November Spotlight Award: Honoring MJ Kinney, Principal Food Scientist & Founder of FareScience
This November, we are delighted to spotlight MJ Kinney, a visionary in next-generation food product development and a celebrated leader in the alternative protein sector. As the Principal Food Scientist and Founder of FareScience, MJ has shaped her career around advancing sustainable, health-conscious food solutions while establishing herself as a trusted authority in advanced ingredient applications and new product development.
MJ’s extensive experience spans the food technology ecosystem, where she has excelled across R&D, commercial manufacturing, technical sales, and project management. Since founding FareScience in 2017, she has become a go-to expert for scaling products from benchtop to commercial manufacturing in the plant-based, natural, and organic food segments. Her comprehensive service portfolio—encompassing original product formulations, scalable process development, strategic ingredient and manufacturer sourcing, and FDA-compliant labeling—makes her an invaluable partner in bringing products to market in a fashion that is lean and fast.
Her experience spans roles across B2B ingredient and B2C food manufacturing, and is complemented by her work with influential, mission-driven organizations advancing food. Serving as the Plant-Based Protein Expert for XPRIZE’s $15M Feed the Next Billion competition, a high-reward open-source innovation challenge, she advised on plant-based food commercialization throughout the multi-year competition lifecycle. And as the first U.S. Food Scientist at the Good Food Institute, she helped lay the groundwork for the organization’s global influence in accelerating alternative protein development and adoption. Her technical expertise encompasses a diverse range of food applications, from developing sophisticated plant-based alternatives in meat, dairy, and egg categories to creating custom textured vegetable proteins, puffed snacks, and cereals.
Beyond her formulation expertise, MJ has a unique ability to connect with subject-matter experts and foster collaborative solutions that have aided her contributions to the industry’s knowledge base through technical content for industry reports and curriculums, as well as thought leadership for a more equitable and progressive food system. She pairs her technical excellence with a dedication to bettering the ecosystem for the next generation of food scientists and food makers. Her contributions to Females in Food and the broader industry exemplify the transformative leadership we seek to celebrate.
Congratulations, MJ! We are inspired by your leadership and dedication to shaping a healthier, more sustainable food future. Thank you for leading with integrity, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
