LCA and Sustainable Food Design (LCAFOOD)

The development and success of sustainable innovation in food science hinges on several critical understandings and their exploitation. At Food Design and Sustainability, we have the ability to combine knowledge on environmental sustainable raw materials, green chemistry principles in processing with detailed knowledge about the properties of food components in complex food matrices during processing, storage and consumption. Our expertise further extends to mixed-method approaches, consumer surveys for market entry modelling, absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA), and nutritional and environmental life cycle assessment (LCA).

Our mission is to understand and utilize processing-functionality relations of food systems and products by optimal and sustainable exploitation of the potential of raw materials originating from the ocean, land, and agrifood industry.

We advance the development of sustainable foods rooted in our understanding of the interplay between environmental sustainability, food safety, green chemistry principles, techno- and bio-functionality, and final product properties. We exploit molecular principles and gastronomical potential for environmental and rational improvements of ingredients and foods. We work with the utilization of unexplored raw materials, novel ingredients and bioactive compounds in the design of health-improving functional foods. Lastly, we integrate environmental and nutritional life cycle assessment (including absolute environmental sustainability assessment, AESA) of innovative processes aiming at zero waste food supply value chains and the future nutrient rich foods based on the interplay between functionality and product performance.

We aim to develop sustainable food solutions that meet the needs of the food industry and the consumers.

Contact

Marianne Thomsen
Professor
mth@food.ku.dk