Thijs Defraeye

Thijs Defraeye is a Professor and External employee at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in the Food Quality and Design department. His work focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of food science, engineering, and sustainable development, with particular emphasis on reducing food loss and improving food preservation techniques for global food security applications.

Dr. Defraeye's research interests center on food quality preservation, refrigeration engineering, and postharvest technology development. His expertise spans multiphysics modeling of food storage systems, evaporative cooling technologies, and cold chain optimization, with special attention to solutions for low- and middle-income countries where food loss represents a critical challenge. His work integrates engineering principles with food science to develop practical, sustainable interventions for perishable goods throughout the supply chain.

Analysis of Dr. Defraeye's recent publication record reveals a strong emphasis on practical, engineering-based solutions for food preservation challenges in resource-constrained settings. His research consistently addresses technical aspects of food storage while considering environmental and socioeconomic contexts, with a notable trend toward data-driven optimization of food supply chains and innovative cooling technologies. The interdisciplinary nature of his work bridges food science, thermal engineering, and computational modeling to create sustainable approaches for reducing postharvest losses globally.

Dr. Defraeye serves as Promotor (PhD supervisor) for multiple doctoral candidates working on cutting-edge food technology projects. His current supervised research includes optimizing strawberry quality through non-thermal processing and packaging, reducing food loss in strawberry transport through data upcycling, and developing physics-based digital twins of refrigerated trailers for fresh fruit supply chains. These projects demonstrate his commitment to translating research into practical applications that address real-world food system challenges.

His research has garnered media attention, with professional coverage highlighting his 'Model to improve fruit transport' in January 2023. The work has been picked up by multiple news outlets and shared across academic platforms, indicating its relevance and impact within both academic and industry circles focused on food security and supply chain optimization.