Deniz Turan-Kunter

Dr. Deniz Turan-Kunter is an Assistant Professor in Food Quality and Design at Wageningen University & Research. She holds a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Food Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, with a postdoctoral focus on digital twin applications for fresh produce cold chains. Her research bridges food packaging, smart supply chains, and sustainability, addressing food waste reduction through innovative materials and data-driven models. She leads projects on ventilated packaging design for strawberries and physics-based digital twins for refrigerated logistics.

Education: B.Sc. (Distinction) and Ph.D. in Food Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (2010 and 2015). Her Ph.D. work on thermosensitive polymers earned the TUBITAK grant and Nestlé Young Scientist Award. She specializes in macromolecular chemistry, machine learning, and sustainable packaging solutions.

Research Interests: Food packaging materials, digital twin technology, cold chain optimization, and strawberry quality preservation. She explores machine learning for predictive analytics in food systems and edible coatings from coffee by-products.

Scientific Contributions: Over 15 peer-reviewed articles, including work on hygrothermal modeling, ventilated packaging, and smart materials. Key projects include optimizing refrigerated container shipments and developing edible coatings from cascara.

Teaching: Coordinates MSc thesis and internship supervision in Food Quality and Design, including courses like Food Data Science and Packaging Design. She integrates industry-relevant challenges into academic training.

Labs/Teams: Active in Wageningen’s Food Quality and Design division, collaborating on digital twin applications and sustainable packaging innovations.