Food Chemistry
The chair group Food Chemistry, led by Jean-Paul Vincken, is engaged in research and education about food chemistry. Our mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge of the molecular properties and interactions of key food components within the food matrix during industrial processing and digestion of foods. In addition, we develop biochemical tools to improve the quality and healthiness of foods and food ingredients.
Research themes
At Food Chemistry we focus on generating knowledge on a diverse set of research themes. The goal is to understand and to improve the properties of key food components. We have the following research themes:
- Food proteins
- Phytochemicals
- Plant (Bio)Actives
- Food carbohydrates
- Lignocellulose biochemistry
- Food lipids
- Flavor chemistry
- Design and development of e-learning materials
- Cereal Biochemistry
Education
Education by this Chair Group
We care about education. Therefore, we constantly adapt and improve our education to the changing needs of our students and to the possibilities that science and (new) media gives us.
Publications & Projects
The Food Chemistry chair group generates and disseminates knowledge of the molecular properties and interactions of key food components within food and agricultural raw materials during processing and digestion of foods. We also focus on the development of biochemical tools in order to improve the quality and healthiness of food and food ingredients.
Highlighted projects
- Plant-based efflux pump inhibitors to counteract antimicrobial resistance and improve food safety
- Defining carbohydrate formulations to steer gut microbiota and colonic fermentation processes to support metabolic, immune and mental health
- Microbial lipoxygenases for the production of added-value chemicals from commodity oils
Highlighted publications
Chair Holder
Jean-Paul Vincken has been chair of Food Chemistry since 2019. He investigates the chemical reactions that make food, like apples, turn brown. Vincken also focuses on innovating education: ‘We make use of digital teaching aids for active learning and we stimulate students to come up with their own plan to investigate a research question. Practicals where you simply follow a standard protocol are a thing of the past.’
prof.dr.ir. JP (Jean-Paul) Vincken
Professor / Chairholder
People of Food Chemistry
Each chair group of Wageningen University & Research, under leadership of a professor, has its own area of expertise. Meet the people of Food Chemistry.
