Vural Gökmen

Prof. Dr. Vural Gökmen serves as a Professor in the Food Engineering Department at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. With over three decades of academic experience since earning his PhD in 1998, he has established himself as a leading expert in food science and engineering with particular focus on thermal process contaminants and food safety.

His research interests center on understanding process-derived effects on food quality and safety, with special emphasis on acrylamide formation, Maillard reaction products, and thermal processing contaminants. Prof. Gökmen has pioneered advanced analytical techniques including chromatography, mass spectrometry, and computer vision systems for monitoring food quality parameters. His work spans both fundamental reaction mechanisms and practical applications for industry.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent focus on thermal process contaminants, particularly acrylamide formation mechanisms across various food matrices including potato products, baked goods, and juices. His research demonstrates sophisticated kinetic modeling approaches to understand reaction pathways while developing practical mitigation strategies for industry implementation.

• Outstanding Young Scientist Award by Turkish Academy of Sciences (2004)
• Science Incentive Award by The Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (2007)
• Science Award by The Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (2022)
• Elected as full member of Turkish Academy of Sciences (2023)

Prof. Gökmen has supervised numerous MSc and PhD students while leading significant national and international research projects. He founded the Food Quality & Safety Research Group (2004), Food Research Center (2010), and The National Food Technology Platform of Turkey (2011). His extensive industry collaborations have facilitated knowledge and technology transfer to the food sector.

He currently serves as editor of Food Chemistry journal and leads research teams focused on food safety analytics and thermal processing optimization. His laboratory maintains active international collaborations with research groups across Europe and North America, working on joint projects addressing critical food safety challenges.