Playing With Food, Seriously

We knew our grads were impressive, but a new survey that quantifies the impact of U of A alumni wowed even us. Grads contribute $250 billion to the global economy every year — and that’s just one of the many ways our grads enrich the world around us. Here we celebrate one of the people behind those numbers.

She spends her days talking about, thinking about and dreaming about food, but not in the way most of us do (mmmm, chocolate cake!). For Linda Ho, ’04 BSc, ’06 BSc(Nutr/FoodSc), ’09 MSc, ’16 PhD, food is part of her job as the Applied Research Chair in Agri-Food Sustainability at the Centre for Culinary Innovation, one of NAIT Applied Research’s seven centres.

“She’s the brain you talk to if you have an idea for a new food product,” says Cynthia Strawson, ’05 BA, ’13 MSc, assistant dean of development in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

“She is a key piece of the formula for others who are inventing.”

Ho also applies her knowledge of food as a volunteer with the Women’s Resource Group of the Institute of Food Technologists and sits on the Edmonton Food Council, which provides recommendations around local food policies.

We asked her a bit about her work.

Please describe your role.

I manage a team of food scientists and culinary-trained researchers. We merge the culinary arts and food science to produce commercially viable products and help small to medium enterprises scale up their processes. All of the products we create are commercially scalable and focus on the retention of flavour and texture but also safety and stability through commercial processes.

What was your career path?

I was a research technologist for U of A spinoff company Canbiocin, project co-ordinator for a research grant at the U of A, and quality and research co-ordinator at an ingredient distributor focused on plant-based fibres and proteins. As a student, I was fortunate enough to work at a “flavour house” where I got to create chip flavours, batters, breadings and marinades. It was there that I got to work side-by-side with a trained culinary product developer to understand flavours and how to weave them into a food product.

Do you ever collaborate with U of A researchers?

Yes! Our centre has collaborated with ALES researchers Michael Gänzle and Lingyun Chen from the Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science. We are currently in conversation and open to collaborations with other U of A researchers across departments and faculties.

Describe a typical work day for you.

I usually start off my weeks with a touchpoint meeting with what I call my dream team: a food scientist, a certified culinary scientist and culinary students. We chat about their ideas and how to create what they want to create. For my team it’s never a ‘no,’ but a ‘how.’ Then I meet with industry partners and producer groups who have technologies they want to expand, problems they need to solve or questions about how to increase demand for their products. On the best days, I get to taste and provide insights about what the team has dreamed up. And sometimes they let me play in the kitchen.

What drew you to the work you do?

Initially, my supervisor and mentor Lynn McMullen, ’80 BSc(HomeEc), ’88MSc, ’94 PhD, drew me to research, and subsequently food science. Her enthusiasm and joy for her work, which she showcased in class, drew me in. What has kept me in food science is the ability to apply technical data to something we consume every day. Food allows me a medium where I can balance artistry and science; it is continuously innovative but also very social.

What do you like best about your job?

To be perfectly honest, the people. When you find a group of people who share the same love for the work that you do, it barely feels like a job. I also love that we taste our “experiments!”

How does food science today differ from, say, 50 years ago? What about the food industry?

I think, at the core, food science is still similar: it is rooted in the scientific method. The technology has changed dramatically, but the goal is always to transform food to be more nutritious and safe, all the while ensuring that it’s craveable.

But the food industry has changed significantly. The single biggest change is there are far fewer small to medium enterprises. They have now been incorporated into larger multinationals. It’s the industrialization of food production. After seeing some of our shelves empty during the pandemic, though, I am seeing more recognition of the need for local food supply chains. I love it because I love supporting our producers, who work so hard to provide us with the best-quality ingredients, and the chefs who showcase the quality of the ingredients. 

What’s the latest in food science and the food industry these days? What are the biggest challenges?

What’s old is new. Fermentation and sustainable food product development continue to drive innovation in the food industry.

For Canadians, the biggest challenge has always been manufacturing capacity. We produce so many valuable commodities, but we continue to sell them as commodities instead of producing consumer packaged goods (CPGs). One example is oats. Canada is one of the largest producers and exporters of oats, but instead of processing it here, we ship it to various places to be made into oatmeal or oat milk.

I have read some arguments that say we do not have the demand for CPGs, but the Netherlands has a food valley and has become the second-most valuable food exporter, just behind the U.S. The value of processing in Canada would not only be from the export of the final product but also potential job creation.