About the Department
The Department of Food Science at Penn State is one of the premier food science departments in the country.
The Department of Food Science is Penn State’s home for the emerging technologies and best practices required for producing, safe, delicious, nutritious food. Our small-school atmosphere facilitates a warm, welcoming, intellectually stimulating, and professional environment.
Our work is closely aligned with the demands of industry and the needs of the community. We boast state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty with years of working experience in their fields.
Student success drives the department. Our undergraduate Food Science major offers students hands-on science with real-world applications, strong internship experiences, wide-ranging scholarship opportunities, and excellent job placement.
Our graduate program offers master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. Graduate students receive in-depth training in the core disciplines of food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering and processing, and sensory evaluation.
Research is facilitated through core disciplines as well as following collaborative multidisciplinary signature areas: Microbial Food Safety, Food Choice, Food-Based Solutions for Enhanced Health, and the Material Nature of Foods, as well as underlying cross-cutting research themes of Food Quality and Food Fermentation. Students can participate in meaningful research from the first semester of their first year.
Meet our faculty, staff, and students, and see why we are one of the premier food science departments in the country.
Latest News
September 22, 2023
Researchers aim to reduce antimicrobial resistance in Puerto Rico dairy industry
Funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S Department of Agriculture, a Penn State-led research team will assess levels of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms in Puerto Rico's dairy industry and train farmers and students to mitigate the health threat they pose in the U.S. territory.
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September 19, 2023
Dairy-free sorbets arrive at the Berkey Creamery
Consumers looking for dairy-free options at the Berkey Creamery are in luck — two flavors of the creamery’s brand-new sorbets are now available in the store and online.
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September 7, 2023
One Health Microbiome Center honors creativity and mentoring with award series
The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has named eight recipients for its 2023-24 Inaugural Award Series, which reflects on a profound year of impacts and achievements and recognizes the talents of the OHMC community.
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September 1, 2023
'Growing Impact' podcast discusses fungi as a possible plastic waste solution
Season 4 of the “Growing Impact” podcast opens with an episode that dives into plastic waste, specifically plastic film, and a potential biological solution of upcycling the material with fungi.
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Upcoming Events

"A Taste of Food Science" Prospective Student Event
October 3, 2023
203 Rodney A Erickson Food Science Building, University Park, PA 16802

Hybrid Seminar - Evaluation of Olfactory Function in Healthy Individuals Using the Adaptive Olfactory Measure of Threshold (ArOMa-T) Test
October 5, 2023
252 Erickson Food Science Building

Hybrid Seminar - Comparative Genomic and Phenotypic Analyses of Bacillus Cereus Sensu Stricto Biovar Thuringiensis and Non-Thuringiensis
October 6, 2023
252 Erickson Food Science Building

Seminar - Solis, Plants, and Consumers: Studying the Complex Relationship Between Food and Medicinal Plants and Human Health
October 9, 2023
108 Wartik Laboratory, University Park
Department of Food Science
- Email foodsci@psu.edu
- Office (814) 865-5444
- Fax (814) 863-6132