Maaike Renssen

As a product developer, Maaike Renssen works on products from start to finish. It starts with an idea on paper, which she then works up into a fully fledged potato product in the lab.

“In the morning, I pick up peeled potatoes from the factory and take them back to my lab, where I experiment with sauces and herbs, depending on the product. Afterwards, I go to production to package them, which involves reheating and cooling down the product. We do everything we can to ensure that samples go through the same process as all other products.”

"The product is assessed and subjected to lots of other tests, because just a single test won’t do. It often takes at least 6 months before newly developed products are finally launched.”

“It started out as a summer job through my dad."

“I’ve never lost my enthusiasm for Aviko since, and I’m very happy to be a product developer now. The job is a very challenging one and my manager is always ready to point me in the direction of a new challenge, so I’m always developing and growing. On top of that, the atmosphere here is just great. Everyone has the down-to-earth attitude that’s so typical of the Achterhoek region.

My favorite moment is when you find out that the product you produced turns out just as you thought it would. In January, I launched sweet potato chunks. Orange is my favorite color, so I loved seeing the whole factory turn orange."

On top of that, the technical aspects of this product were a lot of fun.”