"Let's move toward a balanced food industry with
less food waste & ​more sustainable packaging"

- DR. CLAIRE SAND

Dr. Claire Sand

Founder, Owner & Global Food Packaging Expert

Claire Sand is a Global Packaging Leader with 30+ years of broad experience in the food science and packaging spectrum. She leads food packaging efforts involving packaging solutions to food waste and more sustainable packaging, as well as provides compelling technology business cases and implementation roadmaps to ease the path of innovative technologies. 
​
Seasoned expert witness who has supported food packaging-related legal cases with expert reports, declarations, and depositions.

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MEET THE TEAM

Sonali Raghunath

PTR Team Packaging Research Associate
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Dr. Juhi Patel

PTR Team Product Engineer Associate
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Katie Mahoney

PTR Team Marketing & Project Management Associate
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Dr. Claire Sand

Claire Sand is a Global Packaging Leader with 30+ years of broad experience in the food science and packaging spectrum. She leads food packaging efforts involving packaging solutions to food waste and more sustainable packaging, as well as provides compelling technology business cases and implementation roadmaps to ease the path of innovative technologies. Dr. Sand is Owner and Founder of Packaging Technology and Research, LLC and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University and CalPoly as well as Food Technology’s monthly Packaging columnist.

She is an IFT Fellow, serves on numerous Editorial Boards, is the author of the Packaging Value Chain, and is cochair of pacfoodwaste. Claire has held previous positions in basic research, development market research, and marketing in Germany, Colombia, and Thailand and at Total Quality Marketing, Nestle, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Mariano's, and in academia.

Dr. Sand holds a doctorate degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota and MS and BS in Packaging from Michigan State University. 
 
Current Affiliations
Owner and Founder
Expert Witness

• Packaging Technology and Research, LLC .  Stillwater, Minnesota.  1996-​

Adjunct Professor

• University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Curriculum development and teaching, 2019-
• Michigan State University.  E. Lansing, Michigan MS/PhD program, 2007-
• California Polytechnic University (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, California MS program, 2017-

Columnist

• Food Technology Packaging monthly column, 2015-          

Leadership and Service
Recent Awards

• Riester-Davis-Brody award for Lifetime achievement in food packaging, 2020
• Fellow, Institute of Food Technologists, 2017

Association Leadership

• pac, Co-Chair Food Waste, 2018-
• IUFoST, Chair of Global Food Packaging Curricula, 2016-
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Higher Education Review Board (HERB), 2014-
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Executive Board, Food Packaging Division, 1990-
• Lifetime member of Phi Tau Sigma
• Strategic Relations & Chapter Affairs committee Phi Tau Sigma (food science honorary society), 2014-
• University of Minnesota Alumni Association and CFANS, 1992-

​Editorial Boards

• Packaging Science and Technology, John Wiley and Sons, Editorial Board, 2004-
• Critical Review in Food Science and Technology, Editorial Board 2019-
• Journal of Food Science, Editorial Board, 2014-

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Respectful leadership in packaging

To view Dr. Claire Sand's resume, click here
     

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Sonali Raghunath
PTR Team Packaging Research Associate

Strong scientist whose ability to merge science with packaging, Sonali Raghunath concentrates on food engineering, food packaging, dairy science, and food protein and her research helps PTR clients explore optimal packaging techniques. Currently based in Minnesota and a University of Minnesota in the Food Science and Nutrition Department Ph.D. student, Raghunath holds a MS degree in food science from University of Minnesota with a bachelor degree from Anna University.
Notable Recognitions include:

• AWARD: Feeding tomorrow General graduate scholarship award 2019, Feeding tomorrow – Scholarship America​
• AWARD: 1st place for Ocean spray product development team, University of Minnesota, 2019 Food Science and Nutrition fellowship award 2018​
• AWARD: Diwan Bahadur Narasimya Endowment Award, outstanding performance, Anna University" – 2018​

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Dr Juhi Patel
PTR Team Product Engineer

Dr. Juhi Patel holds a doctorate degree in Food Engineering from the Washington State University and has amassed seven years of research and development experience. She leverages food packaging formats and materials as well as thermal & non-thermal food processing to extend food shelf life. Her project work has focused on determining optimal high barrier packaging for patented Microwave-Assisted Thermal Sterilization (MATS) technology to extend the shelf life of ready to eat meals. Other project work includes upcycling post-harvest losses into viable food products. Dr. Patel also holds an M.S. degree in Agriculture Processing and Food Engineering from A.M.U. India and B.S. degree in Biotechnology from the Banasthali University, India.

Notable Recognitions include:

• AWARD: Arnie & Marta Kegel Endowed Fellowship, 2019
• AWARD: Outstanding Graduate Student, Puget Sound- Institute of Food Technologists (PSIFT), 2019
• AWARD: 3rd Place, Graduate Research Competition, Food Packaging division, Institute of Food Technologists (I.F.T.), 2018

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Katie Mahoney
PTR Team Marketing & Project Management Associate

Marketing expert and project manager focused on projects that impact the bottom line. A "roll up your sleeves and get it done" team player with vast experience in leveraging data for project success, as a consultant she helps ensure PTR deliverables are clear and concise.

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