Igniting the spark for a better future in food

Almost 30% of HMSM students decide for a Master study after receiving their Funda. One of those alumni is Maud Meijers [F 2014], who’s specific curiosity towards food technology led her to Wageningen University and Research (WUR), and a good seven years later, brought her back to Maastricht.

BY MARCELLA MIDDENDORP [F 2013]

While simultaneously finishing her 6­year long PhD project on plant­-protein transition at WUR, she has been changing the HMSM curriculum since 2021 as lecturer and researcher in Food Science, Technology and Business. Also having been appointed as coordinator of the Foodservice Track at the beginning of this year, Maud is set to help students discover ‘how food really works’ ­ and thereby hopes to increase the (global) impact that the alumni of this track can make in the foodservice industry.

Desire to investigate

Maud: ‘My passion for gastronomy and the world of food & beverage started like it did for many hotello’s: I grew up in a food and flavor loving family. So yes, after I finished my VWO I had the credentials to go straight to university, but I choose HMSM instead, as I felt it was the right place for me to discover where that passion could take me. Back in my days as a student the ‘food curriculum’ was very different. There was module 4, with basic product-­knowledge, the cooking classes, and the minor Foodservice had just started. But I discovered that I had questions that went beyond trend awareness and learning how to make a good mayonnaise or ceviche. I wanted to understand why ingredients reacted with each other, what happened when you applied a certain cooking­-technique and why. This desire to know more, to really understand the science behind food and cooking, and the apprehension that with this knowledge I could influence people’s lives and the ways in which we produce our food: this is when I knew I had to take my education further.’

The right path to knowledge

Taking the next step already started while still at HMSM, with choosing a different path from the minors which were offered internally. Still, her education at the hotel management school did not go astray, because as Maud states, it was ‘a sort­ of hotello mindset that got me there’: she simply called up a study advisor at WUR and invited herself over for coffee. An approach she would like to advice to anyone who is considering specialization during, or after HMSM ­ ‘as it really helps to discover if additional education fits both your personality and aligns with your ambitions. Attending a research university, and especially becoming a PhD candidate, is not necessarily the right path for everybody. The type of education and the amount of time and effort invested on research projects is generally quite different from a university of applied sciences.’

Combining both worlds

For Maud however, that beforementioned coffee was what would become the start of a ten ­year (and still ongoing) ‘food tech and science affair’ in Wageningen. After an intense twenty ­week program, she finished her minor in Food Technology, extended her studies in Maastricht with a Pre­master at the WUR, followed by an internship at trend­-watching agency Shoot my Food. ‘My pre­master and the internship developed an even stronger interest in how the food industry works. But I never would have thought that I would become a teacher. I was thinking about heading into the direction of research and development for one of the big players in the industry. Which is the area that many food technologists end up in. But if I look at how much motivation I have now, both for the final leg of my PhD, and for educating the next generation so they can apply, and bring the more practical side of that knowledge onto our plates by leading change ­ this to me, is really exiting.’

Ready for the future

Once graduated at HMSM, Maud returned to Wageningen to obtain her MSc in Food Technology, where she chose to specialize in Ingredient Functionality ­ ‘the research field that up until this day spikes my interest most’ – and was presented with the opportunity to start working for WUR, to help develop a new (online) Master program. An experience she now uses gratefully within the Foodservice Track at HMSM: ‘The aim is to deliver a program that brings alumni an advantage when entering the foodservice industry, especially when it comes to innovation on a larger scale’, she explains. ‘Not only the technical aspect, but also the other challenges, like consumer behavior, food waste, environmental impact of production methods, transportation, packaging and processing – all can really make a difference to make food healthier, more available and sustainable’. To establish this, not only is the curriculum undergoing changes, but the Future of Food research centre also makes use of a new kind of classroom, the Food Experience Lab, which Maud is really thrilled about: ‘It’s an immersive space, where students and researchers can experiment and alter sensory aspects such as light, sound, color, temperature and smell, and can also project images and video’s on the walls and tables. This really challenges them to apply both the theoretical and technical knowledge, but also inspires to understand that perception of food can be influenced by changes in the direct environment.’

Choose the right battles

On how one combines a PhD with a fulltime position at HMSM Maud explains what she also likes to instill in students during coaching sessions: ‘You have to make choices on what you want to excel in and seize the opportunities that excite you, as passion is still the biggest motivator to get ahead. I believe there are incredible opportunities for the hospitality managers, marketeers and product managers of the future. That is, if they understand how they can make an impact. By the F&B offering in hotels, trough how we stock our supermarkets, or taking on a leadership position around food: it really encourages me when I can help them to be better educated, and know which channels they can tap into’. But, it’s equally important to build up a bit of resilience and balance things out. I spend 40 hours a week at my job, one day at finishing my PhD and another on the social activities or long walks (whilst also maintaining a relationship – red.). A life which students perceive as ‘incredibly busy’. So I then tell them, like how we change the environment in the Food Experience Lab, to never underestimate a good holiday ­ as standing on top of a mountain always helps me to put things into perspective and decide what path is worth taking next.’

Hotel Management School

Maastricht industry works. But I never would have thought that I would become a teacher. I was thinking about heading into the direction of research and development for one of the big players in the industry. Which is the area that many food technologists end up in. But if I look at how much motivation I have now, both for the final leg of my PhD, and for educating the next generation so they can apply, and bring the more practical side of that knowledge onto our plates by leading change ­ this to me, is really exiting.’