McCormick Launches New Flavorist-in-Training Program in the US

According to some informed estimates, there are only about 500 certified flavorists in the world. Although McCormick counts several flavorists among its employees, within the industry there’s a shortage of expertise. This is why McCormick Flavor Solutions is launching a new Flavorist in Training (FIT) program.

FIT is a personal, hands-on, development program to grow the next generation of talent and build flavor creation capabilities. Yearly milestones were developed to assess the Flavor Apprentices by our US Flavorists.

Also known as flavor chemists, flavorists are scientists who create and replicate flavors. The world of flavor is like a delicate balance of art and science, and flavor chemists are like the painter behind the picture bringing it all together. Educational requirements for the profession vary around the world, yet they’re invariably strict. Often flavorists are trained in chemistry, biology, or food science, and some even have doctorates in fields such as biochemistry. 

Flavorists learn by doing – specifically by working at a flavor house, typically in an apprenticeship model. In the United States, a certified flavorist must be a member of the Society of Flavor Chemists. To be an apprentice flavorist in the Society, one must be mentored by a certified flavorist over a minimum of five-years to be eligible for testing with the Society.

This is where the new Flavorist in Training (FIT) program comes in. 

The program was designed to train flavorists within McCormick in the US (at Hunt Valley, Maryland, and/or Geneva, Illinois). The program is open only to internal candidates, and the first group of flavorists-in-training is now on board.

Program participants can expect to develop their flavor and leadership skills through hands-on learning and collaboration with our flavor experts. Through the program, flavorists-in-training will advance to apprentice and certified membership of the Society of Flavor Chemists, with corresponding promotions along the way. 

This program will also benefit McCormick by enhancing our flavor-creation capabilities and opening up revenue-generation opportunities for our business units. 

Becoming a Compounder at McCormick is a great way to get started, or for those already on their way, look for our Flavorist openings. Click here to learn more and view our current openings.

Want to know more about what our flavorists do? Check out this spotlight on Senior Flavorist Katie Pappas.

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