Current Research Projects

Fouling and Clean-in-place (CIP)

Evaluation of quartz crystal microbalance technology as a scale-up tool in beverage manufacturing  (Holly Huellemeier, PhD Candidate): Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) enables in-situ measurements of mass adsorption/desorption with a resolution of ng/cm2 making it a perfect tool for studying fouling/cleaning in dairy-based beverage processing. We are using QCM-D to predict fouling/cleaning behavior on a pilot-scale as a function of processing temperature and product composition.

Consumer Food Waste

Redefining milk shelf-life by establishing a volatile threshold based on consumer perception of milk spoilage: A food waste reduction approach (Aishwarya Badiger, PhD Candidate): Milk shelf-life is generally estimated using microbial numbers. However, microbial numbers don’t correlate well with consumer acceptance as opposed to volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations. My goal is to study rates of VOC generation (using SPME-GCMS) as a function of storage time and temperature and to establish a VOC threshold beyond which milk is no longer acceptable to consumers (consumer threshold testing). This information can be used to calibrate real-time shelf-life indicators which have the potential to reduce food waste compared to date labels.

Novel Protein Evaluation

Alaskan Kelp Evaluation (Jeff Caminiti, PhD Candidate): This preliminary project is in Collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL), and Blue Evolution (Alaska, USA). The goal is to characterize the proteins in a wide variety of kelp including commercial varieties from all over the world and multiple varieties grown in Alaska. Kelp is a promising source of novel protein for the food industry.

Evaluation of protein and chitin extraction techniques from the Black Soldier Fly larve Hermetia Illucens (Jeff Caminiti, PhD Candidate): Black Soldier Fly larve (BSFL) are voracious consumer of food waste with incredibly high feed conversion rates. The BSLF are in use as a sustainable and nutritious supplement in livestock and pet foods. The present project is explorative in nature; attempting to identify processing techniques to extract and refine undervalued components in this biomass. If employed successfully the BSFL could serve as an effective waste to upcycle edible food waste into a high value commercialize food source.

Process Design

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Airflow Distribution in an Innovative Smokehouse Design (Ivanett Baretto, PhD Student): We are studying the airflow and smoke density distribution into an innovative smokehouse design to reduce temperature variations and process time. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) will be used to model the airflow patterns and temperature distribution.

Application of air impingement as a cleaning method in low moisture foods manufacturing facilities (Veeramani Karuppuchamy, PhD Student): Low moisture foods have a water activity of less than 0.85 and considered to be microbiologically safe. However, they are implicated in a number of foodborne outbreaks and recalls due to pathogen contamination recently. As a critical component of sanitation program, cleaning is done to removal any visible residue from the surfaces. It is necessary to design a cleaning process without using water in low moisture foods facilities. Air impingement is widely used in the food industry due to its efficient heat and mass transfer. In this study, we are evaluating various parameters of air impingement on the efficacy of food residue removal from different food contact surfaces.

Processing Waste Streams

Recovery and reuse of caustics from CIP wastewater using membrane filtration technology (Wooju Kim, PhD Candidate): Clean-in Place (CIP) operation, the cleaning process widely utilized in food and beverage industry, accounts for significant quantities of waste stream generation. Membrane filtration technologies provide the opportunities to recover and reuse the cleaning agents from the complex waste stream. In particular, Forward osmosis (FO) and direct contact membrane distillation (DMCD) is emerging filtration techniques as an alternative for the pressure-driven process such as Reverse Osmosis (RO). The ultimate goal of the research project is to investigate the potential of FO and DCMD for the management of CIP waste by recovering the cleaning agents and reclaiming high-quality of fresh water.