Heather Debenedetto, Ccs Email & Phone Number

Florham Park, Nj

Develop prototypes featuring tea extracts and aromas from concept to commercialization effectively documenting all ingredients, formulations, and processing directions.Propose and champion original ideas for applications to the food and beverage industry in an effective manner to address new opportunities.Investigate properties of current and new ingredients as well as their interactions and the effects on final products.Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions communicating project progress to senior management.

Valhalla, Ny

Employee: 12/2014 - presentContractor: 4/2014 - 12/2014Product Development Scientist in Technical Brand Stewardship team to maintain global carbonated soft drinksCollaborate with cross-functional teams including sensory science, packaging, regulatory affairs, flavor science, engineering, microbiology, analytical science and marketing to deliver reformulations for safe, stable productsProvide R&D support to help identify solutions to meet business critical objectivesTroubleshoot and solve issues in bench top, pilot plant and scale up capacitiesCreate and update product specifications and technical documents for intermediate and finished products including weighted essences, emulsions, blends, acidulants, and carbonated soft drinksIdentify opportunities for product and system improvement

Cedar Knolls, Nj

Prepare and execute menus at off-site corporate and private catered events.Completed weeklylunch buffet service for up to 275 employees during corporate lunch catering at audible.com headquarters in Newark, NJ, 2011-2012.

West Caldwell, Nj

Bench top application of flavor and color to vitamins and supplements in powder, capsule, or tablet form according to client specifications.Preparation of samples for customer evaluation.

Teterboro, Nj

Created and tested seasoned savory product prototypes in the applications lab.Applied flavor and helped determined flavor levels to various sauces, snack foods, soups and marinades according to clients’ specifications.Conducted sensory testing and analysis for both formula approval and for shelf life testing.Leveraged culinary background to prepare gold standard savory products as benchmarks for the development of similar products.

Madison, Nj

Worked as a full time line cook for both garde manger and pastry station.Member of three person team preparing lunch, brunch and dinner service beginning with the restaurants grand opening in December 2009.In charge of organization of inventory for all dry goods.Trained pastry chef and garde manger replacement.Rob's Bistro was chosen as favorite bistro in NJ by The Star-Ledger, December 2010 and rated 3 Stars in NJ Monthly Magazine, March 2011.

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Nutrition And Food Science

Graduated magna cum laude

Grand Diploma In Classic Culinary Arts

Learned the foundations of classic french culinary techniques while also focusing on food costing and menu planning. Rotated through garde.