Innovative Thermal and Non-Thermal Processing, Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Nutrients and Bioactive Compounds

Dr. Francisco J. Barba is an associate professor in Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Spain. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Valencia and degrees in Pharmacy, Food and Technology. He performed postdoctoral stays in the Universite de Technologie de Compiegne (UTC), Departement de Genie des Procedes Industriels, Laboratoire Transformations Integrees de la Matiere Renouvelable (Compiegne, France) and Marie Curie IEF in the Department of Food Chemistry (University of Copenhagen) to explore different non-thermal applications for preserving and extracting bioactive compounds from plant food materials and by products. Prior to his current appointment, he was also engaged as a visiting researcher in the Department of Food Biotechnology and Food Process Engineering in Technological University of Berlin, Germany. His research focus is on non-thermal processing for preservation and/or extraction of bioactive compounds from liquid and solid foods. He has authored approximately 200 peer reviewed papers in international food science and technology journals. Dr. Jorge A. Saraiva is professor of food technology, biocatalysts and food biotechnology, among other subjects. He holds a PhD in biotechnology, with a specialization in food science and engineering. His research focus is on non-conventional/emergent processing, particularly on high pressure (~ 9000 atm) for: i) cold pasteurization of foods, food properties improvement and new foods production; ii) biotechnological applications (ex: microbial growth in extreme conditions)) and biocatalysis and cold extraction of natural compounds (ex: pharmaceuticals) under pressure. Giancarlo Cravotto is a researcher in the Department of Drug Science and Technology at the University of Turin. His research activity is documented in more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and approximately 20 international and national patents. His research activity has been centered on natural products extraction, purification, synthesis and chemical modification. These studies have paved the road to new synthetic procedures by means of non-conventional energy sources (microwaves, acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation, mechanochemistry, flow chemistry etc.). These studies also prompted the development of innovative hybrid reactors and green protocols, and these techniques and equipment have been applied in organic synthesis, in plants extraction, in food processing, in the degradation of persistent organic pollutants, sample preparation and several applications of industrial interest. Jose Manuel Lorenzo Rodriguez is head of research at the Meat Technology Centre of Galicia, Ourense, Spain. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Food Science and Technology at the University of Vigo and obtained his Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from the University of Vigo.