Ranim found her professional direction in the laboratory

Adhesion, hardness and solidification point. Ranim Alkusa has worked with several of the key analyses that ensure the quality of ProCera® cheese wax.

And in her day-to-day work in the laboratory, she has not only gained insight into the processes – she has also discovered what she is passionate about professionally.

- I didn't actually know that development was something for me. But testing, evaluating and finding solutions turned out to be so exciting. You learn something new all the time, she says.

When analysis and development go hand in hand

In Procudan's laboratory, Ranim has been involved in finding solutions when recipes had to be adapted to new raw materials. The work has required both precision and professional curiosity – and, not least, the ability to think independently and find your way in something that does not have a right answer in advance.

- It has been a completely different way of working than I was used to from my studies. Here, you have to ask questions yourself and help assess what works. But I have never been left alone with anything, because we are a strong team that always finds a solution together, she says.

Her work during the internship has been part of the overall analysis environment surrounding ProCera® cheese wax, where different methods are used to document and optimise the properties of the wax. Whereas the assessment was previously based largely on the experience of the dairy technicians, it is now possible to support the senses with data from a wide range of analyses.

For Ranim, this has given her a concrete understanding of how data and practical experience go hand in hand – both when quality needs to be documented and when existing solutions need to be further developed.

Moving forward with direction and experience

Ranim's internship ends with a project that was submitted before Christmas. 30 January is her last day at Procudan.

The programme is a 2½-year laboratory technician programme at UC SYD in Esbjerg, Denmark, where the internship at Procudan has been part of the overall programme.