Nali Prchal’s mind lies directly at the intersection of art and science. A Senior Food Technologist for JBT-Avure, Prchal combines keen scientific analysis with creativity to spread the word about Avure’s innovative high pressure processing (HPP) machines and services.
“My job lets me combine two of my favorite things, science and food,” she said. “I love expressing my artistic bent through food, and my background in science allows me to understand how it all works together from a molecular level.”
“Many companies want to clean up their labels without sacrificing quality.”
With bench skills learned at St. Olaf College where she studied chemistry and art, Prchal went on to further develop those skills while completing a Master’s Degree in Food Science at Kansas State University.
After college, Prchal applied her food science skills at Cargill, where she had her first experience with Avure while working with HPP in an applied setting. And that’s when she became an HPP enthusiast.
“Many companies want to clean up their labels without sacrificing quality, taste or convenience and HPP lets them do that,” Prchal said. “While its not a magic bullet for every food out there, it’s been the answer many companies have been looking for. And we’ve been able to work with them to optimize recipes so that their products are delicious, nutritious and have a shelf life that makes them practical, all without heat or chemicals.”
In Prchal’s role as Senior Food Technologist at JBT-Avure, she has the opportunity to spread the good word about HPP, speaking at conferences and trade shows. She also enjoys working with customers to explore the possibilities of high pressure processing in their product lines.
“There are lots of exciting food segment avenues to explore with HPP,” Prchal said. “Recently, we’ve been doing some work with dairy as an ingredient and are excited to see where it leads.”
When she’s not in the lab or on the road spreading the HPP news, Prchal enjoys cooking adventurous meals, traveling and getting out into nature. And her current favorite HPP product?
“It’s almost impossible to narrow it down,” Prchal said. “But currently at the top of my list is Hope Hummus, Zupa Noma drinkable soup and fresh salsa, the spicier, the better!”
