Associate Professor Dr. Jurian Hoogewerff studied geochemistry (M.Sc.) and volcanology (Ph.D.) at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands (1984-1993). The emphasis of his work was, and still is, using inorganic elemental and isotope ratio analysis to trace materials to their origins.

In the volcanological studies the aim was to investigate the contribution of the Australian crust to volcanism in Eastern Indonesia. In 1993 Dr. Hoogewerff joined the Department of Health Sciences of University Maastricht to teach environmental sciences and develop research in tracing the origin of environmental pollutants from their source to biological markers to even human body compartments. Dr. Hoogewerff transferred to the Vienna based Geotechnical Institute Arsenal Research in 1996 where he continued to investigate the use of elemental and isotope ratio research in environmental exposure research combining epidemiological data with new geochemical maps. Here he also started to apply his techniques for forensic and archaeological provenancing. His study on 5000 year old “otzi” was the first isotope study on the Iceman.

With EU funding Dr. Hoogewerff established the global analytical forensic NITECRIME network project in 1999 which now has almagated with the FIRMS network. (www.forensic-isotopes.org). In 2000 Dr. Hoogewerff moved to the Institute of Food Research in Norwich to run the isotope ratio facility for human micro nutrient (Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn) studies. At IFR he setup a new research field in food authentication using the link between soil composition and food composition for determining the geographical origin of food. Together with other colleagues at IFR and beyond he initiated the EU funded IP project TRACE in which he was one of the principal investigators for geochemistry based provenancing of food. (www.trace.eu.org).

Dr. Hoogewerff accepted a senior lecturer post at the University of East Anglia in Norwich UK in 2006 and was director of the Forensic Chemistry course until 2011.

Check out Professor Almirall's biography here »

Check out Associate Professor Frew's biography here »

Check out Dr Meier-Augenstein's biography here »

After training as a food scientist/technologist, and working in industry for two years, Mark worked overseas for over 11 years. He was first involved with teaching Food Science in the University of Ghana, before moving to S. America where he trained local University staff in N.E. Brazil and Peru in development projects financed by the Swiss Government.

After returning to the UK in 1984, Mark joined an expanding Food Science Division in the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) until 2000, when the Food Standards Agency was established. He has 25 years of experience in food policy development and science, and was responsible for running the authenticity programme (research and surveys) from its establishment in MAFF until the March 2009 before retiring from the Food Standards Agency. His experience also covers representation and negotiation on behalf of the UK on EU food law; particularly in food labelling and food standards, including marketing standards on poultrymeat, and cereals, as well as international standards organisations such as Codex, UN/ECE and ISO. Therefore his government work and previous overseas and UK industry experience has given him an extensive knowledge of how foods are harvested, processed, traded and described. In the FSA, he had policy responsibility for the labelling and composition of a wide range of foods. He was responsible for the implementation of seven national regulations including meat products, fish labelling, chocolate, sugars, honey, jams, and bread. His long association with the authenticity programme has also involved resolving many difficult issues of misdescription such as soluble coffee, fish product labelling, MSM, added water and proteins in chicken preparations, water in meat, poultry and fish products, Basmati rice, and also working with the FSA’s Food Fraud Unit. Since retiring he has continued to be involved with several authenticity projects now funded by Defra (Department of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs)

Prof. Dr. Daniel A. Wunderlin is a full Professor at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina), a Principal Member of the National Research Council (Argentina), and a member of JECFA group FAO.

His research interests include:

The use of fingerprints to evaluate food provenance:
Eevaluating fingerprints characteristics of food commodities produced in the central-cuyanean area of Argentina, looking to assess both geographical and species origin assessing differences with similar product produced at other area/ countries. Fingerprint includes both inorganic and organic chemicals, such as transition metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) characteristics of flavours, polyphenols and other secondary metabolites, including stable isotopic patterns.

Evaluation of dietary chemoprotectors:
Evaluating the real antioxidant ability of foods, using a modern approach that test the efficiency of antioxidants in yeast and cell lines exposed to pro-oxidant in presence of chemoprotectors arising from food products (mainly vegetables). The study of protective effect of plant secondary metabolites is studied by assessing cell survival as well as changes in enzymatic systems, cell proteome and metabolome. Thus, we look to evaluate the real physiological effect of natural antioxidants present in studied foods. We complete this approach measuring classical parameters (FRAP, DPPH and other chemical methods to determine antioxidant ability in vitro).

Tracking pollutants from its source to foods:
Assessing differences in food produced in areas with diverse degree and types of pollution, evaluating the effect of pollution on both production and nutritional characteristics. So, we propose to assess both point and non-point pollution sources in different production areas of Argentina, mainly areas close to river basins characterized by the presence of diverse pollution sources like urban run-off, chemical industries, explosives industry, food industries, primary production (cattle and corn). Research involves evaluation of water, soil and atmospheric composition at quasi pristine areas and at different points close to pollution sources, assessing the presence of both organic and inorganic pollutants. Then we look to correlate detected pollutants with their source (urban, industry, agriculture, etc.) as well as establishing changes in food products exposed to different pollution sources, translocation of pollutants from soil-water-atmosphere to either plants or animals, effects of pollutants on health status of plants and animals.