The current food system requires a fundamental change to become more sustainable. The current innovation platform established through the interdisciplinary centre CiFood (https://cifood.au.dk/) and anchored to the Department of Food Science is deeply engaged with the development of innovative, sustainable food packaging solutions. 

The Department has benefitted from a significant infrastructure investment through FoodHay (https://food.au.dk/foodhay), and the expertise of Dr. Tsochatzis will allow the department to strengthen the intellectual capacity related to the area of omics method development as well as chemical food safety.  

Highly experienced
Dr. Tsochatzis has more than 10 years of highly relevant research experience, and he is currently a scientific officer at EFSA European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Department of Regulated Products (REPRO), Unit of Food Ingredients and Processing (FIP), Parma, Italy. The affiliation will strengthen and extend the formalized active and valuable collaboration within the following areas:

• Strengthening the strategic research area of sustainable food packaging.
• Co-advise graduate students in research related to packaging, food contact materials, but also more in general, processomics.
• Collaborating and advising on project applications nationally, internationally and EU H2020 together with AU FOOD
• Co-presenting with AU FOOD at National and International conferences and workshops
• Strengthen our regulatory knowledge and connection with EFSA.

“I would like to continue being involved in high level state-of-the-art research and science, as well as tutoring, advising and transferring knowledge and experiences to young scientists and researchers”, says Dr. Tsochatzis about his recent affiliation to AU FOOD.

International collaboration
Through research initiatives and collaboration Dr. Tsochatzis will continue to increase the number of international publications and talent development, which will lead to a strengthening of the Departments international profile.

Strong network and unique expertise as well as key contacts to specialists and professional collaborations creates a very strong opportunity to have complementary knowledge and further strengthen research activities and funding perspectives of the Department of Food Science.

Teaching at Aarhus University
AU-FOOD is focussed on graduating qualified and talented students who will actively contribute to growth of the food industry and in strong industrial partnerships, helping us to identify key industrial challenges and in securing competitive funding to carry our both underpinning research and innovation relevant for industrial growth.

Dr. Tsochatzis will become involved in guest lectures, student projects, and internships (at Bachelor, Master, PhD and postdoc levels).  Advising on analytical methodologies and chemometrics to become a huge asset to younger research talent.

“We are extremely pleased to have Dr Tsochatzis closely aligned to the department, based on his very relevant area of expertise, that perfectly complements our research vision and we can see that this can bring many positive outcomes for the department staff, and for future research and teaching activities”, says Michelle H. Williams, Head of Department of Food Science.