Richelle Yacon is a certified 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.

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.

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Shownotes

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro
03:40 - What Is Flavour?
05:43 - A Day in the Lab
10:45 - Where Art Meets Science
12:13 - The Seven-Year Apprenticeship
15:17 - Richelle's Career Path
22:28 - Training Your Senses
25:33 - Chemicals and Dosage
27:15 - Why Get Certified?
33:00 - Importance of Learning
37:06 - Skills Needed as a Flavourist
39:30 - Teamwork in Flavor Creation
42:06 - Other Roles in the Lab
44:25 - Advice for Students

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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