ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ

Raquel from Portugal, alumna of the programme (2019), now working as Junior Food Scientist at Noquo Foods in Stockholm

What is your current job and where is it located?

"I currently work as a Junior Food Scientist in Stockholm."

How did you find your job and how long did it take?

"I found the job ad through LinkedIn in September. It was funny that, on the same day, my boyfriend called me saying, "Hey I just saw this company Noquo Foods on LinkedIn, and I really think you would match the profile they are looking for".

Everything happened very fast, but the process itself was quite intense; I applied in September and then had two interviews with both co-founders of the company. After that, wit was already October, and I had a third interview where I was given a challenge that consisted of answering about 6–7 scientific questions within a 24 hours. To be honest, it was a quite exciting and fun process. After passing the test, the company invited both me and another candidate to go to Stockholm to meet them and go through a final small practical assignment. After that, I was offered a contract and started working in November."  

How are you changing the industry or the world, in a small or large way?

"Noquo Foods' aim is to develop next-generation, plant-based cheese that tastes as good as any dairy cheese, that has its own story, and that everyone can relate to. Our shared vision is to help mitigate climate change by offering people really good alternatives, which will hopefully help reduce dairy consumption.

Why cheese? Well, cheese and other dairy products are so commonly used as an alternative to meat, especially in restaurants. However, to produce 1 kilogram of cheese, you need around 10 litres of milk.

The food industry is one of the main contributors to global warming, and I believe a major shift in consumers' views needs to be made. If we can prove to people that plant-based cheese can match dairy cheese in flavour, texture and applications, perhaps this problem won’t be so overlooked in the future."

What is your favourite thing about your job?

"I really like that the job is so flexible and that I get to work both in the lab experimenting a lot with new interesting food ingredients and in an office where I get to have some headspace and do research. Working in a start-up company with a very high ambition level is definitely in itself one of my favourite things of the job. A plus of working for such a young company is that I also get to be involved in the business part and do a lot of new things.

We are a small team and the future is still uncertain, but I love the fact that things change all the time. Week after week, we face different challenges. It never gets boring and it feels very motivating to know that I will help build whichever path the company will take in the future. The best part is the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself."

What do you miss most from your time at ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ and LTH?

"I think what I miss the most is the social life I had in Lund. I can honestly say it was the most amazing two years of my life. I met so many great people from backgrounds and cultures so different from mine. It’s an experience you don’t have often in life, getting to exchange so much with people in a short period of time. I was lucky to make friendships in Lund that I know I will carry with me for life."

Do you have any advice for prospective students considering to come to Lund?

"If I can advise one thing this would be to make the most of the journey. Challenges are part of the process, but everything has a solution. Learn from your mistakes and trust yourself. Make sure to seize every moment and to cherish people around you and the experience you are living in."