Inside KFC’s FIT (food, innovation, and technology) laboratory, four women stand out: Stacey Borah, a pastry chef turned senior R&D analyst; Diane Miller, director of food innovation; A’ysha Callahan, a recent college graduate and food innovation technologist; and Claire Brandenburg, a product innovation manager with 15 years of experience at KFC under her belt.
While the group describes a lifelong interest in cooking and science, not all were initially drawn to a career in it. They speak to the mystery surrounding this corner of the food space; it was never something openly talked about, especially while they were in college. Borah, Miller, and Brandenburg say, “I had no idea this was a job you could go to school for.”
Callahan, the youngest in the group, was introduced to a career in food science through one of her college mentors. She was exposed to the layers and opportunities in the industry at a young age instead of falling into it by chance later on.
“I felt like Cinderella [working at KFC], and I asked myself if it was real life,” Borah says. “I didn’t know this was an option. I didn’t know this was possible. I would have gone to school for it in the first place.”
KFC’s FIT team does more than ensure quality assurance and protect iconic recipes—they’ve been working to modernize the brand’s menu, introducing sweet and savory on-trend innovations including Apple Pie Poppers, Saucy Nuggets, and Twister wraps. The team is also experimenting with new beverages (including refreshers) and spicy flavors.
Another brand-wide focus is increasing portability of items. The team has gotten good at gathering customer feedback, funneling it to the laboratory, and finding solutions. Miller says it comes down to actively listening to what consumers are asking for.
“We doubled down on delivering what consumers wanted to see, which is distinct flavors, portability, and beverage innovation,” Brandenburg says. “This has been a multiple-year-long journey for us, and we’re not done yet.”
There is no typical day in the life for these ladies, and Borah says this is the best part of working on the FIT team. She could be at her desk answering emails one day and working at the bench creating a new dessert the next. The lab is often cross-functional, touching the operations, marketing, and supply chain arms of KFC U.S.
Other days might include mostly running large tests, where the team measures how a product performs, from cooking to holding, and eventually how the customer experiences eating it. Brandenburg loves these days—the ones where she is determining how the food she had a part in creating will impact guests. There are also demonstrations, product showcases, and Borah’s personal favorite, sampling what could be the next best KFC menu launch.
“Sometimes, I think my role is to speak up and be the voice of the newer generations and help modernize the menu for Gen Z,” Callahan adds. “Of course, KFC has always been a flavor innovator. But my goal is to keep an eye open for my generation and help funnel trends into our pipeline.”
Innovation gets challenging when trying to find products with multi-generational appeal. Miller says KFC’s core customer skews toward the older generation, so there’s a fine line between attracting a newer crowd without losing sight of their current audience.
“The nature of new product development means we go into it knowing 90 percent of what we work on will not see the light of day, and it does burn because we do get attached to what we create,” Brandenburg says. “It’s difficult to appeal to the mass of consumers in the U.S., but there is an endless possibility of product innovation.”
The FIT team hopes to demystify food science for newer generations, especially young women looking for a career in STEM. Callahan says the biggest barrier is the lack of exposure and dialogue surrounding these roles.
“It seems as if this has been gate-kept for such a long time, and positions weren’t getting cycled in and out, so you never saw job postings. Today, the industry has moved in a great direction in showcasing food science,” Callahan says. “It’s important to expose people to the farm-to-fork at an early age and teach them where their food comes from … People aren’t thinking about the origin of their food and who created it, so this job isn’t understood for what it really is.”
Borah agrees, adding that the FIT team has made an effort to bring in middle schoolers to work alongside them a few times a year. She finds value in hosting field trips, career days, and overall being loud about the opportunities hidden in food science.
Callahan believes the industry could do better about changing its narrative, identifying itself as a STEM entity, and hitting the intersection between science, QSR, and agriculture. She points to the benefits of creating a pipeline from student, to intern, to employee as helpful to usher in the next generation of food scientists.
“In my experience, most consumers don’t think about how products end up in their hands,” Miller says. “In my experience, people are surprised to hear this role exists … much less that we’re creating products, putting together nutritional labels, and adhering to FDA regulations.”
While educating consumers and showing up where the next generation lives is important to advancing the food science niche, they note the benefits of mentorship, networking, and organizations like WiRL, where members can get involved in their professional community. There are also programs at the Institute of Food Technologies, which provide certifications in food science and act as a springboard for those who want to start their career.
The team encourages women specifically to have the confidence to make a seat for themselves at the table, even if they’re unsure about leaping into an unexplored side of food service. Brandenburg says she’d love to see women just be bold and put themselves out there.
“Working in innovation, a big part of being an innovator is having a voice and making it heard. As women, we must show up and be sure of ourselves,” Callahan says. “We can take up space. Our voice matters, and we have to understand the value in what we’re saying.”
