Food SommelierDiscover the Taste of Good Health

The Food Sommelier is Annette Hottenstein, a professional taste tester (aka Sensory Scientist) and Registered Dietitian(RD) from Baltimore, MD.

As a sensory scientist, I utilize the 5 senses of taste, touch, sight, smell and sound to figure out what people like to eat and drink. It may sound simple, but sensory scientists utilize a rigid scientific process and also have broad expertise in sensory physiology, food chemistry, consumer psychology, and advanced statistics. Prior to starting The Food Sommelier, I worked for Pepsi Cola and and McCormick spices.

For over 15 years, I worked in the food industry consuming thousands of “delicacies” such as snack chips, shelf stable pastries and chicken nuggets for the benefit of selling more processed foods. Several years ago my waistline started growing as well as my conscience. So I decided to transform myself into “The Food Sommelier” to better utilize my skills as a Sensory Scientist to promote healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

What I don’t do?

Since I commonly get this question, I need to clarify that I do not work with children that have Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) and/or those with autism. Sensory scientists have a background in food science and typically work in food industry developing food and beverage products for those with normal sensory function