A Day with Dr. Andrea García Sánchez: Inside Mexico’s Hub of Food Innovation in Juriquilla

A Day with Dr. Andrea García Sánchez: Inside Mexico’s Hub of Food Innovation in Juriquilla

Nestled among the quiet hills and modern research parks of Juriquilla, a suburb of Querétaro, stands one of the region’s most advanced food science laboratories. It’s here that I met Dr. Andrea García Sánchez, a food scientist whose daily mission is to push the boundaries of taste, nutrition, and food science for a global innovation company serving markets across Latin America and beyond.

The morning sunlight pours through the glass façade of the pilot plant as Andrea welcomes me with a warm smile — and the faint aroma of freshly baked bread.

Dr. Andrea García Sánchez at her bright, modern food innovation lab in Juriquilla, wearing a white lab coat, writing her findings and thoughts in a research notebook.

“We’re testing a new natural emulsifier for clean-label bakery products,” she explains, guiding me to a workbench filled with samples, pipettes, and temperature monitors. “It has to improve shelf life, texture, and mouthfeel, all while keeping ingredient lists shorter and more sustainable.”

A technician slides a tray of muffins across the counter. Andrea cuts one open and observes the crumb structure.

“See how uniform that is?” she says. “That’s what a perfectly balanced emulsion looks like.”

Samples of bakery items arranged neatly for taste and quality testing.

Her mornings usually start this way — hands-on experimentation, testing formulations for plant-based beverages, low-fat dressings, and sugar-reduced dairy desserts. The goal is always the same: make great-tasting food that’s also good for you.

By 10:00 a.m., she’s in a virtual meeting with colleagues from Brazil, Denmark, and Singapore. The conversation flows in a mix of English, Portuguese, and Spanish as they discuss regional regulations, supply chain challenges, and ingredient functionality.

“We’re exploring how consumers perceive creaminess across cultures,” Andrea tells them. “In Latin America, mouthfeel expectations are very different from Europe or Asia.”

The discussion sparks laughter and exchange of sensory data charts. “We’re like culinary detectives,” she later tells me. “Every texture, every aroma tells a story about culture.”

After lunch, Andrea walks me to the application lab, where stainless steel machines hum softly. Today, her team is working with a local yogurt manufacturer to reduce sugar by 25% without compromising taste.

“We’re using our proprietary enzyme and emulsifier systems,” she explains, showing a test sample. “They help replicate sweetness perception naturally.”

Her passion is contagious. Every question leads to a new explanation of how science meets creativity in her daily work.

A small tasting of sample beverages, yogurts, or baked goods.

“Food is emotional,” she reflects. “Our science shapes that emotion. Whether someone is enjoying a cappuccino in Mexico City or a smoothie in Buenos Aires, we’re helping brands deliver joy with better nutrition.”

By late afternoon, Andrea reviews stability data and writes a report for her regional R&D team. Before leaving, she films a short internal video summarizing today’s experiment — part of a company-wide initiative to share innovation stories.

As we step outside, the golden hour light spreads over Juriquilla’s quiet streets. Andrea pauses, smiling.

Sunset is near in Juriquilla, Querétaro — and the day is almost done, but writing reports of the daily activities is essential.

“I love that our work here in Mexico reaches people around the world,” she says. “Juriquilla may look peaceful, but inside these labs — there’s a revolution happening in food.”

And indeed, inside Mexico’s Hub of Food Innovation in Juriquilla, there is.