Smell and taste changes provide early indication of COVID-19 community spread

November 13, 2020

Food Science launches virtual buddy program to support student community

November 12, 2020

The Food Science Club and the Penn State chapter of Phi Tau Sigma launched a buddy program this fall, a virtual platform for undergraduate and graduate students to connect, interact and gain professional development skills during the academic year.

Golden ticket: Researchers examine what consumers desire in chocolate products

November 9, 2020

Gold foil, ornate labels and an intriguing backstory are product characteristics highly desired by premium chocolate consumers, according to research conducted by food scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State mourns loss of food science pioneer Philip Keeney

October 29, 2020

The Penn State community is mourning the loss of Philip Keeney, professor emeritus of food science, who died Oct. 17 at the age of 95. Intimately linked with the Department of Food Science since he helped to establish it in 1975, Keeney perhaps was best known for his research and teaching related to ice cream

Penn State sensory scientists encourage smell checks to fight COVID-19 spread

October 8, 2020

With mounting scientific evidence that anosmia, or loss of smell, is one of the most specific symptoms of COVID-19 infection, sensory scientists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have launched a webpage to encourage people to perform a daily smell test in an effort to nip disease spread in the bud.

Penn State Extension food safety training given in Ukraine has a lasting benefit

September 9, 2020

Food safety training, developed by Penn State Extension and delivered to food industry professionals and university students and faculty members in Ukraine, resulted in a significant and lasting improvement in participants’ food safety knowledge, behavior, attitude and skills, according to researchers.

Sensation seekers, risk-takers who experience more bitterness apt to drink IPAs

July 8, 2020

People who seek novel and powerful sensations and are more prone to taking risks — and who perceive bitter tastes more intensely — are more likely to prefer bitter, pale-ale-style beers and drink them more often, according to Penn State sensory researchers, who conducted a study that involved blind taste tests and personality assessments.

College of Agricultural Sciences alum reflects on lessons learned at Penn State

June 29, 2020

Nelson Gaydos, an outreach specialist with the American Association of Meat Processors, credits his education and experiences at Penn State for helping him to meet the challenges of the food industry.

Food scientists receive College of Ag Sciences award for research innovation

May 15, 2020

Food scientists Gregory Ziegler and Joshua Lambert are the 2020 recipients of the Research Innovators Award, given by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences to recognize faculty and staff who have commercialized intellectual property generated by their Penn State research.

College of Agricultural Sciences supports food banks, families in need

May 7, 2020

With thousands of people out of work due to the COVID-19 crisis — and food banks working tirelessly to feed an ever-growing number of hungry families — Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is doing its part to fill empty shelves and refrigerators.

Graduating food-science student parlays undergrad research experience into job

May 6, 2020

Gabriella Pinto provides a great example of what undergraduate research can do for a student. The Penn State food science major, who graduates this month, is headed for a good job armed with a wealth of experience and knowledge from her research, which gives her a leg up on her career.

Novel coronavirus not spread by food, according to Penn State experts

April 25, 2020

Is the novel coronavirus spread by food? As the extreme contagiousness of COVID-19 has become clear, that question has been asked over and over. The answer, according to food safety experts in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is that there is no evidence that it can be spread via food or food packaging.

Health, safety of employees essential for food processing operations

April 11, 2020

As it has become clear that COVID-19 will be present at some level in the United States for a long time, food processing establishments — facilities that process, pack or hold food for human consumption — have put into place controls to minimize the risk of the disease among their personnel.

Tips for farmers market operators to help minimize coronavirus transmission

April 10, 2020

Operators of farmers markets should consider the possibility that the COVID-19 outbreak may continue to be a threat well into the summer and should develop a plan to help safeguard their customers and employees, according to Penn State Extension experts.

Fruit may mask taste of dark green vegetables in commercial baby foods

April 9, 2020

Commercially prepared baby foods that purport to be loaded with dark green vegetables are sweetened with fruit puree and often don’t contain a high percentage of dark green vegetable content, according to a team of researchers. The resulting lack of dark green vegetable taste matters, said team leader John Hayes, associate professor of food science at Penn State.

Penn State Berkey Creamery donates food to help community during crisis

April 7, 2020

The Penn State Berkey Creamery, like many in the Penn State community, is lending a helping hand to those who need it most during this time of uncertainty.

Potential link between COVID-19 and loss of smell, taste to be explored

April 1, 2020

When Caela Camazine realized that she had suddenly lost her ability to taste and smell on March 17, she thought it was “really weird” because she was not congested.

Ziegler recognized with 2020 Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award

March 27, 2020

Gregory Ziegler, professor of food science in the College of Agricultural Sciences, is the recipient of the 2020 Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award.

Experts: Continuity of food system critical during COVID-19 pandemic

March 19, 2020

Maintaining a stable food supply in the United States is critical in the battle against the novel coronavirus. And that means each sector of the food supply chain must take measures to ensure that they can continue to operate, according to food scientists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Berkey Creamery closes retail store until further notice; online sales continue

March 17, 2020

Given the nation’s, Pennsylvania’s and the University’s focus on social distancing in helping to combat coronavirus to protect our community, Penn State’s Berkey Creamery is closing its retail store on campus until further notice.

Food science students entertain, intrigue kids at elementary school science fair

March 5, 2020

It might not be a surprise if there are some aspiring young food scientists at State College’s Easterly Parkway Elementary School after a group of Penn State students recently showed how much fun the discipline can be.

Teaching excellence recognized in College of Agricultural Sciences

March 5, 2020

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has recognized nine faculty members for outstanding teaching in 2019.

Green tea extract combined with exercise reduces fatty liver disease in mice

February 13, 2020

The combination of green tea extract and exercise reduced the severity of obesity-related fatty liver disease by 75% in mice fed a high-fat diet, according to Penn State researchers, whose recent study may point to a potential health strategy for people.

USDA deputy undersecretary for food safety to speak at University Park on Feb. 6

January 30, 2020

Mindy Brashears, deputy undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be the speaker at the Penn State Department of Food Science seminar at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, in 252 Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building on the University Park campus.

Penn State-Ingredion short course introduces the future of food science

January 23, 2020

The Penn State-Ingredion Plant-based Yogurt Alternative Short Course took place last fall and was deemed a success. During the two-day workshop, 31 attendees, hailing from 11 states and four countries, gained insight into the challenges of formulating plant-based yogurt alternatives, the breadth and functionality of plant proteins, and the nitty-gritty details of bringing a product to market.

Novel composite antimicrobial film could take a bite out of foodborne illnesses

January 19, 2020

A novel composite film — created by the bonding of an antimicrobial layer to conventional, clear polyethylene plastic typically used to vacuum-package foods such as meat and fish — could help to decrease foodborne illness outbreaks, according to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State Extension has farm food safety education materials for Amish growers

December 20, 2019

Penn State Extension has developed curriculum materials for Plain Sect (Amish, Mennonite) growers to help them meet training requirements established in the federal Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule.

Penn State food scientist named Food Systems Leadership Institute Fellow

December 18, 2019

Robert Roberts, professor and head of food science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, was one of 26 academic and industry leaders recognized as Fellows of the Food Systems Leadership Institute during a ceremony at the recent annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities in San Diego.

Extension offers tools to small-scale, raw-milk cheesemakers for safer products

December 11, 2019

Penn State Extension is now offering free online tools for small-scale cheesemakers to help them develop a food safety system for their facilities and conduct risk assessments of their processes. Printed copies are available for cheesemakers that do not have access to the internet.

Scholar trains educators from Ethiopia in detection of foodborne pathogens

September 30, 2019

Schreyer Honors Scholar and microbiology major Cassidy Prince created a training program to help researchers and educators from Ethiopia detect and monitor foodborne pathogens.