Sara Couto

MSc student in Gastronomic Sciences with a BSc in Biology and hands-on experience in food R&D and product development. Experienced in supporting the development of food products from initial formulation and prototyping through laboratory testing, process optimisation and industrial validation. Strong scientific background combined with practical experience in ingredient functionality, physicochemical and nutritional analysis, data interpretation and technical documentation.

Particularly interested in R&D, product development and food innovation roles where science, experimentation and creativity can be applied to develop high-quality food products.

R&D/Product development intern at Tarwi Foods (2025-09 – 2026-09)

• Supported the development of a new lupin-based snack from initial formulation through to industrial validation;
• Developed and optimised formulations, flavour profiles and processing conditions through iterative laboratory and industrial trials;
• Supported scale-up activities and industrial trials, contributing to the translation of laboratory formulations into manufacturing conditions;
• Performed physicochemical and nutritional analyses, including moisture, water activity (aW), ash, protein, fat, sodium and acrylamide.
• Analysed and interpreted experimental results to support formulation and process optimisation;
• Performed recipe costing to support product development decisions;
• Prepared technical documentation and organised experimental data and results;
• Worked within a multidisciplinary team to troubleshoot formulation and processing challenges throughout the development process.

MSc in Gastronomic Sciences – FCNAUP & ESHT (2024 – 2026-12)

BSc in Biology – FCUP (2020 – 2023)

Erasmus+ – Masaryk University, Czechia