To meet the needs of our clients and to address the trends apparent in the food industry we will undertake the following programs:
Identify and study important food safety issues related to fruits and vegetables in the areas of microbiological safety, chemical safety and naturally occurring plant toxicants and nutraceuticals.
- Microbial Pathogens and Food Spoilage Organisms - Processor and Consumer Concerns
- Pesticide Residues and Environmental Contaminants - Methods Development and Chemical Analyses
Establish research programs designed to probe the molecular basis of functionality and quality with special emphasis in the areas of biochemistry of fruits and vegetables/post harvest physiology, sensory quality of foods, physical / chemical properties of foods and ingredients and microbiology of foods
- Charmanalysis - Analyzing Aroma by Gas Chromatography - Olfactometry (GCO)
- Chemistry of Fruits and Vegetables - Discovery & Invention
- Flavor Science - Sensory Analysis, Chemistry, & Engineering
- Food Texture - Analysis and Interpretation
- Haze and Foam - Research & Modeling
- Multivariate Analysis and Chemometrics - Insight and Understanding
- Post Harvest Physiology - Research and Testing
- Rheological Behavior of Fluid and Semisolid Foods - Basic and Applied Studies
- Visual Quality Measurements - Color & Browning
Identify and study technologies and systems that promote and enhance food value including safety and cost with special emphasis in the areas of engineering/process optimization, packaging & storage applications, wine & other fermented beverages/fermentation systems. We will use the Food Venture Center and the Cornell Wine Analysis Laboratory as applied research and outreach centers.
- Enology - Research & Extension
- Fermentation - Science & Technology
- Fruit & Vegetable Processing - Pilot Scale Operations & Laboratory Support
- New York State Food Venture Center - Support for New Ventures
- Packaging Systems - Research and Evaluation
- Wine Research and Extension
Study improved methods for waste reduction and disposal, and new procedures for the detection and analysis of environmental contaminants related to the food industry. Special focus will be on processing waste treatment technologies, agrochemical fate studies, and environmental toxins and diagnostics.
- Food Processing Waste Technology - Waste Utilization Technologies
- Macromolecules - The Science and Technology of Polysaccharides
- Environmental Science - Carcinogens & Risk Management
By developing these programs we expect to succeed in our mission goals and remain a center of excellence for research in food science on fruits and vegetables.