David Whittaker

Qualifications

  • MSc: Chemical Engineering (Food Processing)
  • BSc: Chemistry

About

David is a thermal and non-thermal processing specialist and has expertise across many food and beverage sectors.

David also delivers many thermal processing training courses and has a real passion for communication in this area, having spoken at several conferences and seminars on the topic, as well as contributing to Campden BRI guidelines.

Areas of interest

David’s interests are in ambient processed foods and beverages (canned foods, acidified foods, particularly wet products), processing chilled and frozen foods, thermal processing of any form, non-thermal decontamination methods, extraction processes, and troubleshooting and problem solving within the foods industry.

Specific areas of expertise

Thermal processing of “wet” food and beverage products. This is across a range of thermal processing methods, including:

  • Pasteurisation process (high temp short time, hot fill hold, tunnel and others)
  • Sterilsiation processes (retort sterilisation, ultra high temp- UHT using direct or indirect heat exchange)
  • Cook-chill and cook-freeze processes and products
  • Heat process test methodologies, such as temperature/heat distribution studies, heat penetration, optimisation, process modelling
  • Troubleshooting and problem solving within the food/bevereage industry
  • US regulations for heat preserved foods and process filing (for FDA)

Other activities within industry

David is a Member of the IFTPS global (Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists). His Chemical and Food engineering master’s, completed at University of Birmingham, is where his interest in the food and beverage industry began.

Before joining Campden BRI, David worked directly within food manufacturing – for a manufacturer of extracted natural flavour oils and power blends, as well as for a large manufacturer of processed chilled foods.

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