Project Goals  -  How FFNet Operates  -  The Management Team 



The European FunctionalFoodNet (FFNet) project began its activities in January 2006 in more than 20 European countries and concluded in Spring 2008. The network focused mainly on SMEs and larger companies producing functional foods and food ingredients.

Project Goals

**technology and information transfer to non competing participating companies on new scientific research outcomes on functional foods, on European and national markets, and on the legal aspects of functional food production and claims in Europe

**proactive networking of non-competing companies thereby establishing new collaborations and business relationships throughout Europe

**forming a collaborative platform of European food and ingredient companies, scientists/technologists, health professionals, marketing and innovation specialists

**establishing follow-on projects with companies on specific aspects of functional foods---see more---

How FFNet operates in practice

Over 190 companies have joined FFNet to date. The workshops/meetings programme and its spin-off collaborations are the kernel of the FFNet project.  Workshops have been held to date in Turku (Finland; 9-10 March 2006---see more---), Freising (Germany; 22-23 May 2006---see more---), Liverpool (UK; 19-20 September 2006---see more---), and Budapest (Hungary; 26-27 March 2007---see more---), Valencia (Spain; 22-23 October 2007---see more---) and in Naantali (Finland; 8-9 November 2007---see more---). Most cutting edge issues in functional foods have been highlighted and presented at the workshops, and there has been ample time for companies to network and explore mutual business opportunities. All outputs are given on the outputs page---see more---. Companies can still join FFNet---see more---.

The Management Team 

Finn Holm, FoodGroup Denmark, DK, Co-ordinator of FFNet. (e-mail: Finn.holm@FoodGroup.dk).
Finn Holm holds an MSc degree in chemistry/biochemistry and has 30 years experience within food science, technology, nutrition, and management, working within international food industries, consultancy and food institutes in Denmark and abroad. He is a Managing Director and Partner in FoodGroup Denmark, which is a SME consultancy enterprise, specializing in technology transfer from science to food industries, particularly on functional foods (during the last 10 years) but also on project management, innovation, dissemination, networking and business planning. Food Group Denmark interacts strongly with European food industries and the European Commission, and in particular with the Science and Industry Directorates, in project management (PTA), project evaluation, dissemination activities, networking of food SMEs, arrangement of European innovation workshops for food industries, project co-ordination etc. Before his present position, he was President of the Biotechnological Institute in Denmark and the Danish Academy of Technical Science. Finn Holm is also Director (R&D) and shareholder of a new company, Nordic NutriScience, which develops and produces new functional foods and ingredients.

Ronan Gormley, formerly of Ashtown Food Research Centre (AFRC-Teagasc), IE. Assistant Co-ordinator of FFNet. (e-mail: ronan.gormley@ucd.ie).
Professor Ronan Gormley was a Senior Principal Research Officer and practised as a food technologist at Ashtown Food Research Centre for 42 years. He is now located in the UCD Institute of Food and Health in University College Dublin (see www.ucd.ie/foodandhealth).  He has wide experience in prepared and convenience foods, functional foods, process technology, seafood technology, the cold chain, human nutrition (including nutraceuticals and functional foods), and in dissemination/technology transfer (FLAIR-FLOW Europe). He has extensive international experience, especially at EU level and has been involved in a number of EU food research and dissemination projects as Irish National Delegate and/or as project coordinator. He is responsible for the FFNet website and other dissemination activities. Ashtown Food Research Centre (AFRC) in Dublin is a world class food research centre with a dynamic R&D programme serving the Irish food industry. AFRC is one of the research centres of the larger organisation, Teagasc, the Irish Agricultural and Food Development Authority.

Marjo Mäkinen-Aakula, Functional Food Forum, University Turku, FI. Management Group Member of FFNet. (e-mail: Marjo.makinen-aakula@utu.fi).
Ms Marjo Mäkinen-Aakula is a project manager in the Functional Foods Forum (fff) at the University of Turku, Finland. She co-ordinates R&D projects for SMEs and arranges further education for SMEs. She holds an MSc in Agriculture and has 15 years experience of projects in agriculture, extension education, consumer research and functional foods. She is local co-ordinator of the Finnish national network of the Centre of Expertise for Food Development (ELO) where her specialist area is Food and Health, including functional foods. The aim of the ELO network is to enhance the competitiveness of small sized food companies through the knowledge base of universities and research centres. The Scientific network of the Functional Foods Forum (fff) was established in 2002 at the University of Turku. Co-operation in the Turku area consists of three universities and a polytechnic i.e, University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Turku School of Economics and Business Administration, and Turku Polytechnic.

Gerhard Rechkemmer (Prof. Dr.), President of the Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food in Karlsruhe, DE. Management Group Member of FFNet.
(e-mail: gerhard.rechkemmer@bfel.de). Gerhard Rechkemmer was formerly Professor and Chairman of the “Biofunctionality of Food” Unit in the Department of Food and Nutrition of the Technical University of Munich. Previously he was director of the Institute of Nutritional Physiology at the Federal Research Centre of Nutrition in Karlsruhe. His scientific interests include phytochemicals, soluble fibres (prebiotics) and probiotic microorganisms. He is a member of the scientific advisory committee of ILSI Europe. Nationally he is a member of the Senate Commission for the Assessment of Chemicals Used in Agriculture [Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)] and of the Senate Commission on Food Safety embracing working groups on Functional Foods and Dietary Supplements.

Catherine Side, Inside Consulting [Member of the Virtual Consulting Group (LLP)], Pangbourne, UK. Management Group Member of FFNet. (e-mail: catherineside@aol.com).
Catherine Side, MSc has a strong background in the Biological Sciences from Cambridge University. Inside Consulting has provided a cost-effective and professional Business Development service since 1991. She has a successful career in the sales and marketing of ingredients and intermediates for food, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. She has extensive experience internationally, including senior positions in an ingredients company in the USA and Canada and also product launches in many countries world-wide. The VCG are independent professional consultants working as Associates and offering a range of specialist services to industry, government and academia. VCG has a network of associated consulting groups worldwide who consult within the bioscience and allied industries including the food, beverage, health food, ingredients, additives and food safety sectors. Activities include international strategy, market development, market research, business development, product development, project management, consultancy, and sales training relating to a range of new and existing ingredients, mostly natural.

Peter Gerely, METE, Hungarian Scientific Society for Food Industry, HU. Management Group Member of FFNet. (e-mail: mail.mete@mtesz.hu).
Peter Gerely (MSc) is a mechanical engineer with 43 years experience in R&D for the Hungarian Food Industry. He has been involved in over 30 R&D projects in the last 10 years, ten of them as leader in the Central Food Research Institute (KÉKI). As a result he developed special skills in food sector policy, planning and research, from development and production stages through to management. He is a former Managing Director of the Food Packaging Centre of the Central Food Research Institute (KÉKIPACK) specialising on the development of packaging and on its environmental impact. In his retirement (over the last six years) he is active as consultant and as a trainer. He is also active in the Hungarian Focal Point for EU food research programmes. MÉTE was founded in 1949 to facilitate the application of the results of scientific research and technical development in food processing and associated fields to food companies. MÉTE has over 3200 individual and 180 company members.