After my study at the University of Utrecht (Analytical & Clinical Chemistry) and my time in the Army, I entered the world of Chewing Gum; Starting as Analytical Lab Manager (every raw material batch coming in was tested in that time), I learned to know everything about its Raw Materials, Analytical methods, and the chemistry around this intriguing material. In 1982 I went into R&D, coupling my knowhow in its Raw Materials with their behavior in Production: A fantastic experience.This variety of Raw Materials (sugar, sugarfree, encapsulations, intensive sweeteners, softeners, the world of mint flavors, polymers, resins etc.) and working with powder / polymer based formulas were so intriguing for me and full of challenges that I continued working in this field for nearly 34 years now; Also meeting colleagues and suppliers from all over the globe and seeing / learning their way of working was extremely exciting for me. As most of my work fell into the world of “trade secret”, I decided to write a patent, just as experience; It was issued in 2007 …I retired (at the age of 62) in February 2011, but because I still like this very special world, I started my own Chewing Gum Consultancy Business;Goal: looking for nice challenges in this field, (can be small projects of 1 day or more "longlasting" ones...,),Specialties: Chewing Gum, Gumbase, Raw Materials, Sugarfree, Sugar containing, Dragees, Coating, Recipe Database,Raw Material Specifications, Encapsulations, (Int.) Sweeteners, Mint Oils, Shelflife aspects, Trouble Shooting,