Leuven Food Science and Nutrition

Research Centre

www.lforce.kuleuven.be

Kurt Gebruers

OVERVIEW

o What is LFoRCe?

o Who is involved?

o Mission

o Expertises

o Industry collaboration

o KU Leuven Research and Development (LRD)

What is LFoRCe?

• Is an interdisciplinary research centre at KU Leuven

• Brings together expertise at KU Leuven in the area of

Feed-Food-Health

Who is involved?

Department of Biology Laboratory of Molecular Plant Physiology – KU Leuven

Prof. W. Van den Ende

Department of Biosystems Division of Gene Technology – KU Leuven

Prof. B. Goddeeris

Division of Livestock, Nutrition and Quality – KU Leuven

Profs. J. Buyse, E. Decuypere, R. Geers, T. Niewold

Division of Mechatronics, Biostatistics and

Sensors – KU Leuven

Profs. A. Geeraerd, J. Lammertyn, B. Nicolai

Division of Monitoring-Modelling-Management of

Bioresponses – KU Leuven

Prof. D. Berckmans

Department of Chemical Engineering Laboratory of Applied Rheology and Polymer

Processing – KU Leuven

Prof. P. Moldenaers

Laboratory of Chemical and Biochemical Process

Technology and Control – KU Leuven

Prof. J. Van Impe

Department of Chemistry Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry – KU Leuven Prof. B. Goderis

Department of Microbial and Molecular

Systems Centre of Malt and Beer Science – KU Leuven

Prof. G. Derdelinckx

Division of Chemistry – KHBO

Prof. B. Meesschaert

Lab4Food – KHK

Prof. J. Claes

Laboratory of Enzyme, Fermentation and Brewing

Technology – KaHo Prof. G. Aerts

Laboratory of Food and Lipids – KU Leuven

Campus Kortrijk

Prof. I. Foubert

Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry –

KU Leuven

Profs. C. Courtin, J. Delcour

Laboratory of Food Microbiology – KU Leuven

Prof. C. Michiels, A. Aertsen

Laboratory of Food Technology – KU Leuven

Profs. M. Hendrickx, A. Van Loey

Laboratory of Process Microbial Ecology

and Bioinspirational Management – Lessius Mechelen Prof. K. Willems

Laboratory of Systems Biology – VIB – KU Leuven

Prof K. Verstrepen

Research Group for Technology and Quality of Animal

Products – KaHo

Prof. H. Paelinck, Dr. I. Fraeye

SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (SET) GROUP

Affiliated partner

Who is involved?

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences Division of Atherosclerosis and Metabolism – KU Leuven

Prof. P. Holvoet

Department of Clinical and Experimental

Medicine Division of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology – KU

Leuven

Profs. C. Mathieu, C. Matthys, B. Van Der Schueren

Division of Translational Research in Gastrointestinal

Disorders – KU Leuven Profs. I. Depoortere, P. Rutgeerts, J. Tack, K. Verbeke, S. Vermeire

Department of Kinesiology Exercise Physiology Research Group – KU Leuven Prof. P. Hespel, Dr. R. Manders

Department of Microbiology and

Immunology Division of Nephrology – KU Leuven Prof. Pieter Evenepoel

Department of Pharmaceutical and

Pharmacological Sciences Division of Drug Delivery and Disposition – KU

Leuven Profs. P. Augustijns, G. Van den Mooter

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (BMS) GROUP

Faculty of Economics and Business Department of Managerial Economics, Strategy and

innovation – KU Leuven

Prof. K. Debackere

Department of Marketing and Organisation Studies – KU

Leuven Profs. S. Dewitte, L. Warlop

Faculty of Social Sciences Leuven School for Mass Communication Research –

KU Leuven

Prof. J. Van den Bulck

Faculty of Theology Research Unit for Theological Ethics – KU Leuven Prof. J. De Tavernier

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (HSS) GROUP

Mission

• Bring together ‘critical mass’ with expertise in Feed-Food-

Health at KU Leuven Association

• Perform cutting-edge research in an international

environment on

o advanced food technologies

o health-related functionality of food and food ingredients

o social and consumer aspects related to food, technology and health

• Cover the knowledge chain from basic research to transfer

of innovative food concepts to stakeholders

• Involvement in large initiatives

• Interact with industrial stakeholders and policy makers

• Increase visibility of food-related research at KU Leuven

• Offer a ‘one-stop-shop’

Expertises: SET Group

Biosystems, e.g. fruits, vegetables, cereals

fungi, bacteria, yeasts, algae

domestic animals (nutrition, health/welfare, efficient and sustainable production, quality), fish (aquaculture)

Food systems, e.g. fresh and processed fruits and vegetables

cereal-derived products (e.g. bread, pasta, cake, cookies, malt, parboiled rice)

beverages (e.g. juices, beer, wine)

meat products (focus on processed meat)

dairy (mainly through our Affiliate Partner ILVO)

oils, fats and oil/fat-rich products

Food constituents, ingredients and additives, e.g. proteins (e.g. gluten, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors), starches, non-starch polysaccharides (e.g.

pectin, arabinoxylan, fructan), lipids (e.g. ω-3 fatty acids),

dietary fiber including prebiotics (e.g. arabinoxylan oligosaccharides), functional peptides

egg, shortenings/emulsifiers, (bio)preservatives, salt, nitrite/nitrate, polyphosphates, …

nutrients (e.g. amino acids, vitamins, minerals) and bio-active compounds [e.g. (anti-)oxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds; carotenoids, phenolics, anthocyanins, ellagic acid, glucosinolates] and their bioavailability/-accessibility

flavour compounds (e.g. organic acids, sugars, esters, hop components, stevia, tagatose)

yeasts, starters (optimized for specific applications)

Expertises: SET Group

Quality and safety assessment and control with regard to e.g. organoleptic and nutritional properties [panels/advanced analytics/sensors] and their relation to

processing and preservation parameters

impact of conventionale and novel processing technologies (and indicator systems therefore)

physical and (bio-)chemical stability and safety

microbial stability and safety (e.g. emerging risks, microbial ecology and population dynamics, biofilms, predictive microbiology, risk assessment/management/control)

Know-how and technologies with regard to e.g. pre-/post-harvest handling (e.g. precision mechanics, sorting, physical transport, preservation

technologies)

fruit and vegetable processing (e.g. thermal/high-pressure treatment, high-pressure-assisted phase transition, high-pressure homogenisation, high electric field pulses, split-stream, enzymes, food structure engineering, nutrient bioaccessibility)

cereal processing (e.g. milling, baking, malting, brewing, extrusion, parboiling, extraction, enzymes)

meat processing (e.g. flavouring, pickling, smoking, fermentation, drying, cooking)

fermentation (e.g. beer, wine, bread, cacao, bio-ethanol)

(bio)preservation (e.g. modified/controlled admosphere, refrigeration, freezing, fermentation, thermal/high-pressure treatment, high electric field pulses, hurdle technology, enzymes)

enabling tools [e.g. enzymes, sensors & (3D-)imaging (e.g. for quality assessment), computer-aided/statistical modeling for process design and control]

Research on molecular over meso- to macroscopic scale

Expertises: BMS Group

Industry collaboration

Industry collaboration: Consultancy

• Consultancy platforms Cereal technology (Dr. Kristof Brijs, Lab Food Chemistry and Biochemistry)

Malting, brewing, fermentation (Dr. Gino Baart, Leuven Institute for Beer Research)

Thermal processing and novel processing technologies (Dr. Chantal Smout,

HeatedFood – Lab of Food Technology)

Design and optimization of agrofood application [Dr. Pieter Verboven, CadCracker –

Division Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors (MeBioS)]

(Bio)sensor technologies, optical and acoustic properties of biomaterials (Dr. Bart

Deketelaere, QualiMatrics - MeBioS)

Storage technology and quality of fruits and vegerables [Drs. Bert Verlinden, Ann

Schenk, Flanders Centre for Postharvest Technology (VCBT) – MeBioS]

Meat processing and quality (Dr. Ilse Faeye, ‘Vlaams Adviescentrum voor de

Vleesindustrie’ - Research Group for Technology and Quality of Animal Products )

Dairy products (ILVO, Dr. Lieve Herman)

Research collaboration

• advice • contract R&D • MTA’s • projects with government support (IWT, EC, etc.)

• Close interaction and collaboration between different units through

different platforms (e.g. LFoRCe, LMRC, LMTC)

• Regional and international networking

KU Leuven Research and Development

Intellectual property rights

• NDA’s • intellectual property rights • licensing

Spin-off & innovation

• spin-off creation & growth • networks & regional development • KU Leuven Association

Finance, HR & logistics

• financial administration

• HRM

administration

Management

Contact

Dr. Kurt Gebruers

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Science, Engineering and Technology Group

Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research

Centre (LFoRCe)

Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2463

BE-3001 Leuven

Belgium

Phone +32 16 321919

Secretary +32 16 321634

Fax +32 16 321997

E-mail kurt.gebruers@biw.kuleuven.be