Product Scientist Gio Decrepito hones his love for food to drive innovation and excellence in a pursuit to raise the bar — and the goodness in food.
At Maple Leaf Foods, our Purpose – Raising the Good in Food – isn’t abstract. It shows up in the important decisions, innovations, and deep care taken by people like Gio Decrepito, whose work bridges science, culture, and the food people bring home.
Now in his tenth year with Maple Leaf Foods, Gio started his career in food science with his eye on the prize: joining one of the most well-known food companies in the industry. His dream came to fruition when a connection within the company alerted him of an opening in one of our corporate laboratories. Gio was originally hired as a Quality Assurance (QA) Technician on a short contract and fortunately, thanks to strong, lasting connections, Gio was eventually hired in a full-time role which ignited his career journey in the food industry.
After the company made changes to open our London Poultry plant, Gio had the chance to find a new job within Maple Leaf Foods. That was when he discovered the Open Kitchen at our head office in Mississauga and says he was in awe: “I knew I wanted to work there one day.” Today, Gio leads the operations in our meat development Pilot Plant, just across the hall from Open Kitchen.
The Open Kitchen, as he explains, is a large room filled with ovens, stoves, and preparation stations where our corporate chefs can prepare meals for team members, try out new recipes, and experiment with culinary creations featuring products from our loved family of brands. The Pilot Plant is a smaller scale version of our plants where team members do product testing and sampling with new recipes.
In his current role, Gio supports cross-functional teams, like sales, marketing, and product development. His daily tasks are dynamic and involve planning, prepping ingredients, batching, blending products, and conducting specialized tests for products like Christmas hams and bacon. His work requires frequent communication with category product developers to ensure successful scale-up of products, proof of concept, and efficient use of resources.
Each day is different, exciting, and requires a great passion for food. It works out perfectly for Gio who says he loves working here because of the food. “I love bacon, so that was a pretty enticing reason to join. The reason I’ve stayed here so long is because the people I work with every day are so great… and the bacon is too!”
From concept and inception to store shelves and homes
In a role so closely tied to the food that’s at the core of our organization, it’s easy to see why Gio is a key player in our Purpose. “My role extends beyond just manufacturing food — it involves thoughtful research to create healthier, more nutritious products that bring value to our consumers. When we create new products, we’re focused on reducing fat and increasing protein, while being mindful of cultural preferences and health-conscious consumers.”
This commitment is reflected in innovations like the new Mighty Protein line of chicken sticks that have low calories, 0g of sugar, and 12g of complete protein. Gio feels pride in being involved in tasting and testing this new product ever since its inception. “It’s so rewarding to see Mighty Protein on store shelves knowing how far we’ve come and how involved I’ve been in the process of getting it from concept to reality!”
Another proud accomplishment was taking on a new partnership with Costco, producing their renowned food court hot dogs — ones that are known, loved, and reliably delicious. Costco hot dogs purchased in Canada are now produced by Maple Leaf Foods, a project that Gio worked on perfecting to capture the loved taste and texture of the iconic dog.
For Gio, living our Purpose means having a daily responsibility to enhance the goodness in food — whether at work or at home — while creating and providing meals that are not just good for himself, but are also shareable with others.
All for the love of food
Inspiring others to find the goodness in food means leading through example in everything he does. “What I do as a Product Scientist isn’t just about having the technical skills and the knowledge, but it's about having a passion and caring deeply about making good food.”
In his current role, Gio trains two students in both the Pilot Plant and Open Kitchen. It’s a chance to use his decade-long wealth of knowledge to teach the next generation why the joy of food expands well beyond the kitchen. Because the products we produce touch the lives of people far and wide — with brands like Schneiders®, Mina®, and Maple Leaf® playing a key role in gatherings and celebrations that shape the lives of Canadians.
So, after all this talk about bacon… what’s Gio’s favourite product from our family of brands? “I love our Schneiders Thick Cut Maple Bacon, of course. I’m pretty simple in how I prepare it, I justsear it on the stove top until it gets to the perfect crisp. When it comes to bacon, I don't like mine to be too overcooked that it gets crispy and brittle, or too undercooked that it’s slightly raw and chewy. I’ve learned how to achieve the perfect crisp and still have some meaty parts.”
And for most people, Gio included, bacon is best enjoyed in the mornings. He pairs his with sunny side up eggs and garlic fried rice — coming from a Filipino background, rice is a key part to many meals. “The sweet and savoury combination of fried rice and maple bacon goes so well together!”
Gio’s journey in food science reminds us that striving for excellence in food manufacturing isn’t just about having the skills to execute — it’s also about caring deeply, collaborating openly, and making a positive effort to Raise the Good in Food every day.
