Michael Beyrer

Michael Beyrer is a Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais-Wallis, School of Engineering, leading the Sustainable Food Systems research group. His work focuses on non-thermal food preservation technologies, plant-based protein engineering, and food extrusion systems.

• Research areas: Food process engineering, alternative proteins, non-thermal processing, and equipment design
• Affiliation: Department of Life Sciences Engineering, School of Chemistry and Life Sciences

His research investigates non-thermal preservation methods like pulsed electric field (PEF) and cold plasma treatments for protein-rich food matrices. Key studies include:

• Microbial stability enhancement in plant protein extracts
• Sublethal bacterial damage mechanisms
• Texture optimization in meat analogues through pectin-protein interactions
• Flavor retention models for high-protein foods
• Sustainable microalgae integration in plant-based foods

Recent publications analyze anisotropic structure formation in plant-based meat alternatives via high-moisture extrusion, biofilm mitigation using cold plasma, and functional property preservation during multiple extrusion cycles. His team develops innovative extrusion nozzles (patent WO2022018084A1) to enable shear-controlled fibrous structures.