An integrated food quality research and training programme
I have all my life wondered about the origin and significance of whatever surrounds us. I remember myself picking up fruits and spending hours wondering how intriguing fruits are with different colors, taste and shapes and how easily they got spoiled. I believe this curiosity is what drives me in this field and moreover, in research because through research, I am able to find out answers to the questions that I have wondered.
About myself, my name is Natalia Teribia and I am ESR 11. I was born in Tudela, a small city in Navarra located in the North of Spain, very well-known for its vegetables. After High School, I moved to Barcelona where I studied Biotechnology in the University of Barcelona. I carried out my Bachelor thesis (BSc) in a research group of the University of Barcelona where I aimed at studying the organoleptic and nutritional properties that is, the quality of sweet cherries, under different storage conditions and natural development. After completing my BSc thesis, I was offered a position in the same group to carry out my own research project focusing on the effect of different post-harvest applications with arabic gum on the shelf-life and quality of loquats. However, after 6 months, I decided I needed to experience living abroad thus, I moved to Denmark to study my masters´ degree in the University of Aarhus. During my Master studies immersed in an international atmosphere, I gained deep knowledge on different areas that caught my eye such as food processes, food functionality and a basic understanding of consumer acceptance and preferences. I had the chance to perform my Master thesis in DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS where I was involved in an exciting project that aimed at using cereal bran as an ingredient for enhanced quality applications. My role was to characterize the raw material and final products to gain knowledge about the effect of different food processing methods and food matrices on polyphenols, vitamin E and fibers.
What is next? I am totally convinced that the FOODENGINE PhD program represents the best next step for my scientific career. Strawberry, a fruit consumed worldwide, is very attractive for consumers due to its organoleptic properties such as flavor, bright red color and nutritional attributes. However, this fruit is very perishable and during processing and storage, the quality of the fruit is lost. Thus, on this basis, my topic will focus on the “Evaluation and optimization of shelf life stability of strawberry-based products with special emphasize on color and flavor retention during processing and storage”. My main goal will be to investigate the effect of fruit variety and different food processing methods during storage by using omics techniques, to go beyond the state-of-the-art. I will be enrolled in Leuven University but, Döhler, as a food ingredient company, will be my host. Besides, I will also receive support from Uniliver.
Interested in my topic and my story? Contact me by email (show email).