Jane Parker is Professor of Flavour Chemistry and Food Research Group lead at the University of Reading, UK. She gained her PhD in physical organic chemistry from the University of Cambridge, and became fascinated by flavour chemistry when she worked at Firmenich in Geneva as a process chemist. She is chair of the RSC food group, member of the EuChemS FCD, and was awarded the Bill Littlejohn Medal for contributions to the art and science of flavour.
She has >20y experience in flavour chemistry, and analysis of flavours, off-notes and precursors, particularly flavour formation pathways (Maillard and lipid derived) and how they interact i) with each other, ii) with other sensory modalities, iii) with the other components of the food matrix. She is currently working on designing flavour into plant-based meat analogues, and incorporating pulses into bread, biscuits, crackers, to sustainably increase nutrients. She established the Flavour Centre at the University of Reading which provides consultancy, training and technical service to industry (>100 food companies).
She is heavily involved with EU initiatives, leading work groups in both the AcryRed and Flavoursome Cost Actions, and is currently involved in the Horizon Europe PLANTOMYC project using fermentation to generate biomass and flavour from side streams.