During my Bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Process Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), my interest in food process engineering developed. Through my Bachelor’s thesis at the Institute of Food Process Engineering (LVT) on melt emulsions, as well as an internship at Beiersdorf, I deepened my knowledge of emulsion technology and gained valuable insights into the application of emulsions in both cosmetic and food processing.

I also completed my Master’s thesis at the LVT, focusing on the extrusion of meat analogue products. In this work, I investigated how the texture of meat substitutes can be systematically modulated by adjusting the pH value and by incorporating additives such as microgel particles and oil.

Since October 2025, I have been pursuing my doctoral studies as a research associate at the LVT, with a research focus on the extrusion of meat analogue products.

High-moisture extrusion is a commercially established process for the production of meat analogues. In this process, plant-based proteins are mixed with liquid formulations, subjected to thermal and mechanical stresses, and subsequently forced through a cooling die.

Despite the increasing availability of meat analogue products, many commercially available products still fail to meet consumer expectations, particularly with regard to juiciness. One major reason is that the lipid component (fats or oils) is typically added after extrusion during post-processing. As a result, the lipid phase is not encapsulated within the protein matrix and frequently leaks out during heating or pan-frying. Improved sensory properties are expected when lipids are encapsulated within the protein matrix, which requires their incorporation during the extrusion process.

My research focuses on incorporating lipid components into the extrusion process using protein-stabilized emulsions. Suitable emulsion formulations are developed to promote efficient encapsulation of lipids within the protein matrix, thereby improving the sensory and functional properties of meat analogue products.

Protein-stabilized emulsions are prepared using emulsification devices such as rotor–stator systems and high-pressure homogenizers. The resulting emulsions are characterized with respect to droplet size distribution, thermal stability, long-term stability, and creaming behavior.

Meat analogue products are produced using a laboratory-scale twin-screw extruder. The resulting extrudates are evaluated by visual inspection and mechanical analyses. In addition, the encapsulation efficiency of lipids within the extrudates and the resulting oil droplet size are determined.