From farm to food science: alumna's journey to patenting America's beloved comfort food

It may take you back to your childhood: a bowl of warm, brightly colored cheesy noodles often seen as comfort food for many. The Kraft Heinz Company product sells over one million boxes a day, and Purdue food science alumna Bridget McClatchey has a patent tied to this blue box with her name on it.

"If someone had told me years ago that I would have a patent with my name on it for one of the most recognizable brands in America, I probably wouldn't have believed them,” said McClatchey. “But thanks to my start at Purdue in the food science program, my dream has come true."

A love for food from the start

Born and raised on a farm in Morocco, Indiana, McClatchey says that food was always important to her. "I’ve always had a passion and interest for food. Growing up, I loved baking, cooking, and making things from scratch, largely due to my mom and grandma,” she said.

With a mom who was a family and consumer sciences teacher and a dad who was a farmer, McClatchey says the hard work needed to produce the food we all eat was something that she experienced and appreciated firsthand.

What she didn't know at the time was all the steps it took to get food from the farmer to the shelves at the local grocery store. "I experienced firsthand the work that went into farmers growing raw commodities. What I didn't know was what happened after that. How does it get processed? How does the supply chain work? I couldn't see the whole picture yet, just the start," McClatchey said.

Finding her fit at Purdue

McClatchey was a recipient of a Lilly Endowment Scholarships which provides recipients tuition for any college in Indiana.  McClatchey decided upon Purdue University because of her family’s legacy and because of all of the options it provides.

“Finding my fit at Purdue in my studies took me a while. I knew I had an interest in science and math-related fields. I also had a passion for nutrition because of personal issues I had experienced with food and learning to eat healthy. It was   when I took Food Science 101, that I had my ‘‘aha’ moment," she said.

That course also helped her discover that her background, skills and desire to do good for the world could all be achieved in food science. "It was a blend of everything I wanted," she said.

McClatchey applied for a food science internship, and was selected as an intern for Land O'Lakes, Inc. Not only did the internship provide her with real-world experience in the food science sector, but the company offered her a full-time job in Minnesota upon graduation.

McClatchey looks back with fond memories from her time at Purdue.

"My time at Purdue was filled with rich experiences and a strong community. I was involved in many things—everything from the food science club to work experience in Dr. Weavers' nutritional studies lab. I was also able to be a part of Purdue Student Government, Alpha Xi Delta sorority, and served as a fitness instructor at the recreation center. My time at Purdue prepared me not only for my career but also helped me grow as a person." 

Stepping into the world of food science

After graduation, McClatchey worked full-time as a food scientist in the processed cheese division with Land O’Lakes, Inc. in Minnesota. Over the next seven and a half years here, she completed her master's degree at the University of Minnesota in food chemistry with a specialization in nutrition and carbohydrates.

"Land O’Lakes was a great place to begin my career, but I decided I would like to be closer to my family if possible. And as luck would have it a close friend from graduate school had just started at Kraft Foods and encouraged me to apply and join her in Chicago.”      

She was offered a position as a food scientist in Kraft’s meals division. "In many ways, moving to Kraft was a win-win. I was able to be closer to friends and family and work with a company with so many brands and many opportunities. I came in and started working on blue box mac and cheese, a pretty iconic brand to jump into," McClatchey says

A pivot into working for one of the world's most iconic food brands

McClatchey's initial role with Kraft, which soon became Kraft Heinz, was a product development position, mainly working in meals. She calls it one of her "right time and place moments."

"I was assigned to work on the Kraft macaroni and cheese, so blue box," she said. "There was a lot of talk directed at Kraft Heinz because blue boxes, which are primarily served to kids, have yellow 5 and 6 dyes in them. "Her team was tasked to replace the artificial dyes with natural ones.                           

Their challenge was the product needed to look and taste the same. "We could not sacrifice on the iconic, bright orange/neon color or the taste for these ingredients,” McClatchey notes.

The project took more than four years of hard work with many days spent working in the lab  to find a solution that would remove the dyes but maintain this iconic brand's flavor and color profile. "There was a lot of effort put into this and tons of consumer testing because we wouldn't launch something unless it met the metrics. No pressure on a project like this, right? There are so many things that can go wrong, and as a side note, many things did go wrong. There was a point where I remember practically living at the production plant. We wanted to put a product out there where people wouldn't even notice a difference," she said.

In what the Kraft Heinz marketing team deemed the world's largest blind taste test, they planned to launch the product without telling their consumers to see if they noticed the change. After six months, if they did not get complaints that the product looked or tasted different, they would consider it an achievement.

"People didn't notice the change, so that was the core of the marketing campaign, using the hashtag #didntnotice, McClatchey said.

Not only was the product launch successful for Kraft Heinz, but it was something for which McClatchey received several notable accolades. McClatchey's name is on the US Patent 11,980,203 B2. Team members received the 2016 R&D Team of the Year award from Food Processing Magazine. McClatchey and another colleague were also recognized with the 2025 Global Patent Award from Kraft Heinz, which was recognized as the most notable/impactful patent for Kraft Heinz awarded in 2024.

"Getting a patent was always something that I wanted to achieve,” McClatchey said. “Getting a patent for something as well-known as Kraft blue box macaroni and cheese was a dream come true."

Harkening back to her days at Purdue, she recalls being pulled into food science with a desire to do good. "I have always been passionate about working on projects that I feel good about, and this was one that I was excited to be a part of. In my opinion, there's no reason we need those artificial colors if we can get the same color and taste with it," she said. 

A full circle moment

After her time working with the “blue box” product, McClatchey moved into what is called the "fuzzy front end/disruptive innovation." She explains that these are generally groundbreaking projects that will hopefully disrupt the food industry.

"On that team, I was able to work on a joint venture with Oprah Winfrey with a wide portfolio including frozen entrees, frozen breakfast sandwiches, and refrigerated soups and sides. That role opened my eyes to other opportunities in food science and how these foods get to consumers," she said.

Crediting Kraft Heinz for having many opportunities for people to grow and develop within their organization, she has now transitioned into supply chain operations, where she is utilizing her food science background and serving as a conduit between the business and production sites. McClatchey has found that working with people in the production sites takes her back to her farming roots.

“Our production people are phenomenal. They are hard-working people with a passion for what they make,” McClatchey said. “It feels like the same passion I saw from my dad, grandparents and other farmers around me.  There is a whole new appreciation for food when you understand the passion and work that went into getting it from farm to table.” As McClatchey reflects on everything that brought her to where she is today, she is thankful for all that led her to a career in food science and the strong foundation that Purdue provided.