Federico Harte, Ph.D.
- Professor of Food Science
University Park, PA 16802
- Email fmh14@psu.edu
- Office 814-867-5689
Areas of Expertise
- Dairy Processing
- Food Rheology
- Food Engineering
Education
- B.S., University of Uruguay. Agricultural Engineering.
- Ph.D., Washington State University. Biological Systems Engineering.
Teaching
Dairy Foods processing
Food Rheology
Food Engineering
Current Key Members
Liz Astorga (MS student)
David Goulder (MS student)
Grace Voronin (PhD student)
Saurabh Lele (Postdoctoral Research Associate)
Stiphany Tieu (MS student)
Research Focus
Research focuses on processing interventions that strongly affect protein functionality and overall food physical properties. As we continue to seek for 'minimally processed' and 'clean' label foods, understanding the effect(s) of processing operations on the functionality of proteins, fats and carbohydrates becomes critical.
Recent projects have focused on
- Caseins as natural emulsifiers and foaming agents
- Functionality of lecithin phospholipid fractions beyond emulsification
- Cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate the structure of casein micelles
- Analytical methods to separate glycosylated casein proteins
- The emulsifier-free and stabilizer-free ice cream
- High pressure jet processing to dissociate protein quaternary structures
- Effect of ionic environment on protein integrity
Strong emphasis is given in the following areas:
Dairy Processing and the structure-function properties of milk proteins
The casein proteins account for 80% of the total protein content in bovine milk and 40% of the total protein content in human milk. The casein proteins aggregate into so called “casein micelles" of spherical shape and ca. 150 nm diameter. Bovine milk is white because of the 1015 casein micelles) dispersed in every mL of milk. The agreed biological function of the casein micelles is to transport amino acids and calcium from mother to young. This is widely accepted based on the fact that milk is supersaturated with calcium (bovine milk contains ca. 1.2 mg calcium per mL of milk whereas water can only dissolve up to 0.02 mg of calcium – as calcium phosphate – per mL) and because the phospho-serine amino acids responsible of holding calcium-rich clusters are conserved throughout virtually all mammal species. The casein micelles have also a tremendous technological relevance as they constitute the building blocks of traditional dairy foods, including cheese and yogurt. We are elucidating casein micelle structure-function relationships that are relevant to the fundamental understanding of the biological relevance of this nano-delivery system and the engineering of novel application within the food and health industries.
Nonthermal technologies for fluid foods: valve homogenization
Homogenization is a term used by food scientists and engineers to describe a wide variety of processes including ultrasonic, rotary, membrane, colloidal mill, and valve homogenization … among others. The ambiguity in the use of the word "homogenization" rises from the fact that any process that reduces the relative heterogeneity of a system can be called homogenization. We focus on what is typically referred to as "high pressure valve homogenization" or "dynamic high pressure homogenization" where several physical phenomena (including hydrostatic pressure, cavitation, shear stress, temperature) promote changes ranging from microbial and virus inactivation to protein structural modification and atypical molecular interactions. This process is applied to liquid foods by devices consisting of a positive displacement pump (usually a plunger type pump) and one or more restrictions to flow (stages) created by valves or nozzles. We arbitrarily define "high pressure homogenization" as homogenization processes where pumps are able to deliver at least 100 MPa hydrostatic pressure to a liquid food. We are currently working at maximum pressures that are six times that at bottom of the Marianas trench. As homogenization technologies keep “evolving" and higher pressures are achieved, the agreement on how to define “high pressure" vs. “low pressure" will most certainly change too.
Publications
Ethanol-mediated electrospinning of casein-only bead-free nanofibers
Food Hydrocolloids, Deepika, Sharma, Sharma, Deepika, Ziegler, Gregory Ray, Harte, Federico, 2024
The MATH test. A three-phase assay?
FEMS Microbiology Letters, Salas-Tovar, Jesús A., Escobedo-García, Sarai, Olivas, Guadalupe I., Acosta-Muñiz, Carlos H., Harte, Federico, Sepulveda, David R., 2024
Effect of high-pressure jet processing on the structure and physicochemical properties of plant protein isolate aqueous dispersions
Food Hydrocolloids, Oquendo, Liz Astorga, Lewis, Grace, Mahdinia, Ehsan, Harte, Federico, 2023
Milk fatty acid profile from grass feeding strategies on 2 Holstein genotypes: Implications for health and technological properties
JDS Communications, Techeira, N., Keel, K., Garay, A., Harte, F., Mendoza, A., Cartaya, A., Fariña, S., López-Pedemonte, T., 2023
Functionality of glycomacropeptide glycated with lactose and maltodextrin
Journal of Dairy Science, Keel, Karen, Harte, Federico M., Berbejillo, Julio, López-Pedemonte, Tomás, 2022
Effect of mild thermal and pH changes on the sol-gel transition in skim milk
Journal of Dairy Science, Tieu, Stiphany, Harte, Federico, 2022
Ionic strength and buffering capacity of emulsifying salts determine denaturation and gelation temperatures of whey proteins
Journal of Dairy Science, Perez, D., Harte, F., Lopez-Pedemonte, T., 2022
Characterization of ethanol-induced casein micelle dissociation using a continuous protein monitoring unit
Journal of Dairy Science, Lewis, G., Bodinger, L. R., Harte, F. M., 2022
Characterization of high pressure jet–induced fat-protein complexation
Journal of Dairy Science, Lewis, G., Coupland, John, Harte, Federico, 2022
Prevention of low-temperature gelation in milk protein concentrates by calcium-binding salts
Journal of Dairy Science, Goulder, D. M., Harte, F. M., 2022
The effect of high-pressure jet processing on cocoa stability in chocolate milk
Journal of Dairy Science, Roberts, R, Tran, Michele, Coupland, J, Voronin, Grace, Lewis-Voronin, Grace, Roberts, R. F., Tran, Michelle, Lewis-Voronin, Grace, Coupland, J. N., Ziegler, G. R., Harte, F. M., 2021
Differential scanning calorimetry, Voronin, Grace, Harte, Federico, 2021
Tests done at the plant, López-Pedemonte, Tomás, Harte, Federico M., 2021
Microscopy (microstructure of milk constituents and products), Harte, Federico, 2021
Raw Milk: Nature's most perfect food?, Clark, Stephanie, Harte, Federico, 2021
Stability, temperature dependence, and microstructure of high pressure jet-treated dairy foams
Food Hydrocolloids, Voronin, Grace Lewis, Coupland, John, Harte, Federico, 2021
Method-induced variation in the bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity MATH test
Journal of Microbiological Methods, Salas-Tovar, Jesús A., Escobedo-García, Sarai, Olivas, Guadalupe I., Acosta-Muñiz, Carlos H., Harte, Federico, Sepulveda, David R., 2021
High pressure jet spray drying of condensed skim milk results in powders with enhanced interfacial properties
Journal of Food Engineering, Voronin, Grace Lewis, Hettiarachchi, Charith A., Harte, Federico M., 2021
Freezing kinetics and microstructure of ice cream from high-pressure-jet processing of ice cream mix
Journal of Dairy Science, Voronin, G.L., Ning, G, Coupland, John, Roberts, Robert, Harte, F.M., 2021
Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Voronin, Grace, Harte, Federico, 2021
Raw Milk: Nature’s Most Perfect Food?, Clark, Stephany, Harte, Federico, 2021
Tests Done at the Plant, Tomas, López-Pedemonte, Harte, Federico, 2021
Assessing constituent volumes and morphology of bovine casein micelles using cryo-electron tomography
Journal of Dairy Science, Hettiarachchi, Charith A., Swulius, Matthew T., Harte, Federico, 2020
Effect of high-pressure-jet processing on the physiochemical properties of low-fat ice cream mix
Journal of Dairy Science, Voronin, G, Roberts, Robert, Felix, Tara L., Coupland, John N., Harte, Federico, 2020
Spray drying of high pressure jet-processed condensed skim milk
Journal of Food Engineering, Hettiarachchi, Charith A., Voronin, Grace L., Harte, Federico M., 2019
Critical phosphate salt concentrations leading to altered micellar casein structures and functional intermediates
Journal of Dairy Science, Saricay, Y., Hettiarachchi, C. A., Culler, M. D., Harte, F. M., 2019
Enhanced foaming and emulsifying properties of high-pressure-jet-processed skim milk
International Dairy Journal, Hettiarachchi, Charith A., Corzo-Martínez, Marta, Mohan, Maneesha S., Harte, Federico M., 2018
The association of lipophilic phospholipids with native bovine casein micelles in skim milk: Effect of lactation stage and casein micelle size
Journal of Dairy Science, Cheema, M, Smith, P. B., Patterson, Andrew, Hristov, A., Harte, F. M., 2018
Effect of high-pressure-jet processing on the viscosity and foaming properties of pasteurized whole milk
Journal of Dairy Science, Tran, M., Roberts, R., Felix, T. L., Harte, F. M., 2018
Effect of ethanol on the solubilization of hydrophobic molecules by sodium caseinate
Food Hydrocolloids, Qu, Yanqi, Harte, Federico M., Elias, Ryan J., Coupland, John N., 2018
Critical synergistic concentration of lecithin phospholipids improves the antimicrobial activity of eugenol against Escherichia coli
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Zhang, Haoshu, Dudley, Edward G., Harte, Federico, 2017
The binding of orally dosed hydrophobic active pharmaceutical ingredients to casein micelles in milk
Journal of Dairy Science, Cheema, M., Hristov, A. N., Harte, F. M., 2017
The effect of emulsifying salts on the turbidity of a diluted milk system with varying pH and protein concentration
Journal of Dairy Science, Culler, M. D., Saricay, Y., Harte, F. M., 2017
Critical concentration of lecithin enhances the antimicrobial activity of eugenol against Escherichia coli
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Zhang, Haoshu, Dudley, Edward G., Davidson, P. Michael, Harte, Federico, 2017
Choline absorption and evaluation of bioavailability markers when supplementing choline to lactating dairy cows
Journal of Dairy Science, de Veth, M. J., Artegoitia, V. M., Campagna, S. R., Lapierre, H., Harte, F., Girard, C. L., 2016
Chromatographic fractionation and molecular mass characterization of Cercidium praecox (Brea) gum
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Castel, Virginia, Zivanovic, Svetlana, Jurat-Fuentes, Juan L., Santiago, Liliana G., Rubiolo, Amelia C., Carrara, Carlos R., Harte, Federico M., 2016
Solvent-free lipase-catalyzed synthesis of technical-grade sugar esters and evaluation of their physicochemical and bioactive properties
Catalysts, Ye, Ran, Hayes, Douglas G., Burton, Rachel, Liu, Anjun, Harte, Federico M., Wang, Yuemeng, 2016
Initial study on high pressure jet processing using a modified waterjet on physicochemical and rennet coagulation properties of pasteurized skim milk
International Dairy Journal, Mohan, M. S., Ye, R., Harte, F., 2016
Micro- and Nanoparticles for Controlling Microorganisms in Foods, Zhong, Q., Weiss, J., Harte, Federico, Davidson, P., 2016
Food processing by high-pressure homogenization
HIGH PRESSURE PROCESSING OF FOOD: PRINCIPLES, TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS, Harte, Federico, 2016
Short communication: Casein hydrolysate and whey proteins as excipients for cyanocobalamin to increase intestinal absorption in the lactating dairy cow
Journal of Dairy Science, Artegoitia, V. M., de Veth, M. J., Harte, F., Ouellet, D. R., Girard, C. L., 2015
Delivering AIDS Drug to the Youngest Patients
Research Penn State, Mulhollem, Jeff, Harte, Federico, 2015
The association of low-molecular-weight hydrophobic compounds with native casein micelles in bovine milk
Journal of Dairy Science, Cheema, M., Mohan, M. S., Campagna, S. R., Jurat-Fuentes, J. L., Harte, F. M., 2015
Thermal inactivation kinetics of hepatitis A virus in spinach
International Journal of Food Microbiology, Bozkurt, Hayriye, Ye, Xiaofei, Harte, Federico, D'Souza, Doris H., Davidson, P. Michael, 2015
Effect of ultra-high pressure homogenization on the interaction between bovine casein micelles and ritonavir
Pharmaceutical Research, Corzo-Martínez, M., Mohan, M., Dunlap, J., Harte, F., 2015
Choline and choline metabolite patterns and associations in blood and milk during lactation in dairy cows
PLoS One, Artegoitia, Virginia M., Middleton, Jesse L., Harte, Federico M., Campagna, Shawn R., De Veth, Michael J., 2014
Milk and Ice Cream Processing, Mohan, Maneesha S., Hopkinson, Jonathan, Harte, Federico, 2014
Effect of a low temperature step during fermentation on the physico-chemical properties of fat-free yogurt
International Dairy Journal, Trejo, R., Corzo-Martínez, M., Wilkinson, S., Higginbotham, K., Harte, F. M., 2014
High pressure homogenization to improve the stability of casein-hydroxypropyl cellulose aqueous systems
Food Hydrocolloids, Ye, Ran, Harte, Federico, 2014
Yerba mate enhances probiotic bacteria growth in vitro but as a feed additive does not reduce Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in vivo
Poultry Science, Gonzalez-Gil, Francisco, Diaz-Sanchez, Sandra, Pendleton, Sean, Andino, Ana, Zhang, Nan, Yard, Carrie, Crilly, Nate, Harte, Federico, Hanning, Irene, 2014
Yerba mate enhances probiotic bacteria growth in vitro but as a feed additive does not reduce Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in vivo
American Historical Review, Gonzalez-Gil, Francisco, Diaz-Sanchez, Sandra, Pendleton, Sean, Andino, Ana, Zhang, Nan, Yard, Carrie, Crilly, Nate, Harte, Federico Miguel, Hanning, Irene, 2014
Chapter 17. Milk and Ice Cream Processing, Mohan, Maneesha, Hopkinson, Jonathan, Harte, Federico, 2014
Magnetic Fields for Food Preservation
Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering, San Martín, M., Harte, Federico, Barbosa-Cánovas, G., Swanson, B., 2014
Micro- and Nanoparticles for Controlling Microorganisms in Foods, Weiss, Jochen, Zhong, Qixin, Harte, Federico, Michael Davidson, P., 2014
