Jens Risbo

Jens Risbo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in food material science and physical chemistry of foods. His research focuses on the relationship between physical transformations of food matrices and chemical reactions, with particular emphasis on glass transitions, dry foods, and transport processes in food and food packaging. He has contributed significantly to applying thermodynamic and kinetic concepts in food science and developing molecular gastronomy as a scientific discipline.

Dr. Risbo earned his MSc in Chemical Engineering (1994) and PhD in Chemistry (1997), both from the Technical University of Denmark. His academic journey includes positions as Assistant Professor at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University of Denmark (KVL) from 1998 to 2002, followed by his current role as Associate Professor since 2002.

His research spans food material science, physical chemistry of foods, and molecular gastronomy. He investigates the relation between chemical and physical processes and vitality of dried bacteria cultures, using colloidal principles for food delivery systems. His work bridges fundamental science with practical applications in food technology, including industrial collaborations with over 10 companies.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on food structure-property relationships, particularly in dairy products, plant-based alternatives, and food colloids. His research combines physical chemistry principles with innovative food processing techniques, showing increasing interest in sustainable food systems and novel food formulations.

• Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Food Biophysics (since 2006)
• Editor on special issue of Flavor (journal) on Gastro physics (2012)

Dr. Risbo has supervised and co-supervised 12 PhD projects and numerous Bachelor's and Master's students. He has developed innovative teaching approaches for physical chemistry using examples from food, cooking, and living. His industrial collaborations include patent submissions regarding encapsulation technology and principles for measuring permeability of non-detectable gases.

His research group works on applying thermodynamic and kinetic concepts to food science problems, with particular expertise in food material science, glass transitions in dry foods, and molecular gastronomy. The team collaborates with various companies to translate fundamental research into practical food technology applications.