Leslie Norris is a food and flavor scientist. She received a BS in Chemistry from Goucher College and an MA in Food Science and Technology from University of Maryland at College Park. Leslie began her career with McCormick and Co., Inc, where she completed a rigorous, seven-year apprenticeship program under a master flavorist. The Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery recruited Leslie in 1997 to develop their flavor research laboratory. During her tenure, Leslie was Director of Flavor and Sensory Sciences, where she researched the chemistry, flavor and sensory aspects of wine.
Flavor is increasingly being perceived as a multi-sensory experience that goes beyond taste and smell.
Leslie launched FlavorSense in 2003 with the purpose of “making sense out of flavors”. Scientific innovation is used to create food ingredients designed to deliver fresh flavor. Starting with real food – vegetables, herbs and fruits – and adding natural flavor compounds, extracts, distillates and excipients we offer you FlavorFlakes. The flavor key is in our proprietary drying technology, “flash film drying”. FlavorFlakes provide the tool for product developers to meet consumer demands for healthier and natural processed foods without taste compromise. The encapsulated flakes withstand harsh processing conditions and continue to deliver a fresh and unique flavor. The resulting flakes are truly encapsulated, and have a low water activity and moisture content. The combination of the flake, low water activity and moisture result in stability in freeze thaw, hot fill, and retort applications.