I first met Dr. Cesar Vega Morales at the Modernist Cuisine kitchen laboratory. He was conducting blue-sky research and exploring the application of food science in commercial kitchens, and I was cooking and learning. He had just edited The Kitchen as Laboratory book, a collection of food essays teaching profound lessons in the science of food. He also served as one of the expert reviewers of Nathan Myrvold’s Modernist Cuisine. 

Today he is a Principal Research Scientist working for Mars in the Netherlands, and he has spent his last several years working in researching and developing affordable, nutritious foods that both meet the health needs of the target population while also meeting the financial requirements to keep the entity in business.

Cesar explains why he chose to get a PhD in food science and how it is a way to quicken your career progression but isn’t a shortcut. He also draws a distinction between product development and product design, and why it’s important to know your desired end result before getting started.

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