Sweetener Food Science Intern (Summer 2027)

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

Location: Bedford Park Idea Labs – Bedford Park, IL

Workplace type: Hybrid/On Site min 4 days/week

We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious student to join our R&D team for summer 2026! As the Sweetener Technical Service Intern, you will support progression of a research project related to nutritive sweeteners. The first will be to refresh a series of food/beverage formulations to produce on-trend finished products that effectively demonstrate ingredient functionality to our customers.  The second will be gathering and generating Sweetener ingredient characterization data to support customer technical inquiries. You will have the opportunity to learn about various sweeteners and their importance in finished foods, review food category trends and evaluate sensory characteristics of various formulations.  Leading formulations may be presented to customers and/or at trade shows during the summer.

What you will do:

• Operating analytical and food laboratory equipment safely and with little direct supervision to support project needs
• Maintaining a clean, safe work environment; following guidelines for GMP (good manufacturing practice), good housekeeping and safety (both food safety and personnel safety)
• Conducting searches on prior art (literature, internal and external prior work), and current technology including category market trends (Beverage, Baking, Dairy, Confectionery, Savory), and incorporating findings in appropriate formulations and data archive locations
• Presenting project status, updates, and outcomes to team and key partners
• Performing laboratory experiments including sensory analysis, conduct data analysis and interpret results to make recommendations to project team and support the project
• Documenting data in archiving databases and/or customer presentation formats as appropriate; effectively and professionally communicating results to project teams and partners
• Presenting research findings to management with recommendations for future projects at completion of internship period

What you will bring:

• Progress towards a Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field with prior laboratory experience.  Basic food formulation experience is a plus.
• Ability to work safely in a laboratory environment
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written technical communication skills, e.g. making presentations and writing technical data/reports
• Working knowledge of basic computer software applications such as MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).  Willingness to learn new database formats as needed

Who you are:

• Eager to explore careers in the food & beverage industry
• Ability to work collaboratively with peers and others
• Creative problem-solver with a continuous improvement mindset and adapt to changing priorities
• Proven ability to effectively organize and manage multiple projects, and deliver under agreed upon timelines

To be eligible for consideration, candidates must:

• Currently possess unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. Ingredion does not intend to sponsor work visas with respect to this position or to provide this position as OPT or CPT.
• Be a currently enrolled student in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program. If currently enrolled in an undergrad status, must have completed at least two years of coursework with status as a sophomore, junior or non-graduating senior.
• If you have completed your degree, please consider other opportunities with Ingredion, posted at ww.ingredion.com/careers.

Why Join Ingredion?

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exception rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

• Total Rewards Package – competitive hourly salary based on your degree program. Housing stipends offered to students relocating 51+ miles from the Ingredion work location
• Internship Program Events & Activities – programming catered toward career exploration, networking, and professional development - including the annual Capstone Summit at Ingredion HQ in Westchester, IL
• Intern Coaching Program – pairing with a mentor to coach development and integration in Ingredion’s culture
• Involvement in Ingredion’s Business Resource Groups – the conscience of the organization and an integral part to Ingredion’s Inclusion & Belonging strategy
• Employee Recognition Program – a culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

#wayup

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Ingredion uses AI-enabled tools to support parts of the recruitment process, including resume screening and interview scheduling. These tools help match candidate skills to job requirements and streamline communication. All AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable laws. By applying, you acknowledge that AI may be used to support your application journey.

Relocation Available:

Yes, Within Country

This pay rate is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with a competitive company match .