Research groups

We are active in the following research areas of food processing technology and related fields. We carry out basic research as well as application-oriented solutions in cooperation with partners from industry. If you have any questions regarding the individual research areas, please contact the respective contact person.

Emulsifying and dispersing technologies

The term "emulsification technology" or "dispersion technology" generally refers to the comminution process of liquid or solid phases in a liquid continuous phase. It is therefore a process for producing a dispersion (emulsion or suspension).

Emulsifying technology has occupied mankind for many generations, for example in the production of creams or sauces, often with simple equipment such as spoons. However, the production of emulsions and dispersions with technical equipment such as high-pressure homogenizers was only made possible with industrialization. These processes are widespread in production today.

The focus of the current research at our institute is a deeper understanding of the basic processes of emulsifying and dispersing techniques. We use our basic results to develop or implement innovative products and more efficient, simpler processes together with industrial partners.

More information...

Encapsulation engineering in life sciences

The research group aims to optimize the encapsulation of oil phases using various processes. The focus here is on emulsification technology. The aim is to understand the effects of process control on the structure and end product properties and thus enable improved products. The target applications are mainly in the food and life science sectors.

More information...

Processes for sustainable food production and food security

The research group works with various processes for preserving food, in particular drying and freezing processes. The research projects center on optimizing the process characteristics with regard to the reduction of resource consumption (raw materials, water, energy…). The focus is on food preservation processes because shelf-stable products make a major contribution to resource conservation (water consumption, CO2 eq. emissions), due to reduced losses during transportation and storage. During process optimization, desired product properties must be retained or, ideally, could be selectively determined. The design of product properties is therefore another focus of research. Product properties (shelf life, sensory properties, redispersibility...) are generally conditioned by the microstructure of the products, such as particle size distribution or porosity. These microstructures can, in turn, be influenced—and thus controlled—with the manufacturing process. These relationships are also referred to as property-process functions.

More information...