Peter de Kok

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What flavour does to foods and people, that’s the passion in my professional career which started back in 1988. Taste and aroma are both key consumer drivers and crucial attributes used by people to assess the quality of their foods. Taste and aroma are the result of intricate (bio)chemical processes that produce a wide spectrum of compounds. While eating, all these compounds are released, picked up by the human sensory system and interpreted in the brain; scientifically an area that stretches from analytical science, chemistry, physics (of release) and biology (eating & perception) to psychology (interpretation). This is for me an exciting multidisciplinary area.

After my PhD in Organic Chemistry, I joined Unilever’s central R&D facilities to work in a variety of different groups on taste and aroma; from fundamental background work to flavour creation and application, as a scientist and a group manager (16 years). Now being a Principal Scientist Flavour at NIZO food research (2004), my mission is to explore with you where your products can be improved in its aroma and taste. Sometimes this is easy and straightforward but sometimes this requires use of the state-of-the-art facilities we have at NIZO food research. I look forward working with you in the thrilling world of aroma and taste perception.