Brigitte Martínez
Course coordinator
Brigitte Martinez is an Agricultural Technical Engineer (2001) from the University of Vic and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, with a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Girona (2005) and an Official Master’s in Human Nutrition and Food Quality organized by the University of the Balearic Islands (2010). She specializes in the application and improvement of discontinuous thermal treatments on different food matrices, enhancing their shelf life and sensory quality. Additionally, she has worked on the application of new preservation technologies (microwaves, high pressure, and radio frequencies) to extend shelf life while improving organoleptic quality, thus obtaining new products and/or processes adapted to consumer demands. She has extensive experience in contractual research activities with companies in the food sector and in dissemination activities in the field of food technology. She is currently coordinating the International Course in Dry Cured Meat Products, “Curso internacional en tecnología de productos cárnicos” and being on the Local Organizing Committee of ICoMST 2025 (International Congress of Meat Science and Technology).
Sara Bover
Degree in Pharmacy and PhD from the Department of Nutrition and Bromatology of the University of Barcelona (2000). Currently responsible for the IRTA Food Security Program in Monells, Girona. His research activity focuses on the study and modeling of the behavior of microorganisms in food and the assessment of microbiological risks, as well as the study of the effect of classical and emerging technologies (eg high pressures, bioconservation, active packaging) to food preservation and shelf life, through predictive microbiology and laboratory tests ("challenge test"). She is the co-author of 70 scientific publications, as well as technical articles and book chapters. He has participated in numerous conferences and competitive research projects, national and international, as well as in contractual research projects with companies in the sector. She regularly contributes as an organizer, speaker or teacher in transfer conferences, seminars, undergraduate and postgraduate university courses, as well as specialized technical training. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Food Microbiology and Secretary of the Executive Board of the International Committee of Food Microbiology and Hygiene (ICFMH).
Pere Gou
Dr. Pere Gou holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (1988) and a PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the same university (1993). Since 2015 he has been the head of IRTA's Food Technology Program. Since joining IRTA in 1991, he has participated in more than 25 national and 10 European projects. He has been a member of the scientific committee of three international conferences. He has published more than 150 publications (more than 90 in indexed scientific journals) and has licensed 4 patents. He has been an associate professor at the University of Girona for 16 years (1998-2014) and has directed 8 doctoral theses. During this time, he has worked mainly in meat technology, but also in applications to other foods. The lines of research have focused on the study of the modifications that both the ingredients and the technologies of transformation or conservation (both traditional and new) cause in the characteristics of foods (from technological properties to sensory properties). , as well as the development of non-destructive methods for monitoring product characteristics and processes. His main lines of research today are modeling the effects of ingredients and technologies on food processing and preservation and developing methods for at-line, on-line and in-line quality analysis. of product and process supervision.
Elena Fulladosa
Elena Fulladosa Tomàs, graduated in Biology (1999) and PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Girona (2004). Researcher in the Food Technology Program of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA) since 2007. The last years she has been working on the implementation of new technologies in the food industry for the optimization of the processes of development and characterization nutritional dels aliments. He has worked in various technologies such as computed tomography, basic equipment in RX, NIR spectrometry and microons and high hydrostatic pressures in meat products, pernil curat and other food.
During his research career he has participated in various European projects (Q-meat, Truefood, Q-porkchains, FoodSME-hop, Procured, Faim-cost) and competitive national ones (leading the Soltexham and Classham projects) as well as in contracts with companies in the sector agri-food. Highlight its participation in the development of an industrial computed tomography equipment that is currently being tested in the cured ham industry. He has published 43 scientific articles, 13 book chapters, has participated in more than 50 contributions in international conferences and has directed 2 doctoral theses. He has a patent related to the optimization of the cured ham production process using non-destructive technologies. Currently she is also an associate professor at the University of Girona where she teaches the subject "Culinary Technology and New Technologies" in the Degree in Food Safety and Innovation.
Anna Jofré
Anna Jofré has a degree in Biology (1998) and a doctorate from the University of Girona (2003). In 2003 she joined IRTA-Monells as an instigator of the current Food Security program. His work has focused mainly on improving food safety and extending the shelf life of products, mainly known and standard cured raw meats and reducing in salt, through the application of barrier technology (eg post -loyalty, etc. through the use of classical techniques, molecular biology, predictive microbiology and systematic reviews In these areas, I have participated in numerous national and European projects and contracts with companies in the sector and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA She is the co - author of more than 60 scientific and technical publications and 80 papers at national and international conferences, and regularly teaches technical courses and seminars.
Maria Font
Maria Font i Furnols is an Agronomist (1994), graduated in food science and technology (1997) and in psychology (2011). He obtained his doctorate in 2000 at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. She has worked as a researcher at IRTA since 2000 on carcass and meat quality issues and on the use of computed tomography for the evaluation of live animals and their carcasses. He has participated in several national and international projects. It has more than 70 scientific publications and more than 50 popular ones, as well as various book chapters.
Luis Guerrero
Her research focuses on measuring consumer eating behavior from a multidisciplinary perspective, standardizing sensory analysis on different foods, as well as methodological sensory aspects, statistical analysis, and experimental design. He is also a professor of sensory analysis and statistics applied to different national master's degrees, a member of the "Asociación Española de Normalización" (AENOR), a founding member of the "Asociación Española de Profesionales del Análisis Sensorial" and responsible for the working group of sensometry of the “International Olive Council”.
Her research focuses on measuring consumer eating behavior from a multidisciplinary perspective, standardizing sensory analysis on different foods, as well as methodological sensory aspects, statistical analysis, and experimental design. He is also a professor of sensory analysis and statistics applied to different national master's degrees, a member of the "Asociación Española de Normalización" (AENOR), a founding member of the "Asociación Española de Profesionales del Análisis Sensorial" and responsible for the working group of sensometry of the “International Olive Council”.
Maria Dolors Guàrdia
Maria Dolors Guàrdia is an Agricultural Engineer from the University of Lleida (1996) and holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the same university (2003). She has worked at IRTA since 1996 as a researcher in the Food Technology program in which she performs, among other things, surveillance functions in food legislation. His professional activity is developed mainly through research projects and contracts with private companies at national and international level in the field of technology and food processing, both in the application of classic or conventional technologies and processes and in the application of those considered new or emerging (high pressure, radio frequency,…). He has spent much of his time designing and conducting studies with trained / expert and consumer sensory analysis panels. He has participated in the international course since its first edition.
Marta Garrón
She is an agricultural engineer, specializing in agri-food industries from the UPC (2000), with a degree in Food Science and Technology from the UAB (2002) and a Master’s in Food History and Culture from the UB (2011). He specializes in the dairy and cheese sector.
For 12 years he has developed his professional experience in the private food and dairy company. He has worked in the beer industry (DAMM) in the development and implementation of industrial and dairy projects in different Catalan and French dairies. He has taught cheese in Agricultural Schools (EA Pirineus and EA Empordà), in the “artisanal cheese” course organized by the Lluçanès Consortium and the Catalan Employment Service (SOC) and in the IRTA Cheese Making Course . Forma part d’un grup d’anàlisi sensorial del formatge i ha participat en diferents tasts de formatges de concursos d’àmbit català, espanyol i mundial.
Since 2013 he has been a research technician specializing in dairy and cheese at IRTA, developing research projects and contracts with private companies. She also develops different dairy training and is the coordinator of the IRTA Cheese Making Course.
