We are delighted to feature Maria Espinosa-Díaz, a University of Florida Food Science alumna from the Class of 2018. Since graduating, Maria has built an inspiring career in the food industry, applying her passion for science and innovation to make a meaningful impact. Read on to learn more about her professional journey and the experiences that have shaped her path.
What initially drew you to the food science industry?
As far back as I can remember, food was always in the center of my life. As a kid, I was always helping my parents and grandparents with cooking and baking. As soon as I would get home from school, I turned on the Food Network to watch Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals and other cooking shows in which I taught myself knife skills and other cooking techniques. I fell in love with cooking and with food in general and at a very young age knew that I wanted a career in food.
I am passionate about culinary arts but wanted to gain a better understanding of food chemistry and try to not spend 20 hours a day in a kitchen. By the time I graduated high school, I was looking for a career that was more technical than being a Chef to allow me to have a better work-life balance but still centered around food.
At that time, I was studying Nutrition and Dietetics at FIU to be closer to home but did not feel fulfilled – I wanted to deep dive into food chemistry and understand why broccoli and cauliflower are so different but the same? Why does a green ring appear on an overcooked hardboiled egg? I had so many questions and it wasn’t until I took a new class being offered at FIU called “Intro to Food Science” that my interest peaked. Food Science IS a real thing? Can someone study this and build a career? I instantly fell in love with the material and looked into how I can learn more about Food Science. After falling into a couple rabbit holes, I found UF’s accredited Food Science Program and transferred the following semester.
Since graduating from UF, how did you get started in this field, and how did that path lead you to your current role at Campbell’s?
In my senior year at UF, I was determined to secure a full-time role before graduation. That same year, the Food Science and Human Nutrition department joined PLMA’s University Outreach Program, and I was selected as one of five students to attend. I spent hours networking on the trade show floor, where a conversation with an R&D Chef led to an internship near my hometown. After the internship, I was offered a full-time role as an R&D Scientist developing innovative frozen vegetable and sauce products, making better-for-you options such as Riced Cauliflower “Fried Rice” with Teriyaki Sauce and other innovative flavors
Eager to broaden my experience, I co-founded a restaurant consulting business with an R&D Chef, applying my technical expertise to a new segment of the food industry. After several years of consulting, I pursued a new challenge with noosa yoghurt, part of Sovos Brands, relocating from South Florida to Denver in 2021 to become a Research and Innovation Scientist.
After a consulting for a couple years, I decided to get more industry experience and applied for an exciting role in Denver, CO for a fun, innovative brand called noosa yoghurt, owned by the parent company Sovos Brands. I was looking for my next challenge and learning about complex dairy science and moving across the country felt right. At Sovos, I gained invaluable experience in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial CPG environment and expanded my work across brands, including Rao’s Soup. As Rao’s experienced rapid growth, I contributed to innovation efforts that helped strengthen the brand’s market presence. In 2024, Sovos Brands was acquired by The Campbell’s Company, and I continued in my role as a Senior Scientist while supporting the integration and ongoing growth of Rao’s. The experiences and opportunities throughout my career have fueled my passion for learning and innovation, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.
What’s a part of your job that people would never guess you do?
I think the part of my job that people would never guess that I do is fundamentally being a food scientist — I am often hit with the, “what is that, is that like being a nutritionist?”.
In my business travels, I sometimes chat with local folks around the US when I’m having dinner and the reactions I have gotten to just being a food scientist have been quite interesting. I vividly remember this man that almost fell out his chair when I explained that I design food products and lead scale-up which is always tricky and before I could even finish my sentence, he looked at me like I had grown another head. He was so genuinely shocked that there are people that create the food products we love and consume every day. He was genuinely intrigued and we had a great conversation about product development and explained to him that there is a whole team of people that design and quality improve his favorite foods. It was really rewarding for me to see how excited learning about the food industry made him. As a consumer, we are always looking for the new, tasty innovation to hit shelves, but rarely do we think about the folks that create the food we love. It’s such a fun job that is also incredibly rewarding.
What’s a moment in your role that made you think, “Wow, I really love what I do.”
When I was creating Rao’s Soup and noosa yoghurt innovation, I definitely had that moment where I felt incredibly fortunate to work on such disruptive brands. Disruptive meaning brands that challenge the status quoe in CPG – Rao’s championed the use of glass jars for soup and noosa unapologetically uses full fat dairy for a delicious mouthfeel. Both brands live in the premium, clean label space on shelf and being able to design products as such made me feel incredibly fulfilled. Being such an active cook at home and having food be such a large part of my life growing up, working on premium brands was when that moment happened for me. I get joy from creating products that people love while using fun, clean ingredients and solving complex technical problems.
In what ways did your coursework or academic experiences at UF prepare you for the work you’re doing now?
I frequently joke with junior scientists at work by telling them how UF’s Food Chemistry Course focused on learning only about water for about half of the course. While scanning the syllabus the first day, I was surprised to see how much time we would spend solely learning about water. Looking back now, I’m so grateful to have gained so much technical knowledge during my time at UF. Whether it was learning about sensory with Dr. Sims or Food Engineering with Dr. Mac, I still reference concepts that I learned in my undergrad at UF every day, especially when trying to find complex technical solutions.
Were there particular activities, internships, research experiences, or organizations that shaped your interests or career direction?
Definitely! UF gave me the opportunity to participate in the 3-week study abroad program UF In Italy: Food Consumption to Production which gave me a hands-on approach to the food industry while witnessing techniques used in Italy for over 400 years. It was the first time I was able to apply the technical knowledge I had gained and watching the love and care that was put into every batch was a once in a lifetime experience. I also had the privilege of being selected to participate in PLMA’s Student Outreach Program in which four UF students were flown out to Chicago for one of the biggest trade shows in the industry. Not only was I able to see trends, try delicious food products and network but this was also were found my first job straight out of graduation. Both experiences really shaped my career into what it is today, especially getting the chance to see Italian food production to boost my technical knowledge when working for Rao’s, an authentic Italian CPG brand.
What have been some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned throughout your career so far?
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my career so far is to not shy away from failing fast and asking questions when something doesn’t make sense. While both of these lessons sound pretty straightforward, I think its difficult to be vulnerable in the workplace and be self-aware enough to speak out when you don’t know something. Given the technical complexity that we face every day as food scientists, its important to step back and look at the big picture, ask clarifying questions when something doesn’t make sense and engage other experts to brainstorm solutions together. I’ve come to learn that when collaboration is high and the team feels like they can reply on each other strengths and bring out the best in each other, this is also when success occurs naturally. Its not always roses and butterflies where everything works out perfectly, but I believe its important to lean into failing fast and learning about what went wrong and why to ensure it doesn’t happen next time. It’s about looking in the mirror and understanding how to improve that will always add exponentially to your growth.
Have you pursued any professional development opportunities or certifications that have been especially helpful in your role?
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to further my learning with different certifications based on the category that I’m working on. At my time with noosa yoghurt, I was able to participate in Penn State’s Cultured Dairy Products Short Course; a week-long workshop in which we deep dived into the science of cultured products as well as the manufacturing steps for each. We also had a lab as part of the workshop in which we learned about how culture type and dose affect the finished product, and it really tied in technical knowledge with hands-on industry experience. During my time with Rao’s Soup, I was able to participate in The Culinary Institute of America’s Regional Italian Cuisine Boot Camp in which I learned about deep rooted Italian cooking techniques from expert Chefs – I learned how to make pasta from scratch, how to properly cook lamb and make fresh mozzarella. It really highlighted for me how important simple, quality ingredients are in Italian cuisine. Both of these experiences armed me with different technical tools and I believe as food scientist, we should always continue learning. I try to participate in a short course at least once per year.
