Education

• 1977: BA Chemistry, University of York.
• 1980: DPhil in Fast Reaction Kinetics of Conformational Transitions in Polysaccharides. University of York.

Employment History

• 1980-1985: Research Scientist, Unilever Research
• 1985-1990: Senior Scientist for Aqueous Phase Structuring Unilever Research
• 1990-2006: Science Area Leader for Colloids, Unilever Research
• 1997-2002: Principal Scientist for Physical Sciences, Unilever Research
• 2002 - 2006: Science Director for the Foods Research Centre and Chief Scientist Foods, Unilever Research
• July 2006 - present: Professor of Soft Solid Microstructural Engineering, University of Birmingham

Research Interests

Prof Norton has recently left his role as Chief Scientist at Unilever to take a Chair as Professor of Soft Solid Microstructural Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Prof Norton doctorate was in the Physical Chemistry of polysaccharide conformational transitions were he focused on fast reaction kinetics and thermodynamics.

Once he joined industry he moved into the area of colloids and interfaces and developed a microstructure approach. This approach is were the material properties are designed by choosing the ingredients and the way they physically interact and then designing the process to physically structure and trap the microstructure in the desired state, see figure.

The material thus produced determines the material properties, can allow ingredient flexibility in terms of alternatives and replacement, and impact on consumer response ranging from what they are eating, their nutrition and health to what they use to clean their homes or groom themselves.

Professor Norton used this approach to design foods and home and personal care products for Unilever, resulting in a large number of new inventions (he is an inventor on more than 60 granted patents) leading to many new and innovative products, which are still sold today. In his new role at the University Professor Norton will continue this work and extend to a wider range of soft solids. Soft solids are used extensively in: Foods, Personal Care Products, Cosmetics, Paints, Pharmaceuticals, Home Care / Hard Surface cleaning and Laundry.

Professor Norton has authored more than 100 original refereed papers on the science and engineering of biopolymers, fat physical chemistry, kinetics, emulsions, rheology and material science and is an inventor on more than 60 granted patents covering ingredients, spreads, dressings, sauces, skin creams, shampoos and ice-cream.

Current areas of research interest include:

• Emulsions/Emulsification.
• Interfacial design - chemical composition, material properties and rheology.
• Biopolymer solutions and gels - single systems and mixtures, processing control of structures.
• Physical chemical aspects of nutrition and health - in particular how food microstructure can be used to impact on food consumption and the dynamics of macronutrient release.
• Encapsulation and release - targeted delivery.
• Colloids at surfaces and bio-surfaces.
• Crystallisation / Control of crystal morphology and networks - by the chemistry and the processes.
• Material properties of soft solids (including rheology and fracture and flow).
• In use properties - oral processing, skin applications, cooking, surface behaviour etc.

Recent Publications and Patents.

1. Gabriele, A., Syropoulos, F., & Norton, I. T. (2008). Kinetic Study of Fluid Gels and Their Viscoelastic Response. submitted

2. Norton, I. T., Spyropoulos, F., & Cox, P. W. (2008). Emulsions, Emulsification and Phase Inversion. Food Hydrocolloids. In press

3. Pichot, R., Spyropoulos, F., & Norton, I. T. (2008). Mixed-emulsifier stabilised emulsion: Investigation of the effect of monoolein and hydrophilic silica particle mixtures on the stability to coalescence. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Accepted

4. Norton, I. T., Spyropoulos, F., & Cox, P. W. (2008). Rheological control and understanding necessary to formulate healthy everyday foods. Annual Transactions of the Nordic Rheological Society, 16, 11-17

5. Norton, I. T., Cox, P. W., & Spyropoulos, F. (2008). The role of hydrocolloids in the formation of healthy foods. Gums and Stabilisers for the Food Industry, vol. 14 (pp. 293-305): Royal Society of Chemistry.

6. Henry, J., V., Frith, W. J., Fryer, P. J., & Norton, I. T. (2008). Kinetically Trapped Food Grade Nano-emulsions. Foods and Food Ingredients Journal, Japan, 213(3), 192-196.

7. Spyropoulos, F., Ding, P., Frith, W. J., Norton, I. T., Wolf, B., & Pacek, A. W. (2008). Interfacial tension in aqueous biopolymer-surfactant mixtures. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 317(2), 604-610.

8. Spyropoulos, F., Frith, W. J., Norton, I. T., Wolf, B., & Pacek, A. W. (2008). Sheared aqueous two-phase biopolymer-surfactant mixtures. Food Hydrocolloids, 22(1), 121-129.

9. Brown, Z. K., Fryer, P. J., Norton, I. T., Bakalis, S., & Bridson, R. H. (2007). Drying of foods using supercritical carbon dioxide - investigations with carrot. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, 129.

10. Norton, I., Moore, S., & Fryer, P. (2007). Understanding food structuring and breakdown: engineering approaches to obesity. Obesity Reviews, 8, 83-88.     

11. Tharakan, A., Rayment, P., Fryer, P. J., & Norton, I. T. (2007). Modelling of physical and chemical processes in the small intestine. In: European Congress of Chemical Engineering (ECCE-6). Copenhagen.

12. Strom, A., Ribelles, P., Lundin, L., Norton, I., Morris, E. R., & Williams, M. A. K. (2007). Influence of Pectin Fine Structure on the Mechanical Properties of Calcium-Pectin and Acid-Pectin Gels. Biomacromolecules, 8(9), 2668-2674.

13. Ding, P., Norton, I. T., Zhang, Z., & Pacek, A. W. (2007). Mechanical properties of gelatin-rich micro-particles. Journal of Food Engineering, In Press, Corrected Proof, 129.

14. Norton, I., Fryer, P., & Moore, S. (2006). Product/process integration in food manufacture: Engineering sustained health. Aiche Journal, 52(5), 1632-1640.  *

15. Norton, I. T., Frith, W. J., & Ablett, S. (2006). Fluid gels, mixed fluid gels and satiety. Food Hydrocolloids, 20(2-3), 229-239.  *

16. Ström A, L. L., Norton I.T, Morris E.R. and Williams M.A.K (2006). Fine structure modification of pectin - analytical characterisation and rheological implications. Gums and Stabilisers for the Food Industry 13, 85-97.

Recent Book Chapters

1. Cox, P. W., Spyropoulos, F., & Norton, I. T. (2008). Effect of Processing on Biopolymer Interactions. In: S. Kasapas, I. T. Norton, & J.Ubbink, Modern Biopolymer Science: Bridging the Divide between Fundamental Treatise and Industrial Application: Elsevier. In press

2. Foster, T. J., & Norton, I. T. (2008). Self-assembling structures in the GI tract. In: D. J. McClements, & E. Decker, Designing functional foods: Woodhead. In press

3. Spyropoulos, F., Cox, P. W., & Norton, I. T. (2008). Immiscible liquid – liquid mixing. In: P.J.Cullen, FOOD MIXING - PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS: Blackwell. In press

4. Seville, J. P. K., Fryer, P. J., & Norton, I. T. (2007a). Formulation of Structured Chemical Products. In: U. Brockel, W. Meier, & G. Wagner, Product Design and Engineering, vol. 2 (pp. 701 - 713).

5. Seville, J. P. K., Fryer, P. J., & Norton, I. T. (2007b). Formulation of Structured Chemical Products. In: U. Brockel, W. Meier, & G. Wagner, Product Design and Engineering, vol. 1 (pp. 121 - 129).

Selected Granted Patents.

1. Frith W.J., Norton I.T., and Wolf B., 'Fibre containing composition', no. EP1285588, (2003).

2. Appelquist I.A.M., Brown C.R.T., Homan J.E., Jones M.G., Malone M.E., and Norton I.T., 'Low-fat food emulsions having controlled flavour release and processes therefor', no. EP1102548, (2001).

3. Aronson M.P., Brown C.R.T., Chatfield R.J., Fairley P., Norton I.T., and Williams J.R., 'Detergent compositions', no. EP1066366, (2001).

4. Aldred A., Appelqvist I.A.M., Brown C.R.T., Homan J.E., Jones M.G., Malone M.E., Norton I.T., and Underdown J., 'Frozen low-fat food emulsions and processes therefor', no. EP1102544, (2001).

5. Bialek J.M., Jones M.G., and Norton I.T., 'Pourable edible aqueous-continuous emulsions', no. EP0994658, (2000).

6. Grant E., Campbell I, Norton I., inventor. 'Stable coconut cream alternative', no. WO9819553, (1998).

7. Brown C.R.T., Jones M.G., Norton I.T., and Underdown J., 'Aqueous dispersions with hydrolysed starch derivatives', no. WO9713413, (1997).

8. Brown C.R.T., Daniels S.C., Jones M.G., Norton I.T., Rubow R.E., Kochakji D.J., and Buchanan M.A., 'Pourable salad dressing', no. EP0771151, (1997).

9. Appelqvist I.A.M., Brown C.R.T., and Norton I.T., 'Liquid sauce or soup', no. EP0772406, (1997).

10. Norton I.T. and Underdown J., 'Low fat spread', no. EP0753996, (1997).

11. Livingston R.M. and Norton I.T., 'Edible spread with aqueous phase with non-gelling thickener system and low protein content', no. US5656322, (1997).

12. Norton I.T., Kelly T.R., and Underdown J., 'Spread', no. EP0420315, (1991).

13. Norton I.T., 'Water-in-oil dispersion and process for preparing such dispersion', no. EP0398412, (1990).

14. Cain F.W., Day M.J.I., Jones M.G., and Norton I.T., 'Edible plastified dispersion', no. EP0279499, (1988).