Archived News | BFTV Cluster News

Homemade nut-based dairy analogs raise questions about bacterial risks

Trio of Journal Articles Highlights Consumer Knowledge Gaps in Safe Preparation Methods. Many consumers know the food safety risks of dairy products, eggs and raw meat. But they are less likely to understand the risks associated with dry goods, including tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios

Junior Specialist - Simmons Lab

Food Science and Technology

The position of Junior Specialist provides technical or specialized expertise in the planning and execution of research projects in a Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) Laboratory. The Junior Specialist stays apprised of the research area and maintains technical competence in the designated area(s) of specialization. The role of this position is to provide specialized expertise in microbial food safety research projects of the laboratory of the Principal Investigator Dr. Christopher w. Simmons.

Give Day 2024 - Sensory Hub General Support Fund

Food Science and Technology

Dear FST Alumni, Donors and Friends,

I'm delighted to serve the Department of Food Science and Technology as the latest Chair. As a UC Davis alumnus myself, I know how special UC Davis is and the lifelong impact it has on its students. As a member of the faculty, it is particularly rewarding to contribute to the success of our Food Science students and witness the growth of our department and community of supporters.

Luxin Wang and jelly ice product mentioned in NYT story on plastic packaging

Food Science and Technology

In 2021, FST's Luxin Wang and a team of colleagues developed a reusable jelly ice product that was lighter than ice, didn't melt, and could be reused multiple times and then disposed of in green waste or trash. The invention was covered widely at the time. We're pleased to see the jelly ice get a recent mention in the story "So Much Produce Comes in Plastic.

Nitin part of UC Davis project selected by DOE for Industrial Decarbonization Initiative

Food Science and Technology

The U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, has selected a University of California, Davis, collaboration to receive $1.98 million in funding as one of 49 projects aimed at decarbonizing the industrial sector and moving the nation closer to a net-zero economy.

Product Development Team Finalists for 2023-2024

Food Science and Technology

Presenting our Product Development Team Finalists for 2023-2024! We're proud of them for making it to the final level, and we wish them well in their respective competitions. You can read about each competition below. Congratulations, teams!

Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein to Launch at UC Davis Jan. 17

Food Science and Technology

(Chris Simmons, Food Science and Technology Department Chair, is working with Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein Director David Block to make sure that FST faculty are well-positioned to engage ICAMP resources for cultivated meat research and production.

UC Davis Scholars Receive $225K for ‘Food Justice’ Seminar

Food Science and Technology

(This article by Maria Sestito, March 20, 2024 is cross-posted from Letters & Science Magazine, UC Davis College of Letters and Science.)

Graduate Student Exit Seminar - April 3, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Food Science and Technology

A Graduate Student Exit Seminar will be held Wednesday, April 3rd from 3:00 - 4:00 pm.

In-person in room 1207 Robert Mondavi Institute South, or you can attend remotely by Zoom.

Greenwood and Parikh win prize in the 2024 Little Bang! Competition

Food Science and Technology

The idea to participate in the UC Davis Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition started from a very casual conversation between Brittany Greenwood and Shruti Parikh, grad students in Chris Simmons’ lab, which focuses on waste degradation and sustainable agricultural practices. With a shared background in microbiology and interest in biotechnology, there was no question that a partnership would produce something fruitful. Their “PlasticEaterPro” team was one of eight teams that won a prize of $1000 in the competition, held February 1, 2024.

UC Davis Food Science Faculty Panel at Natural Products Expo West - March 12, 2024

Food Science and Technology

For those of you going to Natural Products Expo West 2024 in Anaheim, CA, four UC Davis Food Science and Technology faculty members (Drs. Alyson Mitchell, Jean-Xavier Guinard, Nitin Nitin, and Luxin Wang) will be speaking at a panel on Tuesday, March 12th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm PDT.

Ben Montpetit New Viticulture and Enology Chair

Viticulture and Enology

Montpetit to Focus on New Educational Offerings, Diversity and Investment

Ben Montpetit, a yeast geneticist and biochemist, is the new chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis.

Montpetit joined UC Davis in 2016 and became department vice chair in 2021.

In his new role, he plans to enhance student offerings, continue to advance diversity efforts and foster investment in students, faculty, staff and department operations.

Contest: Design a label for the launch of Hilgard631's wine

Viticulture and Enology

The Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis has almost completed the process of becoming licensed to sell wine and will do so under the entity Hilgard631.

We invite all current undergraduate and graduate UC Davis students, as well as the Department of Viticulture and Enology faculty and staff, to take part in an exciting contest to help design the labels for these bottles.

Contest Details, Rules and Deadlines

1. You may submit a design for one of the three options:

Enhancing Student Learning with Virtual Reality

Food Science and Technology

In a peach processing facility, the air might be filled with the sweet aroma of ripe peaches and the sound of equipment humming as it carries out the canning process.

Comstock's features UC Davis breast milk science

Food Science and Technology

In a Comstock's Magazine article from Dec. 4, 2023, FST Distinguished Professor and Chemist J. Bruce German shares how a visit to the UC Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the early 2000s provided the emotional and motivational underpinning for the study of breast milk science at UC Davis since then. The article describes the formation of the Milk Bioactives Program within the Foods for Health Institute, and also features Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Nutrition Jennifer Smilowitz, as well as FST Distinguished Professor David Mills.

Congratulations to the 2023 Viticulture and Enology Scholarship & Award Recipients!

Viticulture and Enology

Congratulations to all students who received scholarships and awards this year. The Department is grateful to the generous donors who make these opportunities possible.

American Vineyard Scholarship
Gabriela Sinclair

Harry Baccigaluppi Scholarship
Bainian Chen

Robert Balzer Lawrence Scholarship
Steven Smith

Harold Berg Memorial Fund
Steven Smith

Welcome to our new Teaching Lab Manager, Cristina Medina-Plaza!

Viticulture and Enology

Cristina (Cris) is from Valladolid (and the surrounding region), in central Spain. She received her B.S. in Chemistry, a M.S. in advanced techniques in chemistry, and then a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Valladolid. However, she says that her Ph.D. is really in electrochemistry because that was her thesis topic. She worked on sensors to look at ripening in grapes (sugars and phenolics).

Research Profile, Luis Diaz-Garcia

Viticulture and Enology

Dr. Luis Diaz-Garcia is an Assistant Professor and Grape Breeder in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. He succeeded Dr. Andrew Walker, who led winegrape and rootstock breeding efforts at UC Davis for over 30 years. Dr. Diaz-Garcia earned his bachelor's degree in Agronomy from Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico. He then completed his master's degree in plant biotechnology at the National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (LANGEBIO) in Mexico, where he used systems biology and bioinformatics to study yeast stress. Subsequently, he obtained his Ph.D.

Harvest 2023 in the LEED Platinum Teaching and Research Winery

Viticulture and Enology

Harvest 2023 came with unique opportunities, challenges, and excitement. We experienced cooler weather overall compared to previous years, so harvest started three weeks later than usual in our winery. This led to a compressed harvest that overlapped with Fall quarter courses, so we needed to juggle more activities in a shorter period of time.

Winter 2024 Extension Summary

Viticulture and Enology

We hope that harvest finished smoothly for everyone and wish all a happy and healthy new year! During the fall, the extension team hosted two programs: On the Road in Alameda County and a UC Davis Grape Day. On November 9, 2023, we hosted the On the Road program in Livermore at the UC Livermore Collaboration Center (UCLCC).