R&D Internship -Fat Crystallization & Nut Fillings

Job description

About Us As a leading provider of high-quality food and beverage ingredients, we work with farming communities across the globe to grow, source and produce ingredients that are good for consumers, farmers, and the world around us. We supply household food brands and manufacturers worldwide with cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices ingredients which are often grown on our own farms and estates and sourced from hundreds of thousands of farmers across ~50 countries. Along with our diverse manufacturing and innovation capabilities, this means we can provide ingredients for a range of products, from a plant-based latte mix to an almond based snack bar or a dairy-free ice cream. Making a positive impact on people and planet is a core component of our Purpose, to be the change for good food and a healthy future. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable, and transparent supply. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real. Product Information Food & Beverage Solutions We have launched a new platform called Food and Beverage solutions, part of our ingredients and solutions reporting unit. This platform consolidates our current category solutions capabilities and innovation infrastructure. We support customers in developing new consumer concepts and application solutions at our four customer solution centers in Amsterdam, Bangalore, Chicago, and Singapore. Food and Beverage solutions leverages the strengths of our five product platforms, including their global and sustainable supply chain capabilities, a complementary portfolio of high-quality food and ingredients, and extensive ingredient expertise. This enables us to address a diverse range of customer requirements in the rapidly evolving Food and Beverage industry. Built on deep consumer, category, and application understanding, we are enhancing our application and R&D capabilities to provide an end-to-end integrated customer experience. This opens up more on-trend and inspired product ideation opportunities. Together, we can co-create product innovations that delight consumers and make your ambitions a reality. The internship We are offering an in‑depth R&D Internship focused on understanding the effect of fat system crystallization on the functionality and stability of nut fillings. In this role, you will study how different fat systems behave during processing and storage, and how this impacts product performance in specific applications. The objective of this internship is to evaluate fat crystallization behaviour, compatibility, and long‑term stability under various storage conditions. You will work closely with R&D, Application, and Sensory teams to generate practical insights for formulation and product development. Responsibilities During your internship, you will be involved in the full experimental and analytical workflow, including: Preparing nut fillings at lab scale using different fat systems and measuring key parameters after production. Evaluating the effect of crystallizers in selected formulations and comparing results with reference samples under identical conditions. Supporting application testing and performance evaluation in collaboration with the Application team. Designing and validating shelf‑life protocols, including ambient, accelerated, and cold storage conditions, with day/night temperature cycling where relevant. Preparing, storing, and systematically tracking samples across all test conditions. Conducting periodic shelf‑life evaluations, including: Sensory analysis (with guidance from a sensory technologist) Appearance and texture assessments Physical and chemical stability measurements Functional performance in final applications Developing and executing fat crystallization analysis protocols, using internal capabilities and/or external analytical support. Analysing data, comparing fat systems, and interpreting crystallization behaviour. Summarising results and translating findings into practical recommendations for formulation and application.. About you You are: A Bachelor or Master student in Food Technology, Food Science, Chemistry, or a related discipline. Strongly interested in fat functionality, crystallization, and product stability. Comfortable working in a laboratory and data‑driven testing environment. Accurate, structured, and detail‑oriented in experimental work and data handling. Able to work independently while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. Curious, proactive, and motivated to understand the science behind real food applications. Interested in the food & beverage sector, particularly nuts, cocoa, and chocolate. What you'll gain Hands‑on R&D experience in fat systems, crystallization, and shelf‑life evaluation. Exposure to industrial product development challenges and decision‑making. Close collaboration with R&D, Application, and Sensory specialists. Ownership of experimental work with clear conclusions and recommendations. Internship allowance and valuable industry experience. Are you fascinated by fat crystallization and food functionality? Join ofi and help improve the performance and stability of nut‑based products. ofi is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to racial or ethnic origin, color, age, religion or belief, sex, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Applicants are requested to complete all required steps in the application process including providing a resume/CV in order to be considered for open roles.