Dairy Technology

Milk is a good example of a material that can be manipulated in terms of texture and composition into various food products ranging from cheese to yoghurt. At the Department of Food Science this field is directed by Richard Holstein Ipsen (Professor of Food Structure Engineering). The group of Richard Ipsen has conducted research concerning subjects like the structure and texture of yoghurts (for example function of exo-poly-saccharides produced by the acidifying bacterial culture) and the role of the structure of food in relationship to satiety.the group of Ipsen has lately taken up the subject of alternative formulations of this product omitting so-called emulsifying salts (phosphates).Within Dairy technology there are additionally activities related to processing of milk lead by Professor Lilia Arné. Generally, colloidal aspects of milk are central for designing processing operations, such as filtering and water removal.

Molecular Food Science

Molecular Food Science is part of the Ingredient and Dairy section. This research group embraces activities of food chemistry, food material science, meat science, and plant biochemistry. The food chemistry activities focus on chemical reaction in heterogeneous food materials, such as oxidation in dense emulsion systems and transportation of chemical events over microscopic boundaries. Traditionally, there have been strong activities on decomposing biological material, such as meat and plant material, into new ingredients. Such decomposition and purification is often based on colloidal principles. Since September 2019, Poul Erik Jensen is new professor of plant based food biochemistry. Together with a major supplier of fat ingredients a project was conducted on establishing the colloidal basis for making ice cream using liquid oil rather than solid fats. The subject of colloidal aspects of lactic acid and gut microbiology has been taken up in a series of research project, e.g., the EU FP7 ITN network Bibafoods, where focus lies on encapsulation of bacteria using colloidal concepts. These activities were conducted with the Section of Food Microbiology and Fermentation, where focus is on understanding gut microbiology and digestion. With the hiring of Associate Professor Jakob Kirkensgaard, activities have been initiated on using small angle X-ray and neutron scattering for the study of food materials.

Design and Consumer Behavior

Research is this area concerns sensory science, food innovation, flavor, culinary science, and gastrophysics. The section plans to expand the research into sensory implications of heterogeneous food structured on the colloidal scale, specifically how in relation to perception of droplets and particles in food. Controlling the relationship between texture properties of the food and eating experience relies on a thorough understanding of both the perceptual system and the dynamics that occur as food is being consumed. It also extends beyond ingestion, mastication, and deglutition, as the structure of food can affect the longer term satiety and absorption of nutrients from the food. In addition, the interplay and interaction between different senses can be used to optimize perceived texture, such as ‘creaminess’. The section also hosts a GastroScienceLab allowing for close collaboration between scientists, chefs, and gastronomic innovators. Its associated interdisciplinary activities include public outreach programs, e.g., involving communication about colloid and interface science and its important for food, cooking, gastronomy, and culinary innovation.

1. 3P – Personalised foods for hospital patients by food printing (PI: Lilia Ahrne, UCPH coordinator)

2. Non-thermal processing of milk: Effects on macromolecules and consequences for functionality (PI: Lilia Ahrne UCPH coordinator, PhD project)

3. Technological solutions to extend the shelf-life of milk concentrates as alternative to milk powders ( PI: Lilia Ahrne UCPH coordinator, PhD project)

4. Dairy concentrates – tailoring composition and properties (PI: Lilia Ahrne UCPH coordinator, Shyam Suwal)

5. Structuring dairy proteins by shear (PI:Lilia Ahrne UCPH coordinator, PhD project)

6. Designed dairy snack structures with improved calcium bioavailability (PI: Lilia Ahrne UCPH coordinator, PhD project)

7. GELCOOK - The mechanism behind formation of cookable milk gels, MFF (PI: Lilia Ahrne UCPH coordinator, PhD project)

8. Impact of processing conditions on properties of milk infant formula (PI: Lilia Ahrne,UCPH, visiting PhD student)

9. Multifunctional Dried Cheese in Powder Form for Clean Label Food Products (PI: Richard Ipsen, industrial postdoc w Lactosan)

10. Cheese Powder as a functional ingredient in complex food matrices (PI: Richard Ipsen, industrial postdoc w Lactosan)

11. Bespoke fermented dairy products; new strategies for understanding and controlling protein ingredient-milk component interactions during processing (PI: Richard Ipsen, collaboration with Arla, DTU and SDU)

12. STRUCSAT - How structure affects satiety (PI: Richard Ipsen, Collaboration with  DTU, Dept. of Biology at KU, NEXS KU, Arla and DuPont)

13. Drug Delivery Using Food Grade Protein Nanotubes (PI: Richard Ipsen, collaboration with Pharma, KU)

14. Understanding stabilizer functionality in soft-drink concentrates (PI: Richard Ipsen, sort of on-going, she will defend in September 2019. Collaboration with CoRo Food)

15. WPAC – Whey Protein Alginate Complexes (PI: Richard Ipsen, DTU led project)

16. Efficient yoghurt powder drying and reconstitution. (PI: Anni Hougaard)

17. Carotenoid formulations to be used as natural colorants in water-based applications (PI: Ch. Hansen)

18. FOODENGINE - EU, Marie Curie (PI: Karsten Olsen/Åsmund Rinnan ITN/UCPH 4 PhD’s especially the one on colloidal stability of oat drinks,)

19. Texture sensitivity: Early development of oral food texture preferences in children (PI: UCPH, Arla Foods)

20. Oral food texture preferences among Asian and Caucasian consumers (PI: UCPH, Arla Foods)

21. Functional Characterisation of Carbohydrate Taste (PI:UCPH, Deakin University – currently being setup)

22. Stabilization of colloidal food materials by surface engineering of bacteria. FTP-2 project 2018 (PI: Jens Risbo)

23. Potential application of edible oleogel based on hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and Arabic gum as partial substitutes of palm oil in functional chocolate spread (Shaghayegh Keshanidokht Talent PhD student, Jens Risbo Supervisor)

24. Sensory studies of the relationship between texture and experienced mouthfeel (PI: Annemarie Olsen, Michael Bom Frøst, Wender Bredie)

25. Colloidal and nano-scale structure of cephalopod tissues in relation to mouthfeel (PI: Ole G. Mouritsen, Jacob Kirkensgaard)

26. Cellular structure and texture for preserved vegetables (PI:Ole G. Mouritsen)

• Oxygen permeability and oxidative stability of fish oil-loaded electrosprayed capsules measured by Electron Spin Resonance: Effect of dextran and glucose syrup as main encapsulating materials. 

• Liquid-core nanocellulose-shell capsules with tunable oxygen permeability. 

• Localized lipid autoxidation initiated by two-photon irradiation within single oil droplets in oil-in-water emulsions. 

• Cheese powder as an emulsifier in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions: effect of powder concentration and added emulsifying salt during cheese powder manufacture. 

• The influence of pH, protein concentration and calcium on the formation of partial hydrolysed bovine a-lactalbumin nanotubes. 

• Microparticles formed by heating potato protein—polysaccharide electrostatic complexes. 

• Surface engineered bacteria as Pickering stabilizers for foams and emulsions. 

• Oleogelating properties of ethylcellulose in oil-in-water emulsions: The impact of emulsification methods studied by C-13 MAS NMR, surface tension and micropipette manipulation studies 

• Using Ethylcellulose to Structure Oil Droplets in Ice Cream Made with High Oleic Sunflower Oil.

• Edible foam based on Pickering effect of probiotic bacteria and milk proteins. 

• Chitosan-dextran sulfate hydrogels as a potential carrier for probiotics. 

• Design of a potentially prebiotic and responsive encapsulation material for probiotic bacteria based on chitosan and sulfated beta-glucan. 

• Life as a matter of fat. 

• Mouthfeel: How Texture Makes Taste.

•  G. Mouritsen and K. Styrbæk. . Columbia University Press, New York, 2017.

• Dairy Product Technology 1:

• Molecular and Functional Properties of Milk': 

• Food Colloids:

• Food Science and Culinary Techniques: