Food Safety:
Uses state-of-the-art methods to detect and mitigate the risks of contaminants in food. Develops risk assessment models, computational approaches, and detection methods to manage contaminants and the allergenicity of foods. Develops and provides industry with credible information, expert opinions, tools, and services relating to novel foods and ingredients.
Food Preservation and Transformation:
Evaluates the effect of physicochemical properties of foods on their quality and nutritional properties. Advances development and application of innovative technologies, such as precision fermentation in food production.
Food Process Engineering:
Employs emerging technologies, and state-of-the-art equipment and processes to produce foods in a sustainable manner while maintaining and improving their nutritional properties.
Food Chemistry and Analysis:
Applies state-of-the-art analytical, sensory, and digital technologies to quantify interactions among food components and understand their effects on flavor generation, perception, and food quality. The research area integrates psychophysics, sensory science, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics with novel food processing technologies to create new flavor experiences, design innovative food products, and develop digital methods for comprehensive flavor and physicochemical characterization.
Bioactive Agents, Live Biotherapeutics, and Functional Foods:
Investigates the ways in which food components can be beneficial to human health. Evaluates the effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and live biotherapeutics on human health.
Diet, Microbiome and Host interactions in Human Health:
Investigates mechanisms by which the microbiota can improve human health. Develops foods, with an emphasis on Nebraska commodities, that modulate the gut microbiota to reduce the prevalence of preventable, diet-related diseases.