Dr Julia Rodriguez Garcia

Biography

Dr. Julia Rodriguez Garcia is currently working as a Lecturer in Food Science and Technology in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading , United Kingdom. Responsibilities: Responsible for leading the Students Events Organisation of the Department of Food and Nutritional Science. There are a large number of events going on during the academic year; some of them are organised by the Department of Food and Nutritional Science of the UoR, and others by several institutions and companies related to food science, such as the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST). Therefore, the aim of the organisation is to encourage students' attendance and support their participation in these events. The collaboration in the organisation will strength and reinforce their skills and knowledge as food scientists, will help then to develop a network with food professionals across the sector and will provide them valuable insights into possible careers in all aspects of the food chain. Areas of Interest: My research interests are in the area of food product development and I have a particular interest in furthering our understanding of the functional and physical properties of ingredients and the micro and macrostructure of the products. I'm interested in the study of the reformulation of food products with new ingredients such as hydrocolloids, fibres, prebiotics, enzymes, fatty acids, etc. I'm very interested in understanding how we can change the structure and composition of the product to improve the release and perception of flavour, bioactive compounds and other functional ingredients as strategy to develop healthy food products with improved sensory properties. Recent research has focused on the replacement of fat and sugar with new ingredients in bakery products; and on the study of the build-up or break-down of food systems during manufacturing and oral processing. My research applies physical and microscopic techniques to study food structure, ingredient distribution and interactions, including: • Light microscopy (LM) • Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) • Hot stage-LM • Electron microscopy ( SEM, Cryo-SEM0 • Rheological techniques • Texture analysis Oral processing analysis

Research Interest

Areas of Interest: My research interests are in the area of food product development and I have a particular interest in furthering our understanding of the functional and physical properties of ingredients and the micro and macrostructure of the products. I'm interested in the study of the reformulation of food products with new ingredients such as hydrocolloids, fibres, prebiotics, enzymes, fatty acids, etc. I'm very interested in understanding how we can change the structure and composition of the product to improve the release and perception of flavour, bioactive compounds and other functional ingredients as strategy to develop healthy food products with improved sensory properties. Recent research has focused on the replacement of fat and sugar with new ingredients in bakery products; and on the study of the build-up or break-down of food systems during manufacturing and oral processing.