Gail Barnum (food science), a senior in food science, tried to do everything right. She spent time getting hands-on experience in the laboratory learning about processing and ingredient interactions, and joined professional organizations. But everything didn’t come together for her until becoming a part of the Product Development Team.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) offered Gail the opportunity to take her food science knowledge outside the classroom as a member of the Product Development Team. With a creative idea, the team of five entered in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) – Disney New Product Competition. Competitors were to create a new food product for kids which fit the Disney nutrition profile. Gail and the team created Flight Bites, based on the movie Planes, a bite-sized snack made of fruit and grain.
Once selected as one of five finalist teams, they submitted a final proposal and made plans to attend the IFT national meeting. In New Orleans at the national meeting, Gail and the team held a closed tasting session and gave a creative presentation to the public. Gail achieved her goal of being a member of the team on the way to a second place finish. Read more about the team’s journey to second place.