Abstract:This talk will cover what are the typical materials used in the Food Industry, the challenges these materials represent for the environment, and what companies are doing to remediate problems related to single-use plastics.
Speaker Biography:
Paola has worked with Mars as a Global Packaging Principal Engineer since April 2018. Mars is a global, family-owned business that produces a diverse portfolio of confectionery, food, and pet care products. Her areas of focus include research on Reuse Models for packaging elimination, developing Packaging “fit” for digital demand, and new technologies exploration. She is also responsible for strategy development and building capabilities for the Mars Wrigley Global Packaging organization.
Immediately prior to joining Mars, Paola worked as a Global Nutrition Packaging Innovation Manager with PepsiCo for two and a half years and she spent an additional fourteen years as an Associate Principal Engineer with The Kraft Company. In these roles, Paola launched to market new product packages for several food categories and lead sustainable packaging platforms. She holds 6 design and utility patents.
Paola earned both a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University. She has published several papers on antimicrobial & active food packaging. Paola has also been active in the past with organizations like Keep Chicago Beautiful, which promote recycling, composting, and reuse.