I have been a part of nei since May 2022. Joining presented a unique opportunity that aligned perfectly with my career goals. I was keen to work in R&D for food flavours and spices. As my previous experience in cosmetics involved more synthetic ingredients, nei’s focus on pure, natural ingredients was incredibly inspiring. It has offered me a platform to grow, learn and collaborate with flavour experts.

A significant part of my role involves quality control through rigorous laboratory analysis. This ensures that all nei products meet stringent standards and customer expectations. I’m also actively involved in developing innovative flavour ingredients. Currently, we’re focused on ingredients using vanilla absolute, vanilla oleoresin and cocoa polyphenols. The goal is to create sustainably sourced natural organic flavours with a desirable impact for our customers and chefs.

The entire process, from the initial design to final product, is incredibly fulfilling. I particularly enjoy the development and formulation phase when we choose the ingredients and blending ratios. I also like sensory evaluation to fine-tune flavours. We need to ensure the vanilla meets strict food safety standards and that the final product is stable and meets performance expectations.