Darrell Gerdes, Phd Email & Phone Number

Sugar Land, Texas, US

·Coordinate and execute New Product Concept Screener consisting of 20 items. In addition, coordinated and developed “Project Starfish” consumer packaging concept screener.·Direct corporate New Product Development Stage-Gate initiative. Currently 25+ items in various phases of Stage-Gate funnel.·Coordinate and conduct sweetener related product development.

US

• Monitored Mintel and Nielsen market trend analyses to track industry and consumer trends.
• Developed 20+ retail rice mixes including the first whole grain brown rice mixes in the retail marketplace. Time from concept to market for brown rice mixes was 5 months resulting in $1.6 million annual sales.
• Developed 12 rice mix items for food service customers including Dave & Buster’s, Darden Group, Cracker Barrel, YUM!, and Brinker International. Annual sales are approximately $1 million.
• Reformulated existing rice mixes to provide a healthier product for consumers, e.g. contain no MSG, fewer allergens, no or lower sodium/salt, lower fat, and other characteristics.
• Evaluated and recommended co-manufacturers for 3 product lines. Monitored co-manufacturer performance from receipt of ingredients to finished product.
• Developed and formalized ingredient and finished product product specification packages. Information included product description & formulation, nutritional information, ingredients, kosher, allergens, and packaging.

• Led development from concept to implementation of 60+ beverage items including 35 Parrot-Ice fruit and juice concentrates; 12 Parrot-Ice CO2 frozen carbonated beverage items; 10 Daiquirita alcohol beverage bases; 11.
• Designed and implemented existing and new product testing protocol. Procedures included physical, chemical, microbiological testing. Shelf-life was tested for an equivalent of 18 months.
• Coordinated and implemented in-house and consumer sensory panels and procedures for testing new products. All products were sampled quarterly by in-house panel consisting of Sales & Marketing and corporate management..
• Developed least-cost formulation practices for purchasing ingredients for existing and new products. Implemented goal of reducing ingredient cost by 10% where possible.
• Prepared technical specification packets for all ingredients and finished products. Packets included product description, labeling information, technical data, dispenser performance parameters, and product handling.
• Identified and evaluated potential co-manufacturers for Java Frost and Parrot-Ice Smoothie product lines. Recommended candidates based on manufacturing and business parameters. Monitored operations of four.

Houston, TX, US

• Research areas included gamma processing of products for the food service industry; product development and innovation; and food safety and sanitation issues for the food, beverage, and food service industries.
• Research project clients for the Institute included Uncle Ben’s Foods, Tyson Foods, Minute Maid Foods, Hilton Corporation, Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Donuts, Sterigenics Inc. and Parrot-Ice Drink Products.
• Served as trainer in the National Restaurant Association Serve Safe Train the Trainer program.

Orange, CA, US

• Research projects included gamma irradiation of food, and modified atmosphere packaging of food.
• Teaching responsibilities included: Cereal Technology, Food Microbiology, Food Processing, Food Packaging, Food Color, Food Quality Assurance, Food Ingredients, Food Product Development.

Baton Rouge, LA, US

• Research projects included thermal processing and alternative methods for thermally processing; characterization of compounds in Tabasco peppers; and modified atmosphere packaging of food items.
• Teaching responsibilities included courses in Food Preservation and Food Product Development.

Phd, Food Science

Ms, Food Science & Technology

Bs, Microbiology