A La Carte Connections was established in 2010 as a way to help start up entrepreneurs and established food companies bring their products to market.
A La Carte takes on projects in all food spaces, including plant based, meat based, natural, clean label (or complicated labels if you prefer!), confections, keto, low carb, high carb, high or low protein or if you simply want to sell just air!
We help you navigate and solve your technical challenges from bench-top through finished production.
Our Team
Our skilled team members are at the center of our success. We are dedicated to providing you with exceptional culinary solutions that will surpass your expectations. Discover the difference our team can make for your business.

A Certified Food Scientist (IFT) and Certified Culinary Scientist (RCA). Experience and advanced degrees in both food science and culinary arts. Rachel has a BS in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts, an MS degree in Food Microbiology from the University of Illinois and a culinary arts degree from the New York Restaurant School/Art Institute. Rachel has been working in the food industry for 29 years in both technical and creative roles. In addition to running A La Carte Connections , Rachel teaches food science and technology at San Francisco State University, inspiring future students to go down the food science path.

Sohail earned his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry but was more interested in a food innovation career. He spent 5 months interning at A La Carte Connections, then worked at Impossible Foods as a product development technician, and has now returned to A La Carte Connections to head up R&D projects. Sohail has a background in formulating keto products, plant based meat analogues and beverages. He brings creativity and discipline to the team.

As lead R&D Transition manager- Jaime oversees the external/contract manufacturing operations, distribution partners and manages partner relationships. He also assists in translating products from the bench to manufacturing.
Michael has dedicated his career to helping organizations succeed. He is certified in food safety, continuous improvement and earned his degree in biology from the University of Oregon.

Tiffany is a recent Nutrition graduate from San Francisco State, and is interning at A La Carte Connections while getting her online MS degree in food safety. Tiffany assists the team with prototype making, setting up sensory analysis and creating shelf life study protocols.

Rachel Zemser Food Scientist and Founder of A La Carte Connections, LLC
- Certified Culinary Scientist | Research Chefs Association
- Adjunct Professor of Food Science | San Fransisco State University
- Certified Food Scientist | Institute of Food Technologists
- Contributing Author | “Culinology” The Intersection of Culinary Arts and Food Science




2023 Insights and News-by Rachel & The A La Carte Team

Discover The Future of Wellness at Supply Side West Trade Show in Las Vegas October 23-27 2023
Excitement is building in the world of wellness and nutrition as the annual SupplySide…
Contact Us
We look forward to speaking with you about your food science needs. Please fill out the form below and we will get back to you with a calendar link to set up a time to speak with us!