About Us

Background

The surge in consumer and this corporate interest for the development of new foods, ingredients, and crops with unique qualities delivering health benefits spurred experienced and recognized OSU collaborators to develop the Center. CAFFRE is interdisciplinary in nature and is comprised of a diverse group of well known scientists, medical professionals, and policy experts that have experience working with industry partners.

“From Crops to the Clinic to the Consumer” is the paradigm that CAFFRE created to define OSU expertise into a research center positioned to interact with academic institutions, industry, government agencies, trade associations and boards, and policy agencies and centers to enhance the availability of functional foods that promote health. The CAFFRE team is able to research the entire spectrum in the process and development of functional foods, ingredients, or crops targeted to protect health or enhance quality of life.

Center Brochure

Core Activities

CAFFRE 2022 Annual Report

  • Scientific Sessions. CAFFRE seminars provide an opportunity for faculty to network, present current research and discover where investigators might find opportunities for collaboration.
  • Research . In collaboration with the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention (MCC) program and the Cancer Control program within OSU’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC), CAFFRE has awarded over $400,000 to multidisciplinary research teams, with the intent to generate data that can be used for larger external grants and promote team science.
  •  Education. With four colleges on the Columbus campus supporting food and nutrition programs, CAFFRE has ample opportunities to engage students in functional foods research.  Student support includes travel grants to attend the prestigious John Milner Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Practicum, participation in the annual Arnold Expo Nutrition Challenge and oversight of USDA/NIFA National Needs Fellows engaged in food and nutrition for cancer prevention.
  • Industry Partnerships. CAFFRE expertise is frequently sought by the food industry, which is increasingly interested in novel  functional food product development.
  •  Commercialization. CAFFRE has successfully commercialized several products, including soy-tomato juice, soy almond bread and black raspberry confections.  Bringing  functional foods from the lab to the consumer supports our goal of enhancing human health.