Name: Rebecca Genovise
Title: Flavor Chemist, Synergy Flavors
Current location: Wauconda, Illinois (Chicago)
Perfumer & Flavorist+ [P&F+]: What led you to the flavor industry?
Rebecca Genovise [RG]: I didn’t find the flavor industry, the flavor industry found me. In my search to find a career that bridged my backgrounds of food, nutrition, and chemistry, a summer internship program with a flavor house fell in my lap. I spent the summer testing flavors in various bar applications and became inspired by the smart, competent, and creative flavorists I worked with daily. My career aspirations to be a flavorist materialized and I continued to follow my passions of working in a scientific, yet artistic field.
P&F+: What applications do you primarily formulate for? Has this changed since you first began your career?
RG: I currently work on almost all sweet flavor applications which range from confections to baked goods to ready-to-drink beverages; however, a large focus is formulating for alcoholic beverages. This has shifted somewhat throughout my career. I’ve been extremely fortunate enough to have created for (what seems to be) everything, but I spent many years focusing on protein bars and performance nutrition products.
P&F+: What are some of the current trends that are exciting you at the moment?
RG: As someone who likes to travel, and is also driven by food, I love that global flavors are making an appearance at local levels. I like that we can get a teaser of the flavors used in different cultures and cuisines without having to travel great distances.
Another trend is the emergence of imaginative and fanciful flavored products. It’s interesting to see consumer acceptance of concepts that are not always black and white and require them to suspend disbelief for that unique taste experience.
P&F+: Advice for people coming into the perfume/flavor field.
RG: There are a lot of complexities in our field, so I think it is important to ask questions and take the initiative to learn, whether it’s through a mentor or carving out time to self-teach. Once you have a solid foundation, then harness the passion you have for flavors and allow that to drive your creativity.
P&F+: Are the types of projects you're working on changing over time? How are the creative demands of the job evolving?
RG: I’ve always worked on both innovation and duplication projects, but the type of innovation requests has certainly evolved. With the influence of social media’s global reach, the average consumer is able to tap into global markets and have new taste preferences. This translates to new demand for flavors that the U.S. markets haven’t yet experienced. Developing flavors to meet these needs has allowed flavor chemists the ability to explore their creative depths and discover novel, unique and inventive profiles.
