Profile of Dr Vijai K S Shukla - Founder of IFSC

Vijai K S Shukla is the director of the International Food Science Centre A/S, Denmark. Dr Shukla has been active in food science research since 1969 and has published numerous papers and has authored several books. His research interests have ranged from physical phenomena to mechanisms of autoxidation, isolation of lipids, spectral phenomena related to lipids, modern analytical methodology, and involvement of essential fatty acids in health and diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Batten's Syndrome.

Dr Shukla has shown essential fatty acid deficiency in multiple sclerosis and Batten's disease. These were related to glutathione peroxidase activity and antioxidants requirements in these diseases. Dr Shukla has also analysed the arctic diet of Eskimos living in Greenland and compared with Danes elucidating some of the mechanisms of coronary heart disease in these population groups.

Dr Shukla has been working in the area of confectionery product development for the past two decades. He has a special expertise in cocoa butter, milk fat, cocoa butter equivalents and cocoa butter substitutes based on modern concepts of recipe engineering.

Dr Shukla is member of the advisory board of INFORM, associate editor of the Journal of American Oil chemists' Society Lipid Technology, the Journal of Food Lipids, and is the chairman of the American Oil Chemist's Society's NMR Group. Dr Shukla's name appears in the Marquis Who's Who in the World. On behalf of the World Bank, Dr Shukla helped to develop strategies for the Malaysian Prime Minister's Vision 2020 program within food science research. Dr Shukla received the American Oil Chemist's Society's 1996 Herbert Dutton Award for his pioneering contribution to speciality fats.