EP 8: Pet Food: The Surprising Use of Science Hiding in Plain Sight

Leah Lambrakis is the Vice President of Research & Development, Nutrition and Scientific Affairs for Simmons Pet Food. She leads a team of 25 scientists that drives nutrition, pet food formulation, process engineering, and innovation. Leah has a life-long passion for nutrition, health and wellness, innovation, and consumer insights for pets and pet parents. In her 22+ year career, she has developed deep knowledge in pet food science. Today, Leah continues this work with her team. Leah received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Animal Science and Animal Nutrition from the University of Guelph.

Brittany White is the Director of Product Development for Simmons Pet Food. At Simmons, Brittany leads a team responsible for formulation and ongoing maintenance of over 2000 formulas across 100 different brands. Brittany has a strong background in food chemistry and ingredient functionality, with a continued interest to drive forward new innovative technologies and concepts. Brittany’s graduate work focused on the impact of processing on bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables. Her passion for Pet Food product development started when was a college intern with Simmons Pet Food. Before joining Simmons, Brittany worked for the USDA-ARS where her work was centered on the chemistry and post-harvest quality of peanuts. Brittany received her BS and PhD in Food Science from the University of Arkansas.

Phoebe Qian, Founder and Principal Consultant for Pet-Wise Consulting, petfood palatability expert. With 8 years’ experience in pet food industry, she has worked with from direct-to-consumer startup companies to leading CPG manufactures in both North America and global scales helping them improve the palatability of their foods. She holds a M.S. in Food Science from Kansas State University, and B.S. in Food Science from Iowa State University.

Bruce Perkin is the principal scientist and operator of Robust Food Solutions LLC, a food science-based consultancy that has operated since 2017, providing strategic advice and hands-on support to food businesses in the areas of quality systems and food safety, innovation, product development, and organizational design.

Bruce is a Certified Food Scientist, a Certified HACCP practitioner, and is a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence through the American Society for Quality. He is also a Preventative Controls Qualified Individual under the FSMA regulations. He has completed Food Defense training through the FDA and the FSPCA. Bruce is a past Chairperson of the Dallas /Fort Worth chapter of IFT, and also a past Chair of the Food Service Division of IFT. In addition, Bruce is a part-time Adjunct Professor at Texas Womens’ University teaching NPD, Food Science and Food Safety to Culinology students.