FST 298 Design Thinking for Food seeks to train the next generation of food system innovators to integrate social and technical approaches to addressing complex food system challenges by using the tools of Design Thinking and drawing on the insights of Food Studies. Design Thinking is an approach to innovation that takes technical feasibility and business viability seriously, but its unique strengths come from its insistence on centering the experience of people, including users, collaborators and stakeholders.

The UC Davis Food Science Graduate Student Association organized a tour at the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield.

On February 21st, 2018, Food Science graduate students and visiting scholars went to visit the Jelly Belly factory.  They were warmly welcomed by Reg Nelson, Jelly Belly's Director of Global Procurement (who is also a member of the Food Science and Technology Department's industry advisory board), and Irena Miles, Director of Regulatory and Research & Development.

To honor the generosity of Robert and Margrit Mondavi, UC Davis yeast taxonomist Kyria Boundy-Mills with co-authors Gennadi Naumov and Elena Naumova have named a yeast species after them: Komagataella mondaviorum. The yeast species description was published as a peer-reviewed scientific manuscript this month in the scientific journal Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (named after the Dutch inventor of the microscope). The publication, titled, “Description of Komagataella mondaviorum sp.

Students who are working on End of Waste, the food waste prevention project under the Department of Food Science and Technology, were fortunate enough to be featured at the 2018 Winter Fancy Food Show. The project team presented their product, Mocha Bite, made from 40% upcycled material. The specific upcycled materials in the mocha bite include almond pomace (the byproduct of creating almond milk) and coffee grounds leftover from cold-brew coffee production.

UC Davis food science students were invited back to the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. The trade show is put on by the Specialty Food Association every year at Moscone Center.  Over sixty FST students learned about product development and food trends by speaking directly to vendors at the show. For students new to networking, sampling products was a great way to start a conversation and learn about a vendor’s journey in the food industry.