Food scientist · policy analyst

Julia
Thompsonfood scientist turned policy analyst

Twelve years making food. Now I analyze the rules that decide what gets made.

  • Policy
  • Regulatory
  • R&D
  • Sourcing
Executive MPA 2026Open to relocation
View my resume →
Julia in a chef's coat in a test kitchen
Julia smiling on the lawn in front of the U.S. Capitol dome

Four unique vantage points, one analyst

I know how a rule gets written, and how a company will respond to it.

Julia mixing a formula in an R&D lab
Food science
Julia in protective gear on a food processing line
On the plant floor
Julia beside prepared foods on a store shelf
Commercial
Julia in graduation robes at the London School of Economics
Policy training
What each experience contributes

Food science

how a product actually gets made

BS, UMass Amherst · Formulation · process optimization · labeling · stage-gate R&D

Commercial experience AmazonKerryHigh Liner Foods

how a business weighs cost, margin and risk

RFPs · $2M savings · category sales analysis & strategy

City government City of Seattle

how a rule gets written and passed

Appointed commissioner · council work plan

Policy training

how to analyze a rule and its trade-offs

Executive MPA, LSE · 2026 · six policy papers

Policy analysis that predicts the industry response

Food scienceCommercial experienceCity governmentPolicy training Policy analysis that predictsthe industry response how a product actually gets made how a business weighs cost, margin and risk how a rule gets written and passed how to analyze a rule and its trade-offs FORMULATION · PROCESS OPTIMIZATION · LABELING · R&D BS, UMASS AMHERST RFPS · $2M SAVINGS · CATEGORY SALES ANALYSIS & STRATEGY APPOINTED COMMISSIONER · COUNCIL WORK PLAN EXECUTIVE MPA, LSE · 2026 SIX POLICY PAPERS · PUBLIC COMMENT TO FDA

Policy Capabilities

Policy skillWhat I didWhat it means for your team

  1. Stakeholder engagement

    Managing external stakeholders

    • Clients, customers, co-manufacturers and suppliers in every role; RFPs secured about $2M (19%) a year
    • Four research and promotion boards: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, American Egg Board, Potatoes USA, Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. Published research, built marketing assets, presented at conferences, ran international sampling
    • Built the Blueberry Council’s international program from scratch: 50 new products in India and a children’s supplement in Asia

    I build working relationships with every outside party a decision touches, from growers’ boards to suppliers.

  2. Policy analysis

    High-quality policy analysis

    • Policy Reformulated: gained followers from USDA, FDA, non-profits and industry
    • Graduate papers: front-of-pack labeling, SNAP, meat consolidation, farm labor, development

    I turn technical evidence into a recommendation a decision-maker can use.

  3. Written and verbal communication

    Translate complex policy, research, and technical information

    • Technical contact for food manufacturers across North America
    • Company spokesperson at webinars and international conferences
    • Wrote HACCP plans, GMP policies and staff training for six warehouses

    I explain a requirement in plain language to the business that has to meet it.

  4. Regulatory policy

    Read, analyze, and interpret legal, policy, and scientific documents

    • Wrote FDA, USDA and Canadian labels as Regulatory Specialist at High Liner Foods; submitted child nutrition products to USDA
    • Interpreted 21 CFR and the EU novel food rules to bring products into compliance
    • Turned new rules into product changes: GMO disclosure, FSMA, Prop 65

    I read a rule the way the people who must follow it will.

  5. Policy advocacy

    Develop and update high-quality written advocacy materials, including regulatory comments

    • Founded the Expanded Access Program so BIPOC food entrepreneurs could get development services the industry usually prices them out of
    • Proposed a nutrition guidance platform for SNAP households, designed around the real budgets, time and access barriers they face
    • Filed public comment on FDA’s GRAS proposed rule (FDA-2025-N-3262): no one in the supply chain verifies long-term ingredient safety

    I make the case in writing and on the record, including for communities that rules usually overlook.

  6. Constituent engagement

    Working with constituents and stakeholders

    • Appointed by the Mayor and Council to advise on equitable policy and legislation
    • Liaison between residents, city departments and King County agencies
    • Co-authored the annual work plan Council legislates against

    I’ve worked inside a public body, with residents and agencies.

  7. Collaborative problem-solving

    Comfortable engaging in thoughtful dialogue, constructive disagreement, and collaborative problem-solving

    • The hub R&D, marketing, regulatory, sales and processing worked through to keep projects moving
    • Negotiated across competing needs: cost and timeline, quality, sales appeal, compliance
    • Led sourcing for six major product resets on a 50% shorter timeline

    When needs don’t line up, I find the option everyone can sign onto.

  8. Program evaluation

    Policy and program evaluation

    • Founded the Expanded Access Program: nearly $50,000 in services to BIPOC food entrepreneurs in year one, renewed for a second
    • Evaluated programs against baselines; recommended dropping one too weak to change behavior

    I design a program, measure it, and say plainly when it isn’t working.

  9. Quantitative and qualitative analysis

    Identifies needs or challenges proactively

    • Traced one data error through costing, blocking and reporting; led four functions to close a $1.4M discrepancy
    • With in-stock, regulatory and operations teams, fixed unit-of-measure errors, preventing more than $1.1M in reported shrink in 2025
    • First view in five years of broken item records across 65 stores; changed purchase forecasts and a supplier renegotiated volumes

    I find where a good plan goes wrong on the ground.

  10. Food safety

    Foodborne illness traceability

    • Commercial representative on the team that built a new food safety audit program, then audited 202 products against FDA, USDA and state requirements
    • Co-wrote the supplier qualification standard the category ran on
    • Managed two recall responses

    I know what a standard costs the regulated party, and where compliance breaks.

Why a policy team needs a food scientist

I know what a rule does to a real product, and how industry will respond.

What I’ve doneWhat it lets your team do

  1. Ran a study on the nutritional implications of 11 processing techniques for a U.S. agricultural good

    Nutrient and sensory study of blueberry ingredient formats for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

    Cover of the blueberry ingredient format comparison studyDiagram from my ultra-processed food essay: whole ingredients split into fractions during processing

    Show the nutrition implications of a new ultra-processed food rule: the same fruit gains or loses fiber, sugar and nutrients depending on how it’s processed, and a processing-based definition may not track that.

  2. Responded to the GMO labeling law

    Bioengineered food disclosure on real products

    Predict whether a disclosure rule changes the label, the formula or the supplier, and whether it will actually improve the food consumers get.

  3. Implemented FSMA on the ground

    HACCP plans, GMP policies and training for six warehouses

    Know what a federal food safety rule asks of a facility, and where it stalls.

  4. Designed products to earn claims

    Keto, high fiber, seed-oil free, allergen free, USDA child nutrition

    Anticipate how industry will engineer to meet any new definition, from “healthy” to ultra-processed, including the technical workarounds that earn a claim without making the product any better.

  5. Interpreted regulations to solve immediate problems

    Found ingredient substitutions that kept labels unchanged when supply chains broke

    Find the edge of a rule before industry does.

  6. Read a formula for what the label hides

    Protein quality, fortification, clean label

    Catch claims that are legal but misleading, and rules that strip nutrition by accident.

  7. Worked with GRAS ingredients

    Saw what suppliers, regulatory teams and customers did and didn’t check

    Point to gaps in ingredient safety oversight; I filed comment on FDA’s GRAS rule in 2026.

  8. Removed caramel color for Prop 65

    Reformulated to avoid a California warning label

    Show how one state’s rule reformulates products for the whole country.

Twelve years in six lanes

Policy training stacked on top of a decade in industry, not swapped in for it.

Career lanes, to scale by yearClick a barTap a role to visit
Education London School of EconomicsExecutive MPA2024–26 UMass AmherstBS Food Science2011–15
R&D CuliNEXFood Scientist III, technical lead2020–23 Kettle CuisineProcess Technologist2019–20 High Liner FoodsFood Technologist, Regulatory Specialist2017–19 Arlon GroupGraduate Trainee2015–17 IngredionApplications Intern2014
Product management Amazon FreshProduct Developer2024–25 KerrySelectTechnical Product Manager2023–24
Sourcing Amazon FreshSourcing Manager2025–26
Policy Policy ReformulatedPolicy Writer2026 City of SeattleAppointed Commissioner2025–26 Expanded Access ProgramProgram Lead, pro bono2020–22
Founder LoopNPDFounder2026–
20112013201520172019202120232025 EDUCATIONR&DPRODUCT MGMTSOURCINGPOLICYFOUNDER UMass AmherstBS Food Science London School of EconomicsExecutive MPA IngredionApplicationsIntern Arlon GroupGraduate Trainee High Liner FoodsFood TechnologistRegulatory Specialist Kettle CuisineProcessTechnologist CuliNEXFood Scientist IIITechnical lead KerrySelectTechnicalProduct Mgr Amazon FreshProductDeveloper Amazon FreshSourcingManager Expanded Access ProgramProgram LeadPro bono development City of SeattleCommissionerAppointed Policy Ref.PolicyWriter LoopNPDFounder TODAY
EducationR&DProduct managementSourcingPolicyFounder
More experience details14 roles · click to open
Gloved hands at a laptop showing the LoopNPD app beside R&D samples
2026 –

Founder, LoopNPD

Software that puts ingredient sourcing inside the R&D workflow.

Launch app →
  • Founded a software company addressing the technical sales support gap at small and mid-sized food companies; the product integrates technical ingredient sales into the R&D process so developers can find ingredient solutions faster
  • Own product strategy and roadmap, and write database-driven product specifications translating R&D workflow problems into precise engineering requirements
  • Lead marketing, positioning, and sales: brand and messaging, the company website and LinkedIn presence, and direct outreach and discovery with food developers and ingredient suppliers
Market crates of strawberries and artichokes
2026

Policy Reformulated

How food policy shapes what gets made and sold. Ultra-processed food definitions, front-of-pack labeling, protein claims.

Read latest →
  • Policy Writer. An ongoing publication on how food policy shapes what gets made and sold, with analysis of the federal ultra-processed food definition, FDA front-of-package labeling, and protein content claims in packaged bread
Chief Seattle medallion, the seal of the City of Seattle
2025 – 26

Commissioner, Seattle Disability Commission

One of 21 appointees advising Mayor and Council. Co-authored the annual work plan.

  • One of 21 commissioners appointed by the Mayor and City Council to advise the Mayor, Council, and city departments on equitable policy, practice, and legislation for a city of 800,000, covering transportation equity, accessible infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and ADA compliance
  • Co-authored the annual Commission work plan, the document that sets the policy priorities City Council legislates against
Production line review, workers in hairnets and white coats
2025 – 26

Sourcing Manager, Amazon Fresh

Prepared foods and bakery. $2M in savings found, 202 products brought into compliance.

  • Evaluated consumer-facing program performance against baselines and year-over-year targets, applying elasticity and sensitivity modeling to score intervention options on impact, cost, risk, and implementation feasibility; diagnosed a failing mid-tier intervention through substitution analysis and recommended returning to a structurally proven model
  • Identified approximately $2M in annual savings (19 percent) by shifting prepared foods and bakery sourcing from small bespoke suppliers to large national manufacturers, and by leading category RFPs across soup, chicken, and bakery
  • Commercial representative on the team that built a new food safety audit and compliance program and audited 202 products, helping bring the portfolio into full compliance and establishing new supplier qualification criteria that shortened onboarding
  • Partnered with the food safety team on a portfolio-wide data audit, building an automated tool that replaced manual tracking with real-time ingredient visibility and supported direct qualification contact with 19 ingredient manufacturers; managed two recall responses with minimal business disruption
  • Built Python and AI-based analytics tools that cut error identification from two to three days down to under 15 minutes, eliminated four manual team handoffs, and saved roughly 50 hours per month of data maintenance and investigation
  • Diagnosed and remediated 49 cross-system data defects unresolved since 2020, taking one category from a 60 percent defect rate to zero; traced a single unit-of-measure error through inventory costing, product blocking, and financial reporting and coordinated remediation across finance, operations, accounting, and technology to resolve a $1.4M discrepancy with net-zero impact to the quarter
  • Sourced six major product resets on a 50 percent compressed schedule under a new everyday-low-price strategy
Julia throwing her graduation cap beside giant LSE letters and a sunflower
2024 – 26

Executive Master of Public Administration

London School of Economics. Economics-based policy analysis, applied to food systems.

  • Executive Master of Public Administration, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Concentration in economics-based policy analysis, applied to food systems governance, nutrition labeling regulation, SNAP benefit adequacy, H-2A agricultural labor, and meat industry consolidation
Julia on a production floor in a white coat, hairnet and mask
2024 – 25

Product Developer, Prepared Meals, Amazon Fresh

Regulatory compliance across the product lifecycle; proposed the stage-gate restructure of the culinary team.

  • Managed regulatory compliance across the product development lifecycle against FDA, USDA, and state food safety requirements
  • Authored a proposal to restructure the culinary development team, diagnosing duplicated work and undefined handoffs and designing a stage-gate process, formalized documentation standards, and a redefined continuous-improvement food scientist role, projected to double team output
Julia in a blue blazer presenting blueberry ingredients for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
2023 – 24

Technical Product Manager, KerrySelect

Three-person team; escalation point for North American food manufacturers.

  • Supervised a three-person team and acted as primary technical point of contact for escalated R&D issues across North American food manufacturer clients, advising on product selection and troubleshooting
CuliNEX team gathered around a benchtop of blueberry samples
2020 – 23

Food Scientist III, CuliNEX

30+ products, plant-based authority, Blueberry Council research lead.

  • Guided project teams of two to three scientists across 30-plus products, designing the experiments, reviewing outputs, and redirecting programs when results warranted; supervised one direct report
  • Served as the company's technical authority on plant-based formulation, consulting across teams on ingredient functionality problems that had stalled their projects
  • Technical research lead: authored a comparative study of 11 blueberry processing methods for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, assessing nutritional impact (anthocyanins, fiber, vitamin C) alongside sensory profile, functional performance, and cost; presented findings to manufacturers in the US and internationally, including Asia Fruit Logistica in Bangkok
  • Established and managed the Council's international samples and technical communications program from scratch for a new client, building the team and running every function, connecting global manufacturers with ingredient suppliers and contributing to 50 new products launched in India and a children's nutritional supplement in Asia
Entrepreneurs gathered around a tasting counter
2020 – 22

Expanded Access Program

Designed and launched a pro bono program: nearly $50K in development services for BIPOC founders in year one, renewed for a second year.

  • Designed and launched the Expanded Access Program, delivering nearly $50,000 in pro bono food development services to BIPOC entrepreneurs in year one; program renewed into a second year
A ladle of chowder from a steam kettle
2019 – 20

Process Technologist, Kettle Cuisine

Food safety and quality systems at manufacturing scale; launches across R&D, operations and quality.

  • Managed food safety and quality systems for large-scale manufacturing and coordinated product launches across R&D, operations, and quality teams
A raw salmon portion held in tongs in the R&D lab
2017 – 19

Food Technologist and Regulatory Specialist, High Liner Foods

Clean-label Sea Cuisine line for Walmart and Kroger, plus child nutrition products. FDA and USDA labels, $50K ingredient savings.

  • Created FDA and USDA-compliant labels for retail and foodservice products, reviewing ingredient statements, allergen declarations, and nutrition facts panels
  • Led new product development for Walmart and Kroger and saved more than $50,000 annually through ingredient optimization; built a stage-gate R&D process from scratch
Market stall piled with tomatoes and squash
2015 – 17

Graduate Trainee, Arlon Group

Rotations through Door to Door Organics, The Chia Co. and Idaho Pacific: food safety, three product launches, stage-gate R&D.

  • Product Commercialization Project Manager, The Chia Co.: built the company's project management process from scratch and led an international team through three product launches spanning R&D, marketing, QA, operations, co-packers, and suppliers
Julia in cap and gown holding a Food Science sign
2011 – 15

BS Food Science, UMass Amherst

Team captain, Developing Solutions for Developing Countries.

  • Team Captain, Developing Solutions for Developing Countries (2014-2015). Developed Maisha Kitamu, a $0.30 shelf-stable product for East Africa using locally harvested insects and sweet potatoes, delivering more than 50 percent RDA for vitamin A, zinc, iron, iodine, and B12 on refurbished processing technology appropriate to the region

Policy work

Rules I've worked under, programs I've built, markets I've opened.

1 of 21commissioners
Civic

Annual Commission work plan

One of 21 commissioners appointed by the Mayor and Council. Co-authored the work plan that sets the priorities Council legislates against: transportation equity, accessible infrastructure, emergency preparedness, ADA compliance.

Seattle Disability Commission · 2025–26Open →
202products in compliance
Regulatory

FDA and USDA regulatory work

Built retail and foodservice labels, ingredient statements and allergen declarations. Managed compliance across the product lifecycle at Amazon, represented the commercial side on the team that built a new food safety audit program and audited 202 products, and managed two recall responses.

High Liner Foods, Amazon Fresh · 2017–26
$50Kpro bono, year one
Program design

Expanded Access Program

Designed and launched a pro bono development program for BIPOC food entrepreneurs: nearly $50,000 in services in year one, renewed for a second year.

CuliNEX · 2020–22Open →
SNAPpolicy proposal
Policy proposal

Nutrition guidance platform for SNAP households

A proposal engaging SNAP benefit structures, SNAP-Ed, GusNIP, EFNEP and USDA SBIR/STTR funding, with regulatory risk assessed across FDA, HIPAA and CMS food-as-medicine frameworks.

2026
50products in India
Agricultural trade

Taking U.S. blueberries overseas

Built and ran the Council’s international samples and technical communications program from scratch, connecting global manufacturers with U.S. blueberry ingredient suppliers. Contributed to 50 new products in India and a children’s supplement in Asia. Presented at Asia Fruit Logistica, Bangkok.

U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council · 2021–23Open →
Graduate researchSix papers · LSE Executive MPA

What I studied

Six papers. Tap one to open the PDF.

What I'm writing

Policy Reformulated · 2026

Policy Reformulated Substack

Each essay takes a live food rule and follows it to the shelf.

  • Ultra-processed food
  • Front-of-pack labels
  • Protein claims
Read latest →
Diagram from the ultra-processed food essay: whole ingredients split into fractions sold as other ingredients or destroyed during processing
Sep 2026

Imported Beef Is the Wrong Outrage

Trimmings are 2% of the supply. The slavery, the child labor and the ten listeria deaths are what nobody gets punished for.
Aug 2026

Defining Ultra-Processed Foods for a Nutritious Outcome

The government is defining ultra-processed food right now. The definition decides whether we get a more nutritious nation.
Aug 2026

Bread part 2: MAHA Is Affecting the Wrong Things

A movement that wants healthier food is monitoring what goes in, not how the food ends up.
Aug 2026

The New FDA Front-of-Pack Labels Will Not Improve Anything

An economic policy analysis of front-of-package schemes and consumer outcomes.
Aug 2026

Half the Protein, All the Credit

A loaf can advertise 22 grams of protein and legally deliver less than half. How the trick works and the fix that would stop it.

What I'm building

Founder · 2026 –

LoopNPD Software

Food R&D software with Millie, an AI co-pilot that suggests your next experiment.

Why I built it

The food R&D platform that learns your science as you build it: formulation management, stage-gate tracking, nutrition and labeling tools, and a supplier directory.

Built from the problem I lived for twelve years: developers find ingredient solutions slowly because technical sales support sits outside the R&D process. LoopNPD puts it inside.

Stage-gateFormulation managementNutrition factsTechnical data sheetsTriangle testsIngredient marketplaceMillie AI
Launch app →
1 / 10

R&D Portfolio

High Liner Foods · 2018Sea Cuisine clean-label line

Salmon, cod and tilapia. R&D to shelf for Walmart and Kroger, labels and child-nutrition compliance included.

 The Chia Co. · 2016–17Chia Pod

Commercialization project manager for three international launches across R&D, QA, co-packers and suppliers.

 CuliNEX for Rebellyous · 2021Plant-based nuggets, sofi Award winner

2021 sofi Award for plant-based protein and the KeHE On Trend Frozen Award. Formulation and scale-up.

 CuliNEX for Seemore · 2022Vegetable chicken nuggets

Chicken and vegetable nuggets for a brand built on vegetable-forward sausages.
CuliNEX · 2022Plant-based burgers

Crumb and bind trials in R&D, then continuous forming on the line.

CuliNEX · 2022Plant-based pepperoni

Texture, fat release and bake performance on pizza.

CuliNEX · 2021Crooked Spoon Ice Cream

Retail ice cream line developed and commercialized for a CuliNEX client.

U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council · 2021–23Blueberry ingredient comparison study

Eleven processing methods compared on nutrition, sensory, function and cost. Presented in the US and at Asia Fruit Logistica, Bangkok.

 Kettle Cuisine · 2019–20Kettle-cooked soups at scale

Food safety and quality systems for large-batch manufacturing, and launches across R&D, operations and quality.

 Amazon Fresh · 2025Bakery and prepared foods resets

Six major resets sourced on a 50% compressed schedule under a new everyday-low-price strategy.

By the numbers

Industry12 yrsR&D to sourcing desk
Amazon Fresh$2Mannual savings through RFPs, about 19%
Food safety202products brought into compliance
CuliNEX30+products as technical lead
City government1 of 21commissioners, city of 800,000
Pro bono$50Kdevelopment for BIPOC founders

Connect with Julia

Hiring for food, agriculture or nutrition policy? I would like to hear about it.

Connect with Julia →View resume →
julia.thompson11work@gmail.compolicyreformulated.substack.com
Julia Thompson, smiling, in a black blazer