Several COPT fellows visited Campbell’s headquarters in Camden, NJ, in May 2017. This was an opportunity to learn more about research positions and operations in food industry.
Upon arrival, Dr. Alex Blatt-Hast, a PSU Nutrition alumni, met with COPT fellows to discuss her work at Campbell’s. Dr. Blatt-Hast described the research process for industry as often more collaborative, in that structured teams are formed within the company to work together on an assigned project. Their ultimate goal is to 1) promote food options for every type of consumer (i.e. those who are health conscious, those wanting convenience, those wanting a hearty, filling meal), 2) make accurate nutritional claims, and 3) advance Campbell’s as a company.
COPT fellows then toured the on-site Pilot Plant, which comprised facilities used to test new and developing products. This behind-the-scenes-look gave us a unique prospective into the process of food production. The facilities at the headquarters location are primarily used for small scale testing, before mass production in other larger, national locations.
Following the tour, we had a group lunch at the Campbell’s employee cafeteria with other employees working in the Nutrition Expert division. These individuals included Joshua Anthony – Vice President of Global Nutrition, Tara Acharya – Director of Global Nutrition, and their team. This group lunch provided a casual environment to ask question and learn about all the nutrition-related work being done.
To finish off our day trip, we stopped in the gift shop!
Many thanks to Campbell’s for hosting us. We had a great time learning from you!