Dr Danielle van Dalen was born in the Netherlands in 1950 and partly educated in Germany, completing her secondary education at the German School in The Hague. She studied Biochemistry in Leiden, then worked at TNO's Institute of Experimental Gerontology from 1978 to 1982, research that formed the basis of her Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Utrecht in 1983.

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That same year, she joined the biotechnology company Gist-brocades (now DSM) in Delft, becoming Manager Regulatory Affairs in 1986. In that role she oversaw EU regulatory issues and product registration for fermentation-derived food additives, Novel Food, and food enzymes — often rDNA-based products. She represented the European food enzyme industry at Codex Alimentarius, authoring several reports on global regulatory issues, and served as Chairperson of AMFEP, the industrial enzyme manufacturers' association, for a total of seven years, alongside a seat on the Executive Committee of the food additives and enzymes federation ELC. She played a central role in shaping the EU Food Enzyme Regulation, working closely with the European Commission, European Parliament, EFSA and national authorities.

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Following her retirement in 2015, Dr van Dalen joined PA Europe as Senior Advisor, focusing on regulatory issues in food and feed.