Betty van Esch is Senior Scientist with a broad background on immunology and allergy. She has received her PhD degree on her research on “Cow’s milk Allergy; Avoidance versus tolerance: new concepts for allergy management” at the department Pharmacology, UIPS, Faculty of Science at Utrecht University.
Her main interest field is immune modulation and immune imprinting by dietary interventions, environmental factors and experimental agents and she published >75 papers related to this topic. She has conducted a project on the immune-modulatory capacities of specific probiotics in allergic disease within BIOASTER, a Foundation for Scientific Cooperation sponsored project (under the laws of France).
She supervised projects on the anti-inflammatory role of short-chain fatty acids in cardiovascular disease (China Scholarship Council) and Nutrition-based approaches to support oral immunotherapy in Food allergy. Current programs include research on the health benefits of raw milk, the immune modulation by fermented raw milk Kefir (SAGST, Germany subsidized project), the immune profiling of eosinophilic esophagitis (NWO, the Netherlands subsidized project followed by a Sanofi subsidized grant) and the effect of nutritional concepts on the microbial composition of gut, lungs and esophagus in relation to disease.
Next to her research, she teaches in the Bachelor and Master program of Pharmacy and she is an elected member of the EAACI Immuno-pharmacology taskforce and the Ethical Committee for Animal Experiments.
With seven years of experience in the plastic packaging industry, Philip Myers has established himself as a key sales professional at SP Group, specializing in the UK market. His expertise lies in providing innovative and sustainable flexible packaging solutions to food and non-food industries, ensuring clients receive high-quality, customized packaging that meets the latest industry standards.
At SP Group, Philip works closely with manufacturers, brands, and retailers, understanding their needs and offering tailored solutions that enhance product preservation, shelf appeal, and sustainability.
She has over 15 years of experience in national and international R&D projects in the field of active, recyclable and compostable packaging. She holds a Degree in Chemical Engineering at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Barcelona (Spain). She has been R&D Project Engineer at SP GROUP since 2008 and nowadays she is involved in a range of different projects/research in collaboration with retailers, recycling companies, polymer producers and certification entities for developing new recyclable flexible Packaging with recycled content for food contact.
Niclas brings 5 years of experience in water reuse and sustainability to the food industry. As a water reuse expert at EnviroChemie, Niclas has been at the forefront of developing and implementing innovative water recycling solutions that help food manufacturers reduce their environmental footprint while optimizing operational efficiency.
In his role at EnviroChemie, Niclas collaborates with global food industry partners to design cutting-edge technologies that transform wastewater into valuable resources. His work focuses on driving sustainability, reducing water consumption, and enabling closed-loop water systems within production processes.
Niclas brings deep technical knowledge and practical experience to the conference, having led numerous successful water reuse projects across Europe. He is passionate about addressing the growing challenges of water scarcity by leveraging innovation and fostering sustainable business practices.
During the conference, Niclas will share his insights on the future of water recycling in the food industry, highlight emerging trends, and discuss how innovative technologies are reshaping the way we think about water as a renewable resource.
As Rabobank’s Dairy Strategist, Mary Ledman leads a team of analysts around the globe and is tasked with analyzing developments in the regional and global dairy markets, developing the bank’s medium-term dairy forecasts and advising the bank on its engagement with the dairy industry.
Mary has a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University. In addition, she received Fulbright Scholarship to conduct comparative research on U.S. and European dairy policies at the University of Goettingen, Germany.
An independent entrepreneur and innovator with a focus on sustainable food that respects nature.
Since 2020, Christian Christensen has been the CEO of DRYK ApS, a company producing plant-based drinks for the high-end market.
After several years as a product manager at Coop, Christian Christensen and his partner decided to embark on a project to develop, produce, and sell some of the future’s plant-based foods—without compromising on taste and quality. The core idea was that by replacing milk with plant-based drinks, it is possible to reduce animal production and promote climate sustainability and biodiversity.
Thorough research into suppliers capable of meeting the high standards for raw materials, production, and quality led to a collaboration with the Swedish supplier Trensums Food.
Despite challenges both personally and in business, Christian Christensen has persevered and worked tirelessly, and he is now beginning to reap the rewards of his efforts. DRYK ApS’ revenue is steadily increasing, and today the company exports to more than 30 countries.
Christian Christensen has no doubt that the future of food is plant-based – and that this shift is necessary. His message is that we must find solutions to global public health challenges while simultaneously reducing the global resource consumption of food production.
Jazz Minhas Technical Sales Manager brings 17 years of expertise and a network of contacts within the F&B industry. Passionate about natural colours and ingredients has turned his attention to highlighting the importance of the dairy industry and immersing in proactive solutions for clients. A delegate spokesperson for dairy media articles with exposure to key global dairy manufacturers he continues to drive the usage of sustainable natural colour solutions.
Colette Jermann is a food scientist with a wide experience across the food industry including consultation for new and conventional thermal processing technologies, fortifying foods, and solving NPD challenges.
She is now primarily focused on maximising the visual, and colourful, impact of dairy products using EXBERRY® colours.