  Dec 2021 - Oct 2022

  Innovation Scientist

  -Team Lead: Lead 10+ new product development projects by leveraging strong project management and effective communication skills-Leveraged technical knowledge in Sodium reduction in plant-based products, application of natural colors, emulsion stability and U.S, EU food regulations for product development, and organized associated challenge studies, sensory testing and shelf life evaluation-Developed and implemented strategies that enhance the organoleptic properties, nutritional profiles, and cooking dynamics of meat analogs-Collaborated with marketing, sales, plant operations and quality counterparts and engaged constantly with customers located in North America, Europe ,Canada and China to provide technical support and enable value creation. -Worked with vendors and ingredient suppliers to develop product solutions, including optimal solutions for process implementation and improvement-Overseen and/or conduct product formulation, testing, sensory and instrumental analyses of product prototypes-Ensured product quality, documentation and labelling requirements and artwork for new product Show less

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  Balchem Corporation

  Oct 2022 - now

  Senior Scientist - Ice cream and Frozen Novelties

  -Independently leading multiple innovation projects (40+) on ice cream applications and inclusions-Developing natural flavours, non-sugar added and variegates for applications in ice cream and frozen Novelties based on customer requirements-Conducting lab scale, pilot plant experiments, and large-scale tests in manufacturing facilities to optimize formulation and/or the process, assisting plant operations with resolving technical issues, and product quality related issues -Managing technical timelines, providing clear and timely communication, mitigating risks, and developing contingency plans by leveraging strong project management skills-Developing ingredient solutions for vitamin fortifications and ingredient applications in food and improving the shelf life of Vitamins-Scaling up new products, evaluating new raw materials/ingredients, and process development and technology assessments-Leading ideations, new innovations, flavor improvements and cost innovation projects -Leading process optimization to maximize the product efficiency for the customers-Leading process improvements for improving the commercialization process and efficiency to the business Show less