Mantzouridou Fani

Fani Mantzouridou (F), PhD, Associate Professor, Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Her education includes a B.Sc. in Chemistry, a M.Sc. in Food Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Food Biotechnology.

Research interests: Food Biotechnology with emphasis on the microbial production of high-value natural food ingredients by food-grade microorganisms in different fermentation systems, optimization and scale-up of novel bioprocesses for the production/recovery of high‐value products by microbial and plant sources using statistical tools, exploitation of industrial by-products (molasses, cheese whey, crude vegetable oils, industrial glycerol, orange peel/pulp, banana peel/pulp, wine lees, table olive processing wastewaters) by biotechnological means for the production of bio-based chemicals, quality and nutritional value improvement of food products with emphasis on fermented foods (e.g. table olives, yogurt, vinegar). She has participates in R&D projects financed EU (FP6, FP-7, H2020, EU-COST) or Greek sources. She is a member of the Interdisciplinary Agri-Food Center (KEAGRO) of AUTh and of the “Natural Products Research Centre of Excellence-AUTh” at the Center of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (AUTH).

Teaching

• Food Chemistry
• Food Processing and Preservation
• Food Biotechnology

Research

Chemistry, processing and quality control and food safety

Investigation of the changes that take place in food (raw materials, intermediate/final products and by-products) during the preparation of food and affect their safety, quality and nutritional value. Re-designing of existing processed non-fermented and fermented food products (such as table olives, vinegar, dairy products, salad dressings) and animal feed with the objective to improve their quality and nutritional value.

Food Biotechnology

Biotechnological production of natural food ingredients (pigments, bioactive lipids, flavor active compounds, organic acids, hydrolytic enzymes) with microorganisms in different culture systems and in particular: examination of the effect of physical, chemical and biological parameters on the production of the target compounds while investigating the chemical composition and the properties of the derived products investigation of the mechanisms governing the synthesis / degradation of metabolic products in microorganisms scale-up of bioprocesses Experimental design, mathematical modeling and optimization of sustainable (bio) processes for the utilization of by-products or waste of the Greek food industry as renewable raw materials for the production of high value-added products and the strengthening of the circular economy / bio-economy.