News & Events

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

August 26, 2019

A family commitment to philanthropy, a career-long dedication to the food industry, and a deeply rooted connection to Penn State serve as inspiration for a newly created graduate fellowship in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.

August 21, 2019

Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies.

August 7, 2019

In a series of studies, researchers showed that whole genome analysis can provide highly detailed information on pathogens in a timely fashion. The findings could help public officials prepare treatment and prevention options when disease outbreaks threaten the public.

July 23, 2019

A novel method of processing — using high-pressure jets to spray milk and then quickly drying the spray — yields skim milk powders with enhanced properties and functionality, according to Penn State researchers, who say the discovery may lead to "cleaner" labels on foods.

April 26, 2019

The Dairy Products Evaluation Team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences won several awards during the National Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Competition held April 17 in Madison, Wisconsin.

April 2, 2019

Dr. Kerry Kaylegian was recognized for Extension Excellence by Gamma Sigma Delta chapter on March 28, 2019 during the “Celebration of Excellence Event” held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Penn State Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta.

March 19, 2019

Brianna Elicker, of York, a senior majoring in food science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has had a passion for food and agriculture from an early age.

February 13, 2019

Employing advanced genetic-tracing techniques and sharing the data produced in real time could limit the spread of bacteria — Bacillus cereus — which cause foodborne illness, according to researchers who implemented whole-genome sequencing of a pathogen-outbreak investigation.

January 15, 2019

As a food science major in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Andrew Cotter conducted research on the storage of coffee beans. He showed that storing roasted coffee beans in the freezer — a popular preservation method — can help preserve the aroma of certain varieties of beans.

October 10, 2018

Maya Alcalá, a student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is on her way to becoming a seasoned professional thanks to a summer internship with McCormick & Co.

October 9, 2018

Nearly 15 percent of all chewing gum varieties sold promise to provide health-enhancing supplements to users, so Penn State researchers studied whether two vitamin-supplemented products were effective at delivering vitamins to the body. Their results validate the concept of gum as an effective delivery system for at least some vitamins.

July 18, 2018

High bitter-taste sensitivity is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer in older British women, according to researchers who conducted a unique study of 5,500 women whose diet, lifestyle and health has been tracked for about 20 years.

April 26, 2018

Nathan Pearlman, a food science major in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has savored his senior year, thanks, in part, to an internship with the Penn State Berkey Creamery that has helped to launch his professional life.

April 20, 2018

Michael Zaffuto, a food science major, attributes his many accomplishments to Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, his family and his hometown of Sykesville, Pennsylvania.

March 27, 2018

The Georgia Association of Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences has named Elizabeth Andress, professor of foods and nutrition in the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS), the organization’s Postsecondary Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher of the Year.

February 23, 2018

Penn State Extension has appointed a new enology extension educator to continue and enhance its support for Pennsylvania's growing wine industry.

February 15, 2018

Craft chocolate — made with fine flavor cacao beans and valued for its distinctive flavors and high quality — is gaining a fast following, and research underway in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is aimed at helping bean growers and bar makers benefit from this trend.

December 19, 2017

The Penn State Grape and Wine Team supports the growing grape and wine industry through cutting-edge research and outreach that addresses grape and wine production and quality challenges, with particular emphasis on Pennsylvania and the eastern United States.

July 24, 2017

Scientists may be able to minimize the failure rate of drugs for diseases linked to high-calorie diets, such as colon cancer and type 2 diabetes, if they test treatments using a pig model, according to an international team of researchers.

June 19, 2017

A compound made from grape skins and grape seeds killed colon cancer stem cells in mice, according to researchers. The study, along with previous studies on the low incidence of colon cancer in populations that tend to eat plants, may also offer clues to the role that foods play in suppressing and treating cancer.