Food Science & Nutrition Student Research Spotlight: Joanie Snow

Even though the global pandemic has limited access to campus the past year, recent Fresno State food science and nutrition graduate Joanie Snow has still remained one of the department's most active students.

Through an array of research projects and hands-on training through the culinology program she has focused on how consumer senses interact with food and specific ingredients. 

The Visalia resident was well prepared before arriving on campus, thanks to an array of prior food service experience, and has also worked to develop new campus farm market products through her classes.

Read more about this inspiring, single mother who also still works full-time in this recent interview.

Q: Why were you drawn to the Fresno State and the food science and nutrition department?

Snow: “I have always enjoyed creating dishes or cocktails, and when I arrived here at Fresno State my first semester I had two intro courses: Intro to Food Science and Culinary Science 1. These two courses opened up my world to the various opportunities to create and work in the food industry. I changed my major that semester and have been entranced ever since."

Snow: "Fresno State offers something that not every University’s Food Science and Nutrition programs can: hands-on experience to its students. Taking what we learn in our classroom from our professors to immediately physically performing these techniques is something that I will be forever grateful for. That is what hooked me on this program at Fresno State, the relationship between practical experience and technical training.”

 

Q: What's been your favorite memory(s) related to your Fresno State experience?

Snow: “I would have to say honestly - the people. I have made some amazing friends at Fresno State that helped push me and inspire me. If I ever had any independent research trials, they were the first to line up and offer not only assistance but to be participants as well. I have become close with each of my professors, especially during this pandemic. They have always been so encouraging, but also let me make those mistakes so that I can learn and trouble-shoot my research on my own. My colleagues, and professors made even the most daunting labs and courseloads manageable and fun. I am truly grateful for everyone I have come into contact with here at Fresno State, as they have taught me so much, even if they do not realize it.”

 

Q: Talk about your experience in the food industry, and why you are drawn to it?

Snow: “I have worked in the food industry since I was 16 as a host, server, bartender and I have managed before as well. I loved being a bartender because I had the freedom to create different cocktails and drinks using fresh ingredients you would buy at the store, but I think I am most thankful for the back of house crew. I made sure to become good friends with every chef I worked with because they each had their own style and way of cooking, I have taken that knowledge with me throughout the years, and I think that has only fueled my love for food, creating fun dishes, and learning how it all works within our body and senses. I am blessed to have worked at a few great places, most of them all privately owned."

Snow: "When I arrived at Fresno State and discovered the Culinology program I instantly fell in love. My second year here, I had an Intro to Sensory Sciences class and that semester everything changed for me. A class project ignited this passion in me to combine my love of the science of the human body and brain with food. That class project turned into two years of researching and focusing on sensory science work. I took off running that semester, and I haven't slowed down since.”

 

Q: What types of research have you been involved with on campus?

Snow: “For the last two years I have been focusing more in sensory science. I love either creating products, or testing different formulas of a recipe in panel trials to see what draws consumers acceptability for certain products. The brain is so involved in every process of our daily lives, and food is no exception. Personally, I have conducted six researched-based projects."

Snow: "My independent research on phantom aromas and taste perception focused on studying the brain's capacity of detecting salt, and if we could mimic that perception using the food grade compound Guaiacol to lower salt levels while keeping the sensory attributes consumers are driven to. I have also created an herbal substitute for coffee and conducted a sensory trial to test it against regular coffee. I was trying to see if I could hit the same values in specific categories known to a medium roast coffee, and of course I included a preference test in there to see which sample was preferred; the herbal substitute was actually chosen by the majority. This is why I love sensory science. It is so fascinating to study what peaks our interest in certain products and what turns us away from it."

Snow: "During this spring semester I had the opportunity to develop a product and I chose coffee, again. This time I took the coffee beans that culinology students in the past tested out and created a cold brew coffee. I worked tirelessly every week perfecting the cold brew recipe, which was sweetened with an orange honey syrup. This sweetener was the perfect companion to the medium roast cold brew, and it offered subtle hints of honey and orange. After finally getting the seal of approval on the formulation I created the label and hopefully we can see it in the Gibson Farm Market soon!"

Snow: "Currently I have been given the opportunity to work as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for Dr. Carmen Licon, on her study of emotions that are evoked by certain aromas. This opportunity has given me the chance to utilize the Acknowledge software and record the physiological responses to the aromas as they are happening. Not to mention, I get to work in the Jordan Agricultural Research Center (JARC), which is a gorgeous building and state-of-the-art sensory lab."

Snow: "I am also currently working on a formula for a Honey Ale Beer alongside my colleague in most of my projects here, Daniel Olmos. Our focus is creating a product that is sustainably produced and accepted by consumers.”

 

Q: What were you conclusions / takeaways from the research?

Snow: “The results of the Guaiacol study, when completed, would allow the food industry an alternative way to reduce the sodium content in a food product while maintaining the characteristics valued by consumers. Studies have been conducted and have shown that salt plays a big role in whether consumers purchase canned soups. The goal of this study is to show that with the use of guaiacol, the salt content can be lowered to a much more healthy level while maintaining a higher perception of the salt. That is to say that consumers would perceive that there was a higher content of salt then actually contained in the soup. I'm very thankful to the countless Fresno State students and faculty who participated in my panel over the course of eight months. They also really helped me with the set-up and running the evaluation, and included Jeff Gomez, Daniel Olmos, Giovanni Lozano, Andrew Santos, Kamdyn Nichols and Maria Rodriguez." 

Snow: "For the current study under Dr. Licon, it is truly fascinating to see how much the brain is involved in our perception of food. Memories, cultural influences, and unknown aversions all influence how we perceive a food item. As a sensory scientist, I would love the opportunity to study these further to better understand how to formulate products successfully.”

Snow: “After every research project, or more like in the middle, I always leave with more questions than answers. I always want to do more, research more, dive in deeper. That is how I know this is what I want to do in my career, I absolutely love doing it. My colleagues always joke that I am always ‘on’ but it is so very true, I am the type of person that wants to figure out the puzzle, and solve the problem.”

 

Q: What faculty have helped you with your research?

Snow: “Guaiacol study: Dr. Carmen Licon helped throughout the entire process from offering guidance on how to set-up and run the panels, calculations and also making the dilutions. Her guidance and knowledge was invaluable to me.”

Snow: "The Efficacy of Herbal Plants as a Coffee Substitute: Dr. Erin Dormedy helped me to try and figure out how to conduct a quality sensory trial during a global pandemic, and to do so successfully. Dr. Dormedy is always so encouraging and checks in with us weekly, I will miss those weekly sessions!"

Snow: "Cold Brew Product Development: Dr. Griffin really pushed me during this product development, she was always honest and helped me facilitate the production of it, as well as sensory tests to formulate the best product. She was always available to answer any questions I had during the process and would always guide me without giving me the answers. I am so thankful to her for that because it pushed me to be better. She also always handles my ‘I have a new idea for a project’ mid-semester moments!”

 

Q: Talk about any other experiences working in the sensory lab, and how this is important in your career path?

Snow: “I love the entire process, the samples preparation in the aromas lab at Viticulture and Enology Research Center, to the set-up and clean up in the Olam Sensory Lab at JARC. Not to mention, presenting and debriefing the participants in the Wonderful Conference Room at JARC, and actually running the sensory trial. I have worked heavily with food grade molecular compounds, all responsible for specific aromas found in food. From more familiar compounds like Vanillin which is responsible for vanilla aromas, to compounds like Methional that smells like a baked potato - seriously." 

Snow: "These projects over the last two years have helped me gain extensive knowledge in product development and sensory science, which typically go hand-in-hand professionally. Due to these experiences I have become confident in my ability to design and run sensory trials, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity.”

Q: Why are you interested in the sensory science area? 

Snow: “I have always been intrigued with the processes of the human body, specifically the power of the brain in digesting the information presented in various applications. To be able to combine that science with culinary arts and a foundation of nutrition has solidified what I want to do with my life. For food we utilize so much more than taste. We rely on sight, sound, aroma - all of it! Through this program I found my passion within Culinology: Product Development and Sensory Science. I enjoy the process of taking a product already out or perhaps creating a new one and running certain evaluations on that to determine its success rate. It can certainly be challenging but is so rewarding when it all finally clicks!”

 

Q: How will the research that you've been involved with help industry or consumers?

Snow: “The research I have been involved with will give a better understanding of how the brain functions to aid in the perception of food items, and how that ties in with consumer preference. The study on the aromas will enable us to see the correlations between emotional and physiological responses to certain aromas. This will allow the food industry to better understand how our emotions are involved in consumer preferences and acceptability of food products.”

 

Q: How have those research projects help you choose your career path?

Snow: “I believe that these research projects have strengthened and ignited my passion for this career path. I feel very solid in my choice to pursue a product development and sensory science-based career.”

 

Q: Talk about any student clubs or organizations you’ve been a part of.

Snow: “I was a member of the Food Science and Culinology Club, and have participated in events as often as time permits. I volunteered at the IFT Golf Tournament the last two years and I always have so much fun. It is a great experience and I always encourage others to do it. I participated in the 2019 Gibson Market Fall Festival as well at the club booth.”

 

Q: Have you been involved with any professional or industry events or conferences?

Snow: “I participated in a Research Chefs Association (RCA) student competition representing Fresno State that was supposed to happen in April. A group of us (4) created a product to be sold, and we had to go through the entire process of pricing it out and creating a standardized recipe. Though we did not get chosen for the last round, and the competition was cancelled because of COVID-19 it was still a fun experience. The sandwich was a shrimp po'boy and it was bursting with flavor! We soaked the scratch made bread in jambalaya soup before crisping it.”

 

Q: Talk about any obstacles or challenges you have overcome that have made you who you are today.

Snow: “I am a single mother who took the time off of school while I raised my son. Once he went to school full-time I went back and scheduled my classes around his school during the day and worked at night. I commute from Visalia everyday so that minimizes my free time quite a bit with the two-hour commute. Working full-time and going to school full-time for the last few years has definitely been difficult, exhausting, and plenty of challenges have occurred. There were some semesters that I honestly could not fathom continuing school into the next week. But here I am, at the end of that challenging journey, and receiving my diploma. It has all been worth it.”

 

Q: What’s your next step professionally, and how do you want to use your degree long-term?

Snow: “Though it has been tough to balance being a mother, a student, and a full-time employee, I have applied to the graduate program here at Fresno State. I truly love this major, Food Science and Culinology, and there are so many opportunities for us here at Fresno State, and I hope that more students take those opportunities. This is the time to learn from our knowledgeable professors and really find what we are interested in and get more experience in that interest. You never know what can come of it!"

Snow: "Long-term, I want to dive deeper into producing products that are not only better for consumer health but also for our environment. So it is important to me to find a company that also holds these same values. I think that after working in the industry as a Lead Product Developer and Sensory Scientist I would love to continue my education and obtain a PhD so that I may become a professor. I want to give future students the same experience and knowledge that I was lucky enough to receive from my professors.”