Peter was trained as a chemist at King’s College London, and after postdoctoral positions at Cornell and the San Francisco Medical Centre, joined Unilever Research where he spent most of his career. He led Basic Research in Food Physical Chemistry and Materials Science and as Chief Scientist (Foods), was also responsible for research in Microbiology and Sensory Science.
He retired in 2001 and is currently a Visiting Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.
He is Chairman of the UK LINK Scheme in Advanced Food Manufacturing.
He is a member of the UK National Technology Platform for Food and consults for several multinational food and drink companies.
He was Chairman of the UK Technology Foresight Programme for Food and Drinks and Chairman of Governors of the Institute of Food Research (UK); and is also a former President of IFST, and ISOPOW. He has held Fellowships with CSIRO (Australia).
He was awarded the Senior Medal for Food Science by the Royal Society of Chemistry: and an Outstanding Achievement Award by the European Federation of Food Science and Technology;
He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology, The Royal Society of Chemistry, The Institute of Food Science and Technology and The Royal Society of Arts.
He was made Commander of the British Empire (CBE) “for services to science and the food industry”
Special areas of interest are:-
- Food materials science
- Food microstructure
- Water in foods
- Sensory science of Foods
- Microbiology and Safety