As a Senior Scientist in Research & Product Development at Land O’Lakes, Ann Van Steenhuyse is passionate about transforming iconic brands through the power of dairy. She is a key contributor to the Land O’Lakes Seasonings & Ingredients business, where she helps deliver bold, dairy-forward flavor solutions to some of the world’s most beloved snack brands.
Ann’s work focuses on clean-label innovation—reducing sodium, converting to natural colors, and eliminating artificial ingredients—while preserving the rich, craveable taste that consumers love. Her go-to ingredients include natural cheeses, enzyme-modified cheese (EMCEnzyme modified cheeses are concentrated cheese products that are made by adding enzymes (e.g., proteases or lipases) to natural cheese, to enhance the cheese’s aroma and flavor. They are often dried and used as flavoring ingredients for snacks, baked goods, soups and sauces. More), and wheyLiquid obtained from cheese manufacture. More powder.
🧀 Whether she’s optimizing a cheese powder for popcorn or developing a low-sodium cheddar blend for chips, Ann brings a thoughtful, data-driven approach to every formulation. She’s also helping lead the charge on sustainability, developing tools to track greenhouse gas emissions at the ingredient level across the portfolio. For Ann, making it with dairy means pushing boundaries—delivering flavor-forward, delicious solutions that meet the moment and move the industry forward.
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