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

- DR. CLAIRE SAND

MEET THE TEAM

Dr Claire Sand

Dr. Swati Sood

Gissel “Gigi” Gravier 

Founder, Owner & Global Food Packaging Expert
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Katie Mahoney

PTR Team Marketing & Project Management Associate
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PTR Team Research
Consultant
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PTR Team Research
Consultant
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Dr. Claire Sand

Claire Sand is a Global Packaging Leader with 35+ years of broad experience in the food science and packaging spectrum. Sand's mission is to enable a more sustainable food system - with science and value chain innovations increase food shelf life and prevent food waste.
 
She leads cross-functional efforts, infuses innovative solutions, provides compelling business and technology strategies and business cases, and generates implementation roadmaps for the packaging and food industry.
 
Dr. Sand is Owner and Founder of Packaging Technology and Research, LLC and an Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University and CalPoly and Food Technology’s monthly Packaging columnist and a monthly contributor to Packaging Digest.

She is an IFT Fellow, Riester-Davis-Brody life-time achievement in food packaging award recipient, serves on numerous Editorial Boards, is the author of the Packaging Value Chain, and is cochair of pacfoodwaste.
 
Claire has held previous basic research, development market research, and marketing positions in Germany, Colombia, and Thailand and at Total Quality Marketing, Nestle, General Mills, Kraft, Safeway, and academia.

Dr. Sand holds a doctorate in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota and MS and BS in Packaging from Michigan State University.
​
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Respectful leadership in packaging

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

Current Affiliations
Owner and Founder

• Packaging Technology and Research, LLC.  Minneapolis, Minnesota.  

Adjunct Professor​

• Michigan State University.  E. Lansing, Michigan MS/PhD program
• California Polytechnic University (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, California

​Columnist

• Food Technology Packaging monthly column
• Packaging Digest, Food Packaging monthly column

       ​

  Leadership and Service
Recent Awards

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

Association Leadership

• SPRING, Advisory Board
• pac, Co-Chair Food Waste
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Reviewer
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Executive Board, Food Packaging Division
• Lifetime member of Phi Tau Sigma
• Strategic Relations & Chapter Affairs committee Phi Tau Sigma (food science honorary society)
• University of Minnesota Alumni Association and CFANS

Editorial Boards

• Packaging Science and Technology, John Wiley and Sons
• Critical Review in Food Science and Technology 
• Journal of Food Science ​​

 

Dr. Swati Sood
PTR Team Research Consultant

Paper technology expert dedicated to sustainable packaging solutions. A dynamic and innovative team member with 7+ years of invaluable hands-on experience in handling projects, concept creation, and visual conceptualization. As a research associate, she is equipped with the ability to escalate awareness about the importance of sustainable packaging by using skills gained in the industry and research.
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Gissel "Gigi" Gravier
PTR Team Research Consultant

Gigi is a chemical and food engineer driven to lead the industry toward sustainable, innocuous, and safe innovations and product developments. As a PTR research associate, and given her interest in food microbiology, functional foods, and new technologies,  Gigi is supporting our Essential Oils, Metal Ions, and Nanotechnology offering. ​​
​
Connect on LinkedIn > 

 

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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