Food and Beverage Analytical Chemistry Consultant

Expertise

• Trace and Quantitative analysis: Instrumentation, polymer laminates, training, material science, spectroscopy, microscopy, biotechnology, medical industries, providing over twenty years of successfully execution.
• Water, beverage, food, packaging, environmental, biological and surface chemistry, qualification and analysis with focus in analytical techniques and intuitive improvements.
• Trace, microbiological and materials analysis for product development, quality control, process improvement, methods development, ingredients control, and environmental monitoring.
• Design, implementation, training and maintenance of a broad range of analytical instrumentation including GC-MS, LC-MS, FTIR, UV/VIS, SEM, AA, AE, ICP-MS, HPLC, circular dichroism, fluorescence, phosphorescence, DSC, and surface analysis techniques.
• Microscopy and chemical imaging utilizing optical, polarized light, micro-FTIR and fluorescence with applications in forensics, materials science, microbiology and pharmaceuticals.
• Health food and products with focus to water purification, nutrient extraction, fruit juices, extraction - encapsulation of food nutrients egg white protein, high-purity, and pea-rice protein powder mix, (with both being, organic and non-GMO).

Experience

Independent Consultant, 2014 - Present

Projects

Consulting Chemist - Nutraceuticals, Texas, 2017

• Ingredients sourcing, laboratory instrumentation needs identification and sourcing, formulation of novel proprietary products.
• Identified major producers of protein powder ingredient in USA and EU, received and tested samples of materials and compiled a database of purities, specifications, COAs, pricing, and company backgrounds.
• Formulated unique proprietary mixes for individual protein types using natural flavors and sweeteners.
• Whey Protein Isolate, high-purity, rBGH-free.
• Egg White Protein, high-purity, organic, non-GMO.
• Pea-Rice Protein powder mix, organic, non-GMO.
• Casein powder mix, high-purity, rBGH-free.
• Collagen powder mix, bovine and piscine.

Consulting Chemist-Beverages, Mississippi, 2017

• Research, development, and analysis of novel beverage solutions and delivery systems.
• Formulation of over 20 proprietary beverage concentrates.
• Technical Director and liaison to multiple industries related to beverage production, packaging, analysis, ingredients sourcing, product and components specifications, regulatory compliance, formulations, and testing/mixing protocols.

Consulting Chemist - Natural Cleaning Products, 2017

• Formulated all-natural carpet cleaning solution.
• Formulated all-natural odor elimination aerosol.

Consulting Chemist, Tennessee, Research and Industrialization of Fresh Health Products, 2014 - 2016

• Fresh Juices.
• Production Processes.
• Preservation of Integrity.
• Shelf-Life Extension.
• Nutrient extraction.
• Purification and Distribution of Clean Water.
• Extraction and Encapsulation of Food Nutrients.

Consulting Chemist, Florida, 2009 - 2011

• Developed mixing procedures for complex nutritional beverage and related products.
• Evaluated and recommended packaging materials for beverage products, using materials compatibility and shelf-life studies.
• Conducted stability testing of ingredient interactions with ambient light and beverage components.

Integrity Nutraceuticals International, Inc., Spring Hill, TN, Quality Manager, 2013 -2014

• Reorganized Quality Laboratory to meet regulatory and GLP standards, rewrote SOPs, modified and augmented instrumentation base, improved workflow within and between departments.
• Adjusted staff of 14 associates to increase efficiency and competency; trained existing personnel to improve effectiveness, hired new personnel to fill gaps in skill sets.

Applied Research Associates, Inc., Panama City, FL, Chemist, 2013

Staff Chemist - Research and Industrialization of Fresh Health Products.

• Regained accreditation for an analytical laboratory; rewriting SOPs, developing and validating methods, and calibrating/validating instrumentation
• Authored, co-authored, and submitted internal and external research grant proposals and white papers for development of novel technologies and applications.
• Fresh Juices
• Production Processes
• Preservation of Integrity
• Shelf-Life Extension
• Nutrient extraction
• Purification and Distribution of Clean Water

Harbor Branch Environmental Laboratories, Inc. , Stuart, FL, Technical Director, 2011 - 2012

• Improved and maintained analytical instrumentation for environmental analyses; including Purge and Trap GC-MS, HPLC-UV/Vis, and HPLC-Fluorescence.
• Trained Chemists in environmental analyses, equipment maintenance/repair, and software operation.
• Participated in internal and external audits and remediation, maintaining state certifications.

MedEx Surface Technologies, LLC, Davenport, FL, Consulting Scientist, 2009 - 2010

• Developed technologies for medical applications of proprietary, patented Ni-B coatings.
• Invented testing protocols for both physical and analytical methods including integrating pressure transducers, thermocouples, pyrometers and thermal imaging cameras into testing procedures and equipment.
• Improved techniques to optimize compatibility and performance of coated medical products.
• Evaluated prototype devices, comparing them to standard devices, and prepared presentations for marketing the products.

Printpack, Inc., Villa Rica, GA, Analytical Chemist, 2007 - 2009

• Provided analytical and developmental support for Engineers, production plants and customers.
• Provided training and support for analytical instrumentation, particularly GC and GC-MS analyses.
• Completed short and long-term projects in new materials design, ongoing process improvement, incident management, competitive analysis and customer packaging improvement.
• Utilized an array of instrumentation including GC-MS, GC-FID, Headspace, Purge and Trap, Pyrolysis and SPME. Also, SEM, FTIR and FTIR Imaging, Optical microscopy, HPLC, SEC, Surface Tension and proprietary techniques. Coordinated with external laboratories for surface analysis and mass spectrometry.
• Worked with food packaging polymer film laminates of two to thirteen layers focusing on materials compatibility and surface interface bonding enhancements.

Thermo Electron Corporation, Madison, WI, Specialist, 2004 -2006

Product Specialist, FT-IR Microscopes and Imaging

• Worked with Product Development Group creating, testing and validating new products and software for infrared microspectroscopy and chemical imaging.
• Provided worldwide system support for infrared microscopy and related techniques. Developed a thorough knowledge of instruments from electronic, optical and mechanical principles and operation to end-user applications.
• Tested and evaluated new product designs and software, giving feedback to optical, electrical, mechanical, and software engineers to fully improve the design and bring new products to market.
• Traveled to trade shows, attending and giving presentations of research applications and demonstrating new products to conferees. Trained worldwide sales force, field service engineers, customer service representatives and production personnel on the use and diagnoses of new product technologies.
• Provided support to customers and potential customers, sales engineers and field service engineers. at the highest level of applications in materials characterization, particularly in the fields of biochemistry and polymer science.
• Discovered new applications; prepared information for presentations and support of new products. Analyzed challenging customer samples and solved customer analysis problems to provide support for new and existing products and accessories. Served on process improvement teams to streamline manufacturing processes and improve product performance.

The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, GA, Project Chemist , 1995 - 2003

• Performed analyses, designed experiments and developed methods for support of legal issues, product innovation, package development and production control.
• Utilized chromatography, spectroscopy, microscopy and sensory science, working on teams and independently.
• Served as a key scientist solving high-profile worldwide system issues, maintaining system integrity and protecting trademarks.
• Implemented new technologies to improve methodologies and created new analytical techniques.
• Managed forensic microscopy laboratory and system-wide microbiological line qualification program.
• Chaired the Chemical Hygiene Committee, overseeing training programs for 300 laboratory associates.
• Played key role in design, schedule, audits and implementation of annual training specific to the company.
• Maintained records and oversight for all associates according to ISO policies.

Emory University, Department of Chemistry, Atlanta, GA, Research Associate, 1989 - 1995

• Surface studies of photodissociation dynamics.
• Determined photoreaction mechanisms of organometallic compounds for semiconductor materials.
• Low temperature synthesis and photolysis of high energy materials.
• Use of pulsed surface photoreactions to produce radicals for laser spectroscopy studies.
• Surface deposition of semiconductor materials.
• LCVD, OMCVD of Sb and Cd on quartz and sapphire substrates.
• CVD of Si-containing compounds on various substrates.
• CVD of diamond and diamond-like materials on Si substrates.
• Gas-phase kinetics of radicals important to combustion chemistry -CH3 NOx studied by REMPI/Kinetic MS at moderate temperatures and pressure -NH2 NOx using EI/MS and UV absorbance techniques.
• Kinetic modeling using RRKM and CHEMKIN/SENKIN and other mathematical treatments.

Amoena Corporation, Marietta, GA, Development Chemist 1987 - 1988

• Developed an organo-platinum catalyst for the cross linking of siloxane polymers.
• Improved surface adhesives for connecting polymer materials having different physical properties.
• Formulated polymer systems to match desired characteristics for use in medical prosthetic devices.
• Designed molds and curing profiles for production products using CAD/CAM.