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
May 11, 2022
Food safety from farm to fork: Resources for farmers markets vendors
As farmers markets kick off this season, vendors and producers may benefit from Penn State Extension educational materials on controlling food safety risks from farm to fork — including a resource guide and an online course.
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April 29, 2022
Microbiologists get grant to study biofilms guarding foodborne pathogen Listeria
Microbiologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have received a $605,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study how microbial biofilms protect Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium that causes the deadly foodborne illness listeriosis.
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April 5, 2022
Gamma Sigma Delta lauds outstanding College of Ag Sciences faculty, students
The Penn State chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the agricultural honor society, recognized Penn State faculty and students during its annual meeting, which was held March 31.
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March 22, 2022
Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains not seen in migrating wild birds
Although many wild birds carry Salmonella, the strains of the bacteria they convey usually do not harbor antimicrobial-resistance genes, according to Penn State researchers, who led a team conducting a new, nationwide study.
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Upcoming Events

Preventive Controls for Human Foods - Pittsburgh, PA
May 17-19, 2022
Pittsburgh. PA

Food Microbiology Short Course
May 24-26, 2022
Erickson Food Science Building

Penn State Chocolate Short Course
June 20-23, 2022
252 Erickson Food Science Building, Unversity Park, PA

Fundamentals of Food Science Short Course
June 27 - July 1, 2022
Erickson Food Science Building
Department of Food Science
- Email foodsci@psu.edu
- Office (814) 865-5444
- Fax (814) 863-6132