TI Food and Nutrition: industrial relevance, scientific excellence

Health and wellbeing

With the global population set to reach nine billion people by the middle of this century, today’s challenges are to develop sustainable solutions that safeguard food security, food safety, human health and wellbeing. Sustainable solutions demand an integrated approach by science, industry, and government in pioneering scientific breakthroughs that will contribute to the health and wellbeing of people around the world.

Interdisciplinary research

TI Food and Nutrition is a public-private partnership of science, industry and government carrying-out interdisciplinary research that contributes to optimal human nutrition, food safety, sustainable food production and increases the global competitiveness of the Dutch food industry. We aim to expand our position as a leading research partnership in Europe by making scientific breakthroughs that support innovation in the food industry andmeet consumer demands for healthy, safe and affordable foods that look and taste good.

TI Food and Nutrition’s partners are key players in the international food industry: 13 leading food and ingredient manufacturers and 5 well-established research institutes and universities, including university medical centres. TI Food and Nutrition also partners in several European research programmes focussing on food, nutrition and genomics. The partnership is part of one of the Innovation Areas (“topgebieden”), defined by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

The research programme is organised into Themes closely aligned with the long-term business strategies of the industry partners: Weight Management, Cardiovascular Health, Gastrointestinal Health, Sensory and Liking, Texture and Taste, Food Structuring, Functional Fermentation, Food Safety and Preservation and Food Chain Sustainability. Industrial relevance, scientific excellence and quality in collaboration are the primary drivers for TI Food and Nutrition.

With an annual turnover of 27 million euros, TI Food and Nutrition employs almost 250 people, including 100 scientific staff members, 45 postdoc scientists and 55 PhD fellows. Every year approximately 125 scientific articles are published in peer-reviewed journals and about 50 PhD students work on their theses. Following their employment at TI Food and Nutrition, most of the scientists move on to careers in the food industry or in research institutes at home and abroad.

http://www.tifn.nl