By Whitney Baxter
Step aside, pumpkin spice latte. There’s a new fall-inspired flavor in town, and it was created by an Iowa State University alum.
Brianna McBride (’22 dairy science, food science) joined Horizon Family Brands as an associate scientist a little over a year ago. Her first task was to create a seasonal creamer to add to Horizon Organic’s coffee creamer line-up – and have it ready to hit market shelves ahead of this year’s pumpkin spice latte frenzy.
“To develop a product like this, it usually takes eight to 12 months, but we had six months to get it done,” McBride said.
After tasting dozens of flavor combinations and conducting sensory tests with consumers, McBride and her team found the perfect blend of pumpkin and warm cinnamon with just the right amount of cream cheese frosting sweetness. The result is a Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll creamer that works in either hot or iced coffee.
“It’s very exciting to see something I’ve spent a lot of time working on now in stores for other people to try, too,” McBride said.
She enjoyed taking what she learned at Iowa State to make this project a reality. For example, her food product development class taught her how little tweaks to a food or beverage can make a big difference. Her sensory science class taught her how to use panelists to test products and make informed decisions about modifications needed.
Kate Gilbert, associate teaching professor of food science and human nutrition, said she’s always excited to hear how food science students are applying classroom lessons to their professional roles.
“A key goal of our food product development course is to make the learning experience as realistic and industry-focused as possible, helping students develop skills they can carry with them into their careers,” Gilbert said. “Brianna’s experience is a wonderful example of that goal in action and a great reminder of the impact these hands-on learning experiences can have beyond the classroom.”
Since the one-of-a-kind flavor hit the shelves in July, McBride said it has been humbling to hear people’s reactions to the new product.
“It was a dream of mine in college to see a product I developed in the store, and now that has become a reality,” McBride said. “It’s been fun to celebrate this accomplishment with my entire team.”
For current Iowa State students interested in pursuing a product development career, McBride offers the following advice: “Have an open mind, use your creativity, and have fun with it.”