Short presentation

I'm professor in Food Structure Engineering, and my field of research is understanding how molecular properties and interactions determine final product quality. My focus is on the texture and microstructure of dairy products.

Primary fields of research

• Milk protein functionality
• Modification of functional properties using enzymatic or other treatments
• Gelation and interfacial properties
• Rheology and microstructure of dairy products
• Acid milk gels
• Interactions between milk proteins and exopolysaccharides (EPS)
• Interactions of milk proteins with other food proteins
• Cheese functionality (melting)
• How food structure affects satiety

Current research

Ongoing PhD projects:

• Lykke Andersen: Understanding stabilizer functionality in soft-drink concentrates. Industrial PhD project with the company CoRo Foods.
• Ruifen Li: Understanding and controlling protein ingredient-milk component interactions during processing (Bespoke). Part of a larger project involving DTU, SDU, Arla Foods Ingredientsand  Arla Foods amba. Financed by the Chinese government and the Danish Dairy Research Foundation
• Adel Alturki: Drug Delivery Using Food Grade Protein Nanotubes. Together with KU-Pharma. Financed by the Saudi Arabian Government.

Other ongoing projects

• Richard Ipsen (project manager): StrucSat - How food structure affects satiety. Collaboration with Department of Nutrition, Sports and Excercise (KU), Department og Biology (KU), Danish Technical University (DTU), Institute of Food Reserach (Norwich, UK), National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (Norway), DuPont and Arla Food Ingredients. Financed by The Danish Council for Strategic Research.
• Richard Ipsen: HAPFAM - Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African markets, Participant and work package leader in WP2 on Functionality of protein fractions and protein mixtures. Financed by The Danish Council for Strategic Research.

• Xiaolu Geng: Multifunctional Dried Cheese in Powder Form for Clean Label Food Products. Industrial post doc project with Lactosan A/S.

• Denise Felix da Silva: Cheese Powder as a functional ingredient in complex food matrices. Industrial post doc project with Lactosan A/S

• Richard Ipsen (participant): Whey protein alginate complexes, WPAC. A project based at DTU, and involving Lund University, Norwegian Technical University as well as other parftners from KU.

Teaching

Course responsible for the following courses:

• Dairy Product Technology 1

In addition involved in:

• Molecular and functional properties of milk
• Dyrs ernæring og præstation

Supervision of  >150 B Sc and M Sc students, almost all in collaboration with industry.

Supervision of PhD students: 17 in total, 3 at present, co-supervision of 8 PhD students

Participation and management of tailor-made courses for industry

CV

Education

1982: MSc, Dairy Technology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, DK

Employments

2010: Professor (with special responsibilities) in Food Structure Engineering from 1st March 2010. Research group leader, Dairy Technology from 1st February 2010 and from November 2010 - March 2011 Acting Head of Department, Department of Food Science

2001- Permanent position as associate professor, Dairy Technology, Department of Food Science, KVL (merged 2007 with University of Copenhagen as the Faculty of Life Sciences)

1999-01 Associate professor, Department of Dairy and Food Science, KVL

1996-99 Research assistant professor, Department of Dairy and Food Science, KVL

1991-95 Associate professor, Department of Dairy and Food Science, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL), Frederiksberg, DK

1990-1991: Head of Department, Dept. of Product and Food Technology, Danish Meat Trade College, Roskilde, DK

1985-1989: Researcher, Dept. of Product Technology, Government Research Institute for the Dairy Industry, Hillerød, DK

1983-1985: Associate Expert, FAO`s Regional Dairy Training Centre, Naivasha, Kenya.

1982-1983: Compulsory military service (Civil defence force)

Knowledge of languages