# Leslie Herbas, Product Development Specialist at Ascona Foods (#119)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/that-s-a-food-job-7044046/leslie-herbas-product-development-specialist-at-ascona-foods-119
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/that-s-a-food-job-7044046/leslie-herbas-product-development-specialist-at-ascona-foods-119.md
Podcast: [That's A Food Job!](https://stenobird.com/podcast/that-s-a-food-job-7044046)
Published: 2026-01-18T17:16:00+00:00
Episode link: https://foodgradspodcast.libsyn.com/balancing-function-regulation-and-scale-in-meat-product-development-with-leslie-herbas-at-ascona-foods-119
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/foodgradspodcast/Leslie_Herbas_Full_Interview.mp3?dest-id=2312504
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/that-s-a-food-job-7044046/episodes/leslie-herbas-product-development-specialist-at-ascona-foods-119
Duration seconds: 2689

## Resource

What does a Product Development Specialist actually do in meat manufacturing? Leslie Herbas Marañon is a Product Development Specialist at Ascona Food Group, a global supplier of customized dry blends, edible films, and casings for the meat industry. With over 10 years across production, quality management, and R&D in Bolivia and Canada, she brings a hands-on, formulation-first approach to every project. --- Shownotes: https://foodgrads.com/podcast/Leslie-Herbas --- Explore food industry careers with CareersNOW!: https://careersnow.ca/ --- CareersNOW! is Food and Beverage Ontario's multi-year workforce development initiative that is connecting students and job seekers with employers in Ontario's food and beverage processing industry for exciting career opportunities. Check out CareersNOW.ca for more information on exciting jobs, career information, industry mentors and training opportunities for professional development. --- TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction to Food Product Development and Problem-Solving (01:05) What a Product Development Specialist Does at Ascona (03:10) Customizing Dry Blends, Edible Films, and Casings (05:13) From Bench-Top Formulation to Plant Trials (07:07) What Documentation Means in Product Development (10:34) Regulatory and Administrative Work in the Meat Industry (15:57) Building Confidence Through Experience and Failure (18:09) Managing Multiple Projects and Scaling Up (23:07) Practicing Product Development Skills at Home (29:56) Career Path from Production to Product Development (37:38) Why Problem-Solving Starts with Planning (43:27) Learning from Production Teams and Operators --- CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST 📙 Career Guides: https://foodgrads.com/career-paths-food-and-beverage/ 💭 Career Advice: https://foodgrads.com/blog/ --- CONNECT WITH OU…

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