Inside the Flavour Lab with Richelle Yacon | That’s a Food Job! #137
About Richelle Yacon
Richelle Yacon is a Senior Flavorist at Embassy Ingredients, where she builds the flavours found in foods across grocery store shelgfs alongside a team that also develops colours and bakery ingredients. She earned her certification through the seven-year Society of Flavor Chemists apprenticeship, after starting her career in quality assurance.
What We Cover in This Episode
In this conversation, Richelle breaks down what a flavourist actually does day to day, how a cinnamon roll flavour is built from a customer brief, and why she calls the job equal parts art and chemistry. You’ll also hear about the process of becoming a Certified Flavour Chemist, why math and fine motor skills matter in the lab, and how starting in quality assurance led her into the flavour lab.
Key Take-aways
- Flavour is equal parts art and science.
- Flavourist certification takes seven years, a mentor, and written, verbal, and blind sensory exams.
- You can build a strong career in flavours without being certified.
- Your first job does not have to be your dream job. Quality assurance can lead to the flavour lab.
- Math and fine motor skills matter more than you would expect.
- Chemicals are not inherently scary. Dose and regulation are what matter.
- Flavour is a team sport, from technologists and colours to sales and production.
Watch the Episode Below
Links
Timestamps
- 00:00 – Intro
- 01:48 – A Hidden Industry
- 03:40 – What Is Flavor?
- 05:43 – A Day in the Lab
- 10:45 – Where Art Meets Science
- 12:13 – The Seven-Year Apprenticeship
- 15:17 – From Quality to Flavor Lab
- 22:28 – Training Your Senses
- 25:33 – Chemicals and Dosage
- 27:15 – Why Get Certified?
- 30:46 – The Wall of Chemicals
- 33:00 – Never Stop Learning
- 37:06 – Surprising Skills
- 39:30 – A Team Effort
- 42:06 – Other Roles in the Lab
- 44:25 – Advice for Students
- 46:46 – Closing
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