Department of Food Science has a strong tradition for close cooperation with the food industry and now this bond becomes even stronger. Dieter Elsser-Gravesen, PhD and owner of the company ISI Food Protection, becomes Affiliate Associate Professor within food microbiology at the department.

Dr Elsser-Gravesen was born in Germany and has worked with the protection of food against spoiling microorganisms his entire career. After a number of years at e.g. Danisco he established the company ISI Food Protection in 2009; the company is located at Agro Food Park in Aarhus.

ISI Food Protection performs research in – and provides advice on – how food is best preserved from spoiling organisms such as e.g. Salmonella and Campylobacter. The company has a fully equipped and classified microbiological laboratory which allows the testing and examination of how different kinds of food react. 

From research to industry

The primary aim of the new cooperation relations is to utilize these facilities and to exchange expertise between the department and the company. Dr Elsser-Gravesen looks forward to strengthening the existing cooperation between Aarhus University and ISI Food Protection:

- By having such joint fields of expertise of meat science and applied food microbiology, I see it as a great opportunity to move innovative ideas from academia to the food industry, but also to help food processors to overcome challenges in the field of food quality, sustainability and safety, says Dr Elsser-Gravesen.

At Department of Food, Associate Professor and head of research unit, Jette Feveile Young, is rather pleased with the new opportunities.

- These new cooperation relations help us strengthen the relationship between Department of Food Science and a series of Danish and international food companies. Dieter Elsser-Gravesen already has established cooperation agreements with a number of key persons, and we expect that this extended network will allow us to initiate new projects involving the university as well as the industry, says Jette Feveile Young.

One of the central aims of the new cooperation is to develop joint international and interdisciplinary projects and apply for funding from the EU Horizon2020 programme. 

Further information

Associate Professor Jette Feveile Young
Department of Food Science
E-mail: jettef.young@food.au.dk
Phone.: 8715 8051
Mobile: 2347 8883

Read more about ISI Food Protection