Swathi Nallan – Newsletter management

Swathi is a Product Development Scientist at Alginor ASA, Norway, focusing on sustainable kelp products for the agro-food industry since January 2023. She has been a Post-Doc at University of Tuscia, Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), and worked with cross-functional teams for developing smart solutions using Artificial Intelligence for food fraud and quality analysis in fruits, vegetables and high-value products like coffee and chestnuts. She has actively contributed also to development of innovative dried and formulated organic products based on value-added products obtained from under-utilized and local crops within various regional, national and EU projects. Swathi earned her PhD in Agricultural, Environmental, and Food Science and Technology from the University of Bologna in 2019, specializing in edible packaging and coatings to reduce losses and maintain bakery product quality during storage.

Cinzia Mannozzi – Social media management

Cinzia Mannozzi is a Researcher at the University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy. She received a PhD degree in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology from the University of Bologna in 2019. Her PhD research project dealt with the identification and development of innovative technologies for transformation/processing (e.g. pulsed electric field, ohmic heating, vacuum impregnation, high pressure of homogenization) and packaging (edible coatings) of different types of plant-based products in order to maintain and/or increase their quality and stability. In 2023, she started her position as a researcher working on the VITALITY project, researching and studying waste and by-products as valuable sources of active molecules to develop and produce functional foods. Besides that, she is continuing to investigate the application of various non-thermal technologies with the objective of ensuring the quality and safety of foods and beverages.

Sophie Kendler – Membership Management & Communication

Sophie Kendler is a researcher at SINTEF Ocean in Trondheim within Food Technology. She completed her PhD in Food Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Biotechnology and Food Science in December 2023, and holds a master’s degree in Food Technology and Nutrition from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Her research focuses on sustainable and innovative solutions to accelerate the green shift in the food system. This includes up-cycling side-streams and utilizing new resources in the food industry. Her background lies within food chemistry and technology, bioprocessing, with a special interest in bioactive peptides and protein valorization. Sophie is motivated to find sustainable solutions for better resource utilization to ensure a balance between the environment, society, and economy and to simultaneously tackle human health-related challenges.

Lukas Luggin - Event & Seminar Manager 

Lukas Luggin is a food technologist, currently working in the innovation and energy department of the Südtiroler Bauernbund, the farmers association in South Tyrol (Italy). There, Lukas is mainly contributing his expertise to the EIP-Agri Operational Group “INNOProdukte”. The project aims to support farmers by promoting product and processing innovation of regional raw materials such as vegetables, fruit, herbs, and dairy, in order to sustain and increase the economic viability of mountain farming. Lukas has completed his Masters in Food Innovation and Product Design (FIPDes) in 2020. The FIPDes program is an Erasmus Mundus joint Master’s degree, which involves a consortium of 4 different universities: AgroParisTech (France), Technological University of Dublin (Ireland), University of Naples Federico II (Italy), and Lund University (Sweden). The program aims to address the challenges in the sector of food innovation along with product design and packaging.

Joseph Dumpler – Young EFFoST Day contact person

Joseph Dumpler is a senior researcher in the Sustainable Food Processing Group at ETH Zurich. He studied Food and Bioprocess Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Weihenstephan, where he received his PhD in Dairy Science and Technology, focusing on ultra-high temperature treatment of concentrated skim milk as a sustainable alternative to traditional milk powder production. After two years in the dairy industry, Joseph joined the Department of Food Science at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, where he worked on advanced membrane filtration technologies and microwave vacuum drying of dairy products. At ETH Zurich, his research centers on plant protein extraction from food processing byproducts using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES), aiming to reduce hidden food losses and promote plant-based protein as a sustainable alternative to animal protein. Moreover, he teaches sustainable food processing technologies and food process engineering.

Magdalena Trusińska – EYE Mentorship contact person

Magdalena Trusinska is a PhD student at Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Department of Food Engineering and Process Management, Institute of Food Sciences. She received her master’s degree in the field of food technology and nutrition from SGGW in 2023. Her PhD thesis is related to investigating the potential of protein-pectin complexes to improve the functional properties of 3D printing inks. Next to that, Magdalena has a research background in non-thermal processing of fruits and development of plant-based analogues to products of animal origin using 3D printing. She has also professional experience in applications of plant protein for various foods gained in a start-up. In 2023, has been awarded EFFoST Student of the Year Award - Popular vote and has taken part as a mentee in the 1st round of the EYE Mentorship Programme.

Organisation Young EFFoST Day 2025

Ana A. Vilas-Boas is a PhD student in food science at Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Head of Product at AgroGrIN Tech®. Her PhD research focuses on upcycling fruit byproducts into high-value ingredients through sustainable extraction, exploring its health benefits, including gut microbiota modulation. At AgroGrIN Tech, she leads the development of clean-label ingredients for food and nutraceutical formulations, ensuring functionality, market relevance and viability. Ana is (co)author of 20 scientific articles, 10 chapters in books, and one book edition. She has presented at more than 8 international food conferences and participated in several entrepreneurship programs. With expertise in functional ingredients, product development, and innovation, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit, she is passionate about bridging research and industry to drive sustainability. 

Ana Catarina Araújo is a Food Engineer with nearly a decade of experience in the retail and food industry. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biotechnology, at CBQF she is also an Invited Teaching Assistant at the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa, where she lectures on Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena. Her research focuses on modeling and optimizing food processing using machine learning to predict thermal performance and quality degradation. Catarina's ongoing work aims to enhance solar cooking technologies, promoting sustainability and eco-friendly practices, while combining her technical expertise with innovative solutions to address challenges in the food industry. 

Jean Michel Fernandes is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Food Science and Technology at the Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho. He completed his Ph.D. (2020–2024) on “Development and in vitro analysis of functional and excipient foods for elderly populations”. During is academic path, Jean Michel has focused on understanding food product digestibility and exploring innovative ways to enhance the absorption of macro- and micronutrients. Outside academia, Jean Michel is passionate about Taekwondo, with over a decade of experience competing at high levels. His dedication to both science and sport highlights his drive for excellence, innovation, and personal growth. 

Rita Vedor, a BSc in Microbiology from Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (ESB) - Universidade Católica Portuguesa, completed her master’s in applied microbiology in 2023. She participated in three national and international conferences, contributing with posters and oral presentations. From April 2022 to November 2023, she was a researcher fellow at Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina. Now, she is a doctoral student in the PhD program in Biotechnology, specializing in Food Science and Engineering. She was awarded a PhD scholarship in 2023 and participated in science communication activities. In 2024, she enrolled in the Postgraduate Course in Nutrition, Psychology and Health at ESB.