DR Flavors & Ingredients opened the doors of its laboratories and manufacturing facilities to the EngenhAção project, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the engineers involved in developing ingredients, flavors, and solutions for the food industry.
Brazil faces a growing shortage of engineering professionals. Currently, the shortage is estimated at approximately 75 thousand engineers, and it is expected to exceed 1 million professionals by 2030. Against this backdrop, initiatives that bring young people closer to the engineering profession and introduce them to new career opportunities are becoming increasingly important.
With this purpose in mind, EngenhAção was created, a project by the National Academy of Engineering (ANE), championed in the state of Santa Catarina by Grupo ND, with the goal of inspiring students and the broader community to explore the many fields of engineering and demonstrating how these professionals directly contribute to the country’s development.
In the episode “The Invisible Engineering Behind Food,” the project team shows that engineering extends far beyond major infrastructure projects and civil construction. It is also present at breakfast, in afternoon snacks, and in desserts enjoyed by millions of Brazilians through the development of ingredients, flavors, and solutions for the food industry.
To tell this story, the program visited DR Flavors & Ingredients, a leading Brazilian producer of flavors, extracts, and ingredients for the food and beverage industry. With more than one in every ten employees holding an engineering degree, the company opened the doors of its laboratories and Research & Development facilities to show how food engineers, chemical engineers, and other specialists work together to turn science into innovation.
The report follows the different stages involved in developing ingredients for the food industry, from evaluating raw materials and their benefits to consumers to conducting economic feasibility studies, chemical and microbiological analyses, manufacturing processes, and quality control. The result is an immersive look at the “invisible engineering” that ensures the flavor, safety, stability, and consistency of foods consumed every day by millions of people.
By participating in the initiative, DR Flavors & Ingredients reinforces its commitment to advancing engineering, science, and innovation, helping bring society closer to a profession that is essential to the country’s technological and industrial development.
The full report can be viewed below:
