Department of Plant-Based Foods

Teaching

Dear students, our teaching offers current knowledge around analyses and processes for the production of plant-based foods and raw materials. We are continuously developing learning materials so that new trends are included and above all, we try to convey solution methods and solution-oriented thinking.

Should you have any questions you are encouraged to contact us: Mario Jekle and Sybille Neidhart.

Theses

We offer project, bachelor and master theses. Below you find some of the actual research areas.

To discuss further topics, please contact us directly. 

Thesis (B.Sc./M.Sc. with or without project work): Utilization of Yeast Protein for Use in Food Systems

Proteins play a crucial role in the food industry today, with both plant-based and animal proteins being widely used. A promising alternative to these are yeast proteins, which can be derived from by-products of the brewing industry. To optimally utilize these yeast proteins as ingredients in food products, thorough investigation is required. The research goal is to extensively characterize, fractionate, and functionalize the yeast proteins, enabling their versatile application in various food products. The thesis may include tasks in the areas of fractionation and functionalization followed by characterization

Contact M.Sc. Louisa Wötzel

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Theoretische Bachelorarbeiten (B.Sc.) (ab sofort):

Zwischen steigender technologischer Relevanz und sinkender Verbraucherakzeptanz: Gluten in der modernen Ernährung

Gluten, als vielseitiges Proteingemisch, beeinflusst die Lebensmittelproduktion und Ernährung auf verschiedene Weisen, indem es als Texturbildner die Qualität vieler Lebensmittel positiv beeinflusst. Trotz technologischer Relevanz sinkt jedoch die Verbraucherakzeptanz gegenüber glutenhaltigen Produkten, und die vorliegende Arbeit strebt ein umfassendes Verständnis von Gluten in verschiedenen Getreidearten, seiner Bedeutung in Lebensmitteln, und seiner Rolle in der modernen Ernährung. an

Kontakt: M.Sc. Natalie Feller (natalie.feller@uni-hohenheim.de)

Analyse der ernährungsphysiologischen Relevanz von Acrylamid in Lebensmitteln

Die chemische Verbindung Acrylamid, die sich vorwiegend in stärkehaltigen Lebensmitteln bei hohen Temperaturen bildet, steht wegen potenzieller gesundheitlicher Risiken im Fokus von Ernährungswissenschaft und Lebensmittelindustrie. Diese Arbeit zielt darauf ab, anhand einer Literaturrecherche Acrylamidkonzentrationen in verschiedenen Lebensmittelgruppen zu bewerten, Gesundheitsrisiken zu analysieren und eine umfassende Risikobewertung unter Einbeziehung von Tierversuchsdaten durchzuführen.

Kontakt: M.Sc. Jagoda Swiacka (jagoda.swiacka@uni-hohenheim.de)

Engineered Nutrition: Potential personalisierter Ernährungsstrategien und die Rolle des 3D-Drucks im Hinblick auf die Lebensmittel von morgen

Der Begriff "Personalisierte Ernährung" bezieht sich auf eine individuell angepasste Nahrungsaufnahme zur Verbesserung der Gesundheit und Prävention von Krankheiten. Die vorliegende Arbeit zielt darauf ab, diesen Ansatz zu definieren, die Vorgehensweise zu erläutern und insbesondere innovative lebensmitteltechnologische Herstellungstechniken wie den Lebensmittel-3D-Druck zu beleuchten.

Kontakt: M.Sc. Robert Fribus (robert.fribus@uni-hohenheim.de)

Thesis: B.Sc. (available right away): Rheological assessment of commercial fruit preparations and determination of rheological target values

In the food industry, there are various applications for fruit preparations, each with distinct requirements, for which uniform standards do not yet exist. To simplify the overview of industry requirements, a market screening is to be conducted as part of a student thesis. This involves characterizing several commercially available fruit preparations, as well as those made in-house, using different rheological methods. From this dataset, uniform rheological target values for various applications will be derived.

Contact M.Sc. Silvan Festini

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Thesis (M.Sc. or B.Sc.): Coloured wheat as an alternative to normal wheat - comparison of an organic vs. a conventional production

Our traditionally used wheat is a so-called reddish wheat with the typical orange-yellow grain and dark brown wholemeal flour colour. However, there are still wheat varieties that are much lighter, so-called white wheat, and other wheat varieties with colours ranging from blue, yellow to purple. White wheats are characterised by light wholemeal flours, which, according to the literature, do not taste very typical of wholemeal.

The aim of the work is to compare for the first time different varieties from organic and conventional cultivation with regard to their ingredients and baking properties.

Be part of these exciting new findings!

Contact Prof. Dr. Mario Jekle

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Theses (B.Sc. - in German, M.Sc. - in English) in following topic areas: Fibre-rich 3 D-printed foods from apples

  • Apple processing: production of suitable starting/base material from apples
  • Chemical characterization of apple batches serving as the raw material
  • Chemical and functional characterization of base material produced from apples on the pilot- plant scale
  • Rheological modification of the base material for 3D-printing 3D-printing trials with different types of base material from apples
  • Chemical and functional characterization of products from 3D-printing

This project is performed by the Hohenheim Department of Plant-based Foods in cooperation with the Hohenheim Bioeconomy Office (Dr. Evelyn Reinmuth) and the Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau Bodensee (KOB). The offered theses will be performed at the Hohenheim Department of Plant-based Foods.

Contact

Dr. Sybille Neidhart

Dr. Ahmed Fahmy

Thesis (M.Sc.): Functionalization of sainfoin for the circular Bioeconomy (available right away)

Sainfoin has the potential to improve the sustainability of agriculture and food systems in multiple ways. Sainfoin can provide continuous living cover and biological fixation to enhance soil fertility and health. It can also provide ecosystem services as a resource for pollinators and wildlife in addition to nitrogen fixation. Recent literature also suggests that sainfoin could become the next pulse crop for human use.

This master thesis aims assess the potential of sainfoin as a new pulse crop through a multi-layered analysis (Agronomy, Nutrition and Techno-environmental evaluation of the extraction technologies). It is up to the candidate to decide whether this thesis remains a literature review or is complemented by expert interviews or laboratory work. The outcome should be a recommendation of next steps to develop sainfoin as a new pulse in the context of a sustainable and circular Bioeconomy (food and non-food products).

  • Overview of varieties
  • Agronomy
  • Nutritional quality (feed, human nutrition)
  • Extraction methods for functional food ingredients
  • Techno-environmental evaluation of the extraction methods

Contact Prof. Dr. Mario Jekle

Courses

Our courses can be found in the Lecture Directory of the University of Hohenheim in HohCampus and in Ilias. 

 

On HohCampus you can find our courses via

>  Faculty of Natural Sciences
>  Food Science and Biotechnology (150)
>  Plant-Based Foods (150d)