Photo credit: U.S. Wheat Associates.
Adrian Redondo, who joined U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) in 2019 as a baking technologist in the USW Manila Office, grew up in the Philippines and graduated from the University of the Philippines. Redondo and his wife are raising two children in Manila. He and the inspiration for his career supporting bakers and flour millers was inspired by a pioneering food technologist who also became a war hero in the Philippines.
In other words, Redondo’s roots are deeply Filipino.
Yet, “Ady” has a very global approach and perspective to his role at USW.
“What I do on behalf of U.S. wheat farmers and the U.S. wheat industry is work to help bakers and help millers understand how to use each of the six classes of U.S. wheat and show them all of the advantages of each class,” said Redondo, who also works frequently in Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in South and Southeast Asia. “The important thing about U.S. Wheat’s team of technologists is that we interact, and we can share ideas and information with each other. Every region and every country have preferences and needs. So, I have acquired knowledge about how wheat is used all over the world.”
As part of the ongoing USW feature aimed at getting to know USW technologists around the world, Redondo recently sat down for a quick “Question and Answer” session.
If you were meeting someone for the first time, how would you describe your job in one minute?
On the bakery side, my job is to educate bakers and end use manufacturers – those people who use flour – how to make high-quality baked products, noodles, pasta, cookies, even fried chicken, everything that has flour in it, about how to use quality flour that is milled from U.S. wheat. For the millers, what I do is try to encourage them to use wheat from the U.S. to produce quality flour. I interact with both millers and bakers, sometimes separately, but most of the time in activities such as seminars and events. We help them by producing solutions that bridge the gap between mill profitability and churning out excellent quality flour and what the baker needs to create a quality product. So, what we do is to make them understand each other on how to produce superior quality products from the baker’s end and good quality flour that makes money for the millers at the same time.
Looking back to your younger self, what led you on the path to this career?
I became a food technologist because one of my hometown heroes was a food technologist that became a hero during World War II. I learned about Maria Orosa in elementary school. She was from the same hometown as my mother and was considered the Philippines’ first female food scientist. She invented a special oven to help families bake without access to electricity and developed recipes for local produce, including a banana ketchup formulation that became a favorite Filipino condiment and cooking ingredient. Orosa also used her knowledge of food technology to help save prisoners in World War II by inventing soyalac, a protein-rich powder from local ingredients. She was a hero during that time because she made meals from scraps or whatever was available. She used here skills and knowledge to help feed people, and I was inspired by her work.
And that interest continued in college? How did that evolve into your job at USW?
Yes, when I stepped into college, I pursued the role of being a food technologist to be just like Maria Orosa. And after graduating, my role found its way into baking. One of my earliest jobs was as a baking technician for a yeast company, and then eventually I worked for a baking ingredient company. And that is where I met Gerry Mendoza, who eventually recruited me into going to U.S. Wheat.
My job has always been aligned with baking, from being a technical person, involved in technical support. That includes doing research and development for a company that supplies Dunkin’ Donuts, as well as selling baking ingredients and being a technical sales representative. I stayed in touch with Gerry and he told me there was an opening at U.S. Wheat that would allow me to bake and help others in baking. I shared my resume and found my way to U.S. Wheat. It turns out to be everything that was promised.
Speaking of your job, what are three things you value most about being a USW Baking Technologist?
The three aspects of my job I value most are that it is: first, purpose-driven work – I get to help support global food systems and U.S. wheat farmers. Second, I value the impact my job has on bakers, and seeing small bakeries grow after receiving USW training and support. The third thing is professional development. I get to learn from respected industry leaders and collaborating with a supportive Southeast Asia team, longtime professionals like Roy Chung and Gerry. As mentioned previously, it is also rewarding to work alongside USW technical staff from other parts of the world.
Your roots are in the Philippines, and you are raising a family there. Are they interested in baking, too?
My wife, Cathy, and I have two kids. Right now, they both love karate and music. They are typical kids, but everyone is incredibly supportive of my hectic travel schedule.
One last question, which is fitting for a baking technologist who travels frequently. If you were to be stranded in an airport somewhere in the world for one week and could have access to only one baked good for the duration, what would it be and why?
That’s a pretty easy question to answer. I would choose pandesal, which is a versatile, slightly sweet Filipino bread. You can eat it by itself or use it for sandwiches. It is important that the pandesal be made with 12% to 14% protein U.S. hard red spring (HRS) wheat. I think that will get me through the days.
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