Sixteen PhD students from 12 European countries were selected to present their research at this event. The projects focus on the engineering of innovative food products as well as process engineering, with a special emphasis on projects which are relevant for the industry.
The global food industry faces an enormous challenge: By 2050, almost 10 billion people will have to be fed in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way, Bühler said. In order to achieve this, various issues need to be addressed, among them the industrial processing of alternative protein sources such as algae or insects, the development of new and innovative food products, implementing highest food safety standards across the entire value chain or reducing food and feed losses.
“These challenges can no longer be solved by any company alone, but require a coordinated effort by the global food industry and the best researchers,” Ian Roberts, chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bühler. “With the 10th European PhD Workshop on Food Engineering and Technology, Bühler aims to provide a platform to bring together the best young European researchers in the field of Food Engineering and to strengthen the collaboration between leading industry players and academia.”
For the first time this year, Bühler will award the Bühler Food Engineering Award to a selected researcher. This award will complement the Julius Maggi Research Award sponsored by Nestlé.
“We look forward to the opportunity to discuss pressing issues for the food industry with a great consortium of experts from academia and industry,” said Erika Georget, project engineer at Bühler and co-chair of the workshop. “Bühler is proud to be able to host this important event for the second year in a row.”
Food Engineering professors from European universities and representatives from industry partners like Bühler, Nestlé, Barilla, Givaudan and General Mills will evaluate the presentations and award the Julius Maggi Research Award and the Bühler Food Engineering Award. Both awards are valued at €2,500.
“Over the past 10 years, the European PhD workshops have constantly improved in terms of scientific quality as well as diversity and international experience of the candidates,” said Dietrich Knorr, co-chair of the event and chairman of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) Section on Food. “The European PhD Workshop is a unique opportunity for students to present their work but also for the audience to get an overview about what is currently going on at the best European research institutes.”
The 10th European PhD Workshop on Food Engineering and Technology is hosted by Bühler’s Corporate Technology Group in collaboration with the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) and the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE). Every year, this event brings together the best PhD students from all over Europe. PhD candidates in Food Engineering and Technology can submit their research projects on any subject at the interface of food and engineering. More information about this event is available onwww.phdfoodworkshop.com.
