Role in the project
NIZO food research is the overall co-ordinator of the project and the lead partner for work packages WP 8, 9 and 10. It contributes to expertise in the definition of product and processing conditions to be tested and modelled, verifying modelling and validation trials. This means contributions for the work packages WP 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 and 10.

Facilities and approach
NIZO food research has been working for the food industry for over 50 years and has a huge practical experience in the field of drying processes and related product quality. NIZO food research has a wide experience in building predictive models for (food) production processes. NIZO has built and implemented predictive models in the area of heating processes, evaporation and spray drying. Essential for the NIZO approach is to define key parameters that are used to predict product quality as a function of processing conditions. A demo version of the NIZO software tools can be ordered at edecad@nizo.nl
NIZO food research has a wide experience in using CFD software packages for many different applications and has developed (in-house) a 2D-CFD computer program for simulating spray drying machines. Quantitative relations are used, based on actual kinetics and relations instead of using a black-box model. This approach has proven to be very successful. Besides this expertise NIZO also offers the facilities and equipment for validation trials.

EDECAD-project team
Ruud Verdurmen (M.Sc.) is the co-ordinator of the EDECAD project. At NIZO food research he is working as principle scientist in the field of powder technology. He joined NIZO food research in 1998 and is in charge of international industrial research projects. In his previous position at an international company producing baby food and clinical nutrition (since 1990) he gained practical and theoretical experience on spray drying and agglomeration.
Maykel Verschueren (M.Sc., Ph.D.) is working as a principle scientist in the field of process modelling at NIZO food research. He graduated in 1999 at Eindhoven University in the field of using CFD for structure developments in flow. Maykel Verschueren is the work package leader of WP 8.
Peter de Jong (B.Sc., Ph.D.) is head of the Processing, Modelling & Control group at NIZO food research. He joined NIZO food research in 1987. He graduated at Delft University of Technology (1996) on modelling and optimisation of thermal treatments in the food industry.
Han (J.) Straatsma (M.Sc.) is working as senior engineer at NIZO food research in the workgroup Predictive Modelling. He has a wide experience in modelling food production processes, including spray drying.
Erik Smit (M.Sc.) is working as senior engineer at NIZO food research in the workgroup Predictive Modelling. He is experienced in modelling food production processes and has an IT background.
Mark Vissers (M.Sc.) is working as senior engineer at NIZO food research in the workgroup Predictive Modelling. He is experienced in modelling food production processes and the use of Fuzzy Logic and Neural Network applications.
Mieke Sibeyn (M.Sc., Ph.D.) is working as senior scientist at NIZO food research in the field of industrial separation processes.