Els Vrijsen
Protein Nutrition & Food R&D Consultant
32 years taking food and nutrition products from concept to shelf at PowerBar, Nestlé and Premier Nutrition.
How Els Can Help
Els helps food and beverage companies develop, fix and scale products, with deep expertise in protein nutrition: ready-to-drink shakes, bars and powders.
A bioengineer with a Master’s in Chemical and Agricultural Engineering from KU Leuven, she has led product development from the bench to full-scale production, most recently as Vice President of Product Development at Premier Nutrition.
Scale-Up & Co-Manufacturing
Plant trials, line start-ups and transfers to co-manufacturers, taking products from the test kitchen to consistent full-scale production.
R&D Leadership & Regulatory
Innovation pipelines, stage-gate and portfolio prioritization, part-time or interim R&D leadership, and FDA labeling and compliance for US launches, including European brands entering the US market.
Product Development & Reformulation
New products from concept to launch, and fixing products with taste, texture or shelf-life problems. Formulation, prototyping, stability testing and cost-saving renovations.
32 Years of Hands-On Experience
Nestlé Nutrition
Led teams of product developers, packaging and process engineers. Ran plant trials for innovation, renovation and cost-saving projects, commissioned a bar pilot line, and introduced an electronic stage-gate process.
Premier Nutrition
Set up a new test kitchen and R&D office in Boise in under five months, guided R&D through several ownership changes, and rose to Vice President of Product Development.
PowerBar
Part of the start-up team for a new production facility. Built the quality function from the ground up and helped commission a new production line and product format.
Working Together
Els works project-based or as a part-time R&D lead: remote by default, with on-site visits when a project needs them. Clear scope, agreed timelines and direct access to Els, with no layers in between.
She works with protein and nutrition brands, start-ups, food and beverage manufacturers, co-packers and ingredient suppliers, as well as European companies launching in the US. English, Dutch and French.
Contact Elser Consulting Today
Reach out for expert consulting in food innovation and regulatory compliance. We're here to assist your business needs.
Connect Els
+1 208 608 3295
Inquire
info@elserllc.com
Connect Serge
+1 208 608 6489