Mari Carmen Villarán, PhD
Head of Extraction and encapsulation
We develop more natural, healthy and functional ingredients, foods and food supplements. We identify new molecules and raw materials in order to obtain them through sustainable and safe physical and chemical processes.
We also design and develop micro- and nano-encapsulation processes for protecting, stabilising and controlling the release of ingredients.
We obtain healthy ingredients and food in a sustainable way through economically viable processes, by developing physical and chemical and micro- and nano-encapsulation processes.
In addition, we provide ways to improve the profitability of companies by recovering agri-food by-products.
Our key technologies include:
- Physical and chemical processes for obtaining technological and functional ingredients from different raw materials, including agri-food by-products.
- Encapsulation of ingredients to guarantee their functionality and bioavailability, in order to obtain functional foods and food supplements.
- Development of natural alternatives to extend the shelf life of foods: natural preservatives and active coatings, among others.
- Development of technologies to improve the properties and nutritional value of foods: ‘foods without’, and ‘rich in’, among others.
