Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Languages
Affiliations
Timeline
Generic

Ana Egan

Melbourne,Australia

Summary

I am a highly motivated Food Engineer and Food Technologist with over 6 years of experience specialising in product development within the food industry. Passionate about innovation, I focus on driving the creation of new products and optimising existing ones, from concept to launch. My goal is to leverage my knowledge in product development to deliver high-quality, market-leading products that drive business success.

Overview

7
7
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

New Product Development Technologist

Turosi
Melbourne, Australia
04.2024 - Current
  • Lead new product development from concept to commercialisation, collaborating with internal teams, clients (leading QSRs globally), and suppliers to drive innovation and meet consumer needs. Oversee the full development process, including formulation, prototyping, scaling up, and product launch.
  • Develop and refine product formulations, ensuring food safety, quality, and cost targets are met. Conduct iterative prototyping, assess sensory attributes, and collaborate with suppliers to optimise ingredients and costs. Prepare detailed costings based on formulas, production processes, and packaging.
  • Conduct sensory evaluations of prototypes and production samples, ensuring products meet client and consumer expectations. Lead root cause analysis and corrective action plans when deviations occur to maintain product consistency and quality.
  • Plan and oversee industrial trials to test scalability, advising production teams on optimal process parameters. Monitor trials, analyse data, and develop final process specifications for full-scale production. Support initial production runs for smooth market launch.
  • Develop finished product specifications, ensuring compliance with FSANZ guidelines. Calculate nutritional information, validate shelf-life testing, and collaborate with the quality department to ensure food safety and regulatory compliance.

Research & Development Technician

General Mills Australia
Melbourne, Australia
02.2022 - 02.2024
  • Support the new product development strategy by leading projects from concept to execution, including line extensions, cost-saving initiatives, process validations, and improvements. Collaborate with cross-functional teams in production, QA, and engineering to ensure seamless project execution.
  • Create and refine product prototypes, optimising flavour, texture, and appearance through sensory evaluations. Make adjustments based on feedback to ensure alignment with consumer preferences, quality standards, and manufacturing feasibility.
  • Lead manufacturing trials for new products, ensuring smooth scale-up from prototype to production. Analyse trial data to assess process capability, consistency, and product quality. Support cross-functional teams by providing insights on process improvements, identifying optimal parameters, and troubleshooting issues to ensure successful product launch.
  • Manage the handover of NPD projects to production teams, ensuring smooth transitions. Develop and refine product specifications, including packaging trials, and provide data analysis to optimise production processes.
  • Conduct shelf-life testing on finished products, performing chemical, physical, and sensory evaluations to assess stability and quality over time. Organise and analyse microbiological and nutritional testing, ensuring products meet safety and regulatory standards. Collaborate with teams to validate results and optimise formulations as needed.
  • Revise and approve product artwork and R&D labelling information forms, ensuring they meet regulatory requirements and align with product specifications.

Product Development Technologist

ÍNTEGRA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
03.2021 - 12.2021
  • Development of new products and processes in a snacks company (biscuits, granola, crackers, and others), ensuring food safety practices.
  • Project management of NPD from feasibility to launch: formulation, timeline development, and cost analysis.
  • Work with cross-functional teams to execute production trials and process validations of new products and packaging.
  • Develop technical documentation required for specifications, labelling, and processing parameters.
  • Provide technical support to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Packaging and artwork lead for NPD: timeline management, artwork approval, barcode verification, and document control.
  • Ensure consumers' expectations are met through sensory evaluation and continuous improvement projects.
  • Business continuity projects: Working closely with raw materials suppliers to identify cost-saving opportunities and manage supply issues.
  • Quality lead: Review of non-conformances, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.

Laboratory Analyst

The Coca-Cola Company
Buenos Aires, Argentina
02.2020 - 02.2021
  • Conduct physical-chemical analysis of intermediate and finished products (beverages), using laboratory equipment with integrated software: HPLC, colourimeter, titrator, particle analyser, and ion chromatography.
  • Responsible for giving the usage decision (approval or rejection) over analysed beverage concentrates.
  • Member of sensory evaluation panel for finished products.
  • Responsible for microbiological analysis of beverage concentrate, plant sanitation, and treated waters.
  • Execute analytical activities in the Quality Control laboratory with a constant focus on the reduction of waste and process optimisation.
  • Participate actively and comply with the program of the Laboratory Management System (ISO 17025).
  • Perform calibration and troubleshooting of laboratory equipment.
  • Identify safety, food safety, environmental, and quality risks and opportunities, and apply problem-solving tools to ensure conformance and continuous improvement of processes.
  • Responsible for non-conformance beverage products, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
  • Promote the culture of continuous improvement in all the activities in which it participates: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and Management System of the laboratory.

Product Engineer

Edelflex S.A.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
06.2019 - 01.2020
  • Design and develop plate heat exchangers for fluid handling industries such as dairy, beer, and beverages, including pasteurizers and chillers, requiring a deep understanding of heat transfer principles crucial for food processing and preservation.
  • Select and specify food-grade equipment (heat exchangers, pumps, valves, homogenizers, filters, product recovery systems, etc.) based on application needs, ensuring efficiency, safety, and compliance with food industry standards.
  • Utilize specialized design software to model and customize equipment, working closely with international suppliers to select and configure optimal components that meet the specific requirements of food processing applications.
  • Develop technical data, specifications, and quotations for the designed equipment and provide ongoing technical support to the commercial department.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for international suppliers, managing communication and knowledge exchange to ensure smooth project execution.

Research & Development Intern

Grupo Cepas
Buenos Aires, Argentina
09.2017 - 02.2018
  • Develop alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at laboratory and pilot plant scales based on formulations.
  • Conduct product shelf life testing, sensory analysis, and physicochemical evaluations to ensure new products' quality and stability.
  • Support regulatory affairs by revising artwork and labelling information to meet industry requirements.
  • Develop and maintain technical documentation for labelling and product status databases.
  • Manage the SKU database.
  • Responsible for implementing 5S methodology in the laboratory and pilot plant to optimise organisation and efficiency.

Education

Master of Food Science & Agribusiness -

Monash University
Melbourne, VIC
07-2023

Food Engineering -

Catholic University of Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
12-2018

Skills

  • Project management
  • Cross-functional teamwork
  • Product development expertise
  • Analytical problem solving
  • Continuous improvement mindset
  • Innovation and creativity
  • Critical thinking
  • Agile process management
  • Organizational and planning skills
  • Technical data analysis

Certification

  • IELTS Exam, 7.5/9
  • IGCSE & AICE, Cambridge University
  • ISO/IEC 17025:17

Languages

English
Full Professional
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual

Affiliations

Cheese manufacturing: Crafting artisanal cheese, product and process development.

Sustainability: Volunteer in a Development project: working with a beer company and social entities to develop flour from brew’s spent grain, for low-income populations in Argentina.

Sports: Runnig, Swimming, Biking, Soccer team.

Timeline

New Product Development Technologist

Turosi
04.2024 - Current

Research & Development Technician

General Mills Australia
02.2022 - 02.2024

Product Development Technologist

ÍNTEGRA
03.2021 - 12.2021

Laboratory Analyst

The Coca-Cola Company
02.2020 - 02.2021

Product Engineer

Edelflex S.A.
06.2019 - 01.2020

Research & Development Intern

Grupo Cepas
09.2017 - 02.2018

Master of Food Science & Agribusiness -

Monash University

Food Engineering -

Catholic University of Argentina

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Ana Egan