That's A Food Job! – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Salma Fotovat is the Co-Founder & Sourcing & Procurement Director at Riverside Natural Foods, Ltd. - Home of MadeGood. They are a Canadian-owned company that specializes in creating healthy, allergy-friendly snacks

In this episode Salma explains the difference between sourcing and procurement, why supplier relationships are long-term strategic partnerships, and what it really takes to bring the right ingredient into the right plant at the right time. Salma shares how organic certification, allergen controls, regulatory approvals, and R&D trials all intersect before an ingredient ever reaches production.

We also discuss navigating supply chain disruptions, managing climate-related crop failures, and why social and environmental due diligence will define the future of procurement. Throughout the conversation, Salma emphasizes critical thinking, adaptability, relationship-building, and resilience as core skills for students considering supply chain careers.

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Shownotes

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CareersNOW! is Food and Beverage Ontario's multi-year workforce development initiative that is connecting students and job seekers with employers in Ontario's food and beverage processing industry for exciting career opportunities. Check out CareersNOW.ca for more information on exciting jobs, career information, industry mentors and training opportunities for professional development.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction
03:15 – What Is a Sourcing and Procurement Career?
07:30 – What This Job Actually Looks Like Day to Day
12:00 – How a Single Ingredient Takes Months to Approve
18:00 – Why "Right Price, Right Place" Is Harder Than It Sounds
22:00 – What Happens When 50% of Your Main Ingredient Disappears
27:00 – How Strong Relationships Saved the Business
31:30 – What Makes a Supplier Actually Want to Work With You
36:00 – How Procurement Can Support Farmers and the Planet
40:30 – The Future of Supply Chain Careers and Sustainability
45:30 – Skills Students Should Start Building Now

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Salma Fotovat LinkedIn
🌐 Riverside Natural Foods Website
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📸 MadeGood Instagram

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Pratistha Banerjee is a Product Development and Commercialization Manager at Darigold, a global supplier of dairy and specialty food products.

Pratistha shares insights into her role, emphasizing that food product development is not just about flavor but also about functional ingredients, supplier collaboration, and navigating complex operational and regulatory requirements in the dairy industry. She discusses the challenges of optimizing existing products and taking new product ideas from concept to plant launch, as well as what innovation truly means in a large food company. Pratistha highlights the importance of curiosity, problem-solving, and communication in building a successful career.

Throughout the conversation, Pratistha reflects on her journey from early career roles to her current position. She emphasizes adaptability, continuous learning, and the value of building strong relationships with colleagues, suppliers, and operators. For students and aspiring food scientists, Pratistha encourages experimenting, learning from real-world challenges, and understanding the functional and technical aspects of ingredients.

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Shownotes

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) What Food Product Development Really Is and Isn't
(02:10) How Pratistha Got Into Product Development
(05:00) What a Product Development Manager Does Day to Day
(08:40) How Food Products Go from Idea to Launch
(12:30) Why Food Product Ideas Fail at Scale
(17:00) Theory vs Reality in Food Product Development
(21:30) Working With Plants, Suppliers, and Operations
(26:10) What Innovation Actually Means in the Food Industry
(31:00) How Product Developers Solve Complex Problems
(36:20) Choosing Between Food Industry Career Paths
(41:30) Networking Advice for Introverted Students
(47:40) What Students Should Start Doing Now

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Pratistha Banerjee LinkedIn
🌐 Darigold Website
💼 Darigold LinkedIn
📸 Darigold Instagram
🐦 Darigold X (Twitter)

CONNECT WITH US
🐦 X
📸 Instagram
🎵 TikTok
💼 LinkedIn

Leslie Nienkark is an HR Business Partner at KWS Group, one of the world's leading plant breeding companies. KWS specializes in breeding and selling seed for crops like corn, sugar beet, cereals, rapeseed, sunflowers, and vegetables. Although Leslie hasn't spent her entire career in agriculture, her HR experience spans a variety of industries including media, software, architecture, and retail. This gives her a broad and insightful perspective on workplace culture.

In this episode of That's a Food Job!, Leslie shares what it's like to work in human resources within the agricultural sector and explains the role HR plays in supporting both people and organizational goals. We talk about how KWS develops seed products, what makes a positive workplace culture, and why communication is key to employee retention. Leslie also offers practical advice for new professionals on what to ask when starting a role and how to navigate today's evolving workplaces.

This episode is especially helpful if you're curious about HR as a career path or want to better understand how strong HR practices shape the food and ag industries from behind the scenes

Shownotes

• Leslie Nienkark: LinkedIn
• KWS: Website/LinkedIn/Instagram/

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#46 – Melissa Norem, Enterprise Director of Origination at Scoular

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Welcome to episode 22 of the FoodGrads Podcast on this week's podcast, I interviewed Professors Lori Stahlbrand and Caitlin Scott of George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario. They are here to introduce the college's NEW Honours Bachelor of Food Studies degree which combines culinary arts and a comprehensive food studies curriculum.

It is the first of its kind in Canada and is meant to bring a new focus on justice and equity, sustainability and health, and a new awareness of how these societal issues can be analyzed and resolved.

In this episode Lori, Caitlin and I talked about:

•  A broad description of the program
• How this degree is unique compared to others
• What the pandemic taught us about the food system
• What students they are looking for
• The application process
• Where their passion for food comes from

There is still time to apply to the program for a September 2021 start.  So if you are interested check out the links to this episode to find out more information.

Show Notes

https://foodgrads.com/foodgrads-podcast-ep-22-getting-the-dish-on-the-new-george-brown-honours-bachelor-of-food-studies-program-with-professors-lori-stahlbrand-and-caitlin-scott

On episode 21 of the FoodGrads Podcast I interviewed Danielle Szostak the Director of Product Development at Give and Go Prepared Foods Give, Canadian manufacturer of premium frozen, thaw and sell baked goods.

In this episode, Danielle and I talked about:

• What a Director of Product Devlopment does at Give and Go Foods
• The benefits of an MBA
• Give and Go Food Product Lines
• What Danielle finds the funnest and most interesting days
• For students interested in the bakery industry what should they be doing to stand out?
• What happens if marketing and R&D have a disagreement

Show Notes

https://foodgrads.com/foodgrads-podcast-ep-21-why-directors-need-to-see-the-big-picture-with-danielle-szostak-the-director-of-product-development-at-give-and-go-prepared-foods/

On episode 20 of the FoodGrads Podcast Veronica interviewed Danielle Collins, Economic Development Policy Analyst at Ontario Federation of Agriculture.⁠
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In this episode, Danielle and Veronica talked about: ⁠

• Her career journey⁠ from Neuroscience to Economic Development⁠
• What is a policy and it's importance to communities ⁠
• How being a TA is a really rewarding experience⁠
• The FeedingYourFuture campaign ⁠
• How OFA is helping individuals get jobs ⁠
• Dispelling myths in that agrifood jobs are only in the middle of nowhere ⁠
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  Show Notes

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On episode 19 of the FoodGrads Podcast I interviewed Michelle Lang, Food Scientist and soon to be graduate of Niagara College's Culinary Innovation and Food Science, Product Development program. Not to mention a serial innovator who has ran a few of her own businesses.

In this episode, Michelle and I talked about:

• Her career journey
• Her experience at Niagara College both as a student and teaching assistant during the pandemic
• How being a TA is a really rewarding experience
• How COVID has really changed the understandings of food safety
• Michelle's past projects and her hobby farm

Show Notes

https://foodgrads.com/foodgrads-podcast-ep-19-diving-into-the-exciting-world-of-plant-based-restaurants-with-trish-paterson-ceo-of-copper-branch-foods/

On episode 18 of the FoodGrads Podcast I interviewed Trish Paterson the CEO of Copper Branch. Copper Branch is a 100% Plant-Based Quick-Serve restaurant chain with a mission to empower, energize, and make people feel their best. Established in Montreal, Canada they have locations across Canada and recently have expanded to Nashville and Europe.

On this week's episode Trish and I talked about:

• Copper Branch  and its philosophy on food
• How the company sources 100% plant-based and sustainable ingredients
• How Trish started in this industry as a franchise owner after working in a corporate setting
• What exactly a CEO and franchise owner does for their job
• What young people should do if they want to move up the ranks in this industry

Show Notes:

On episode 17 of the FoodGrads Podcast, I interviewed Fatema Bastawala, a Quality Assurance and HACCP Specialist at Toppits Foods. Toppits Foods is an importer and supplier of frozen foods to the Canadian foodservice, retail and manufacturing industries, specializing in seafood.

In this episode Fatema and I talked about:

• Her career journey starting with her co-op program at Centennial College
• What she did at the CFIA
• How she got her full time position from bakery event
• Insights as to what it is like working in Quality Assurance
• How she approaches problems when they arise in the plant.
• Food safety and quality standards in a fish industry context.

Show Notes

On episode 16 of the FoodGrads Podcast, I interviewed Karen Cardona Founder and Owner of True Leaves Consulting. True Leaves Consulting is a consulting agency with the goal of helping bring food and beverage products to the masses. Whether it's finding reliable suppliers, crafting the perfect recipe or developing compliant product labels. True Leaves Consulting is there to help.

In this episode Karen and I talked about:

• Her career journey starting with her co-op program at Fanshaw college
• Karen's experiences working at Kraft Heinz, Nestle and the vegan cheese company Nuts for Cheese.
• What a food consultant does
• The Food Venture Program
• Karen's passion for empowering women and women of visible minorities.
• How important it is to put yourself out there. It's only by doing that new doors start to open.

Show Notes