BFTV Cluster News

FST at IAFP and IFT FIRST, July 14-17, 2024

Several of our Food Science and Technology faculty, graduate students and leadership board members and will be participating at the upcoming In-Person IAFP Annual Meeting 2024, to be held July 14-17th, 2024 in Long Beach, California.

Aspiring Food Scientist Creates Low-Calorie, Eco-Friendly Candy Product

Food Science and Technology

‘Fit Candy’ is Made from Upcycled Watermelon Rinds

Driven by his passion for food science and brimming with ideas, UC Davis student Dion Skaria created Fit Candy – a nutritious treat that blends sweet and sour flavors while reducing food waste. This innovative gummy candy is crafted from upcycled watermelon rinds.

Awards and Announcements

Viticulture and Enology

The following is a list of awards, honors, and announcements about Viticulture and Enology Faculty, Staff, Students, Executive Leadership Board members & UCCE Advisors.

Course Profile: VEN 126

Viticulture and Enology

The Physical and Chemical Stability of Wine (a.k.a. VEN 126 Wine Stability) course deals with the most important physical, chemical, and enzymatic reactions in juices and wines, together with the theory and principles associated with the adjustment of acidity, fining, stabilization for shipping, and the clarification of wines. The course provides students with a scientific basis and a quantitative perspective of our understanding of the physical and chemical reactions in wines, other than ethanol and malolactic fermentations.

Student Profile: Justin Ito

Viticulture and Enology

Student standing: Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior/Graduate etc.
2nd-year master's degree student

Degree/Focus/interest areas:
Viticulture and Enology

Where are you from originally?
Los Angeles, CA

What brought you to UC Davis?
I knew I wanted to learn everything there is to know about wine and Davis is the best place to start! The program is well-rounded, and I love learning about the reasoning behind important decisions in the winery.

Grad Student Exit Seminar, June 14, 2024, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Food Science and Technology

A Graduate Student Exit Seminar will be held Friday, June 14, 2024, from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT.

In-person in room 3215 Robert Mondavi Institute South, or you can attend remotely by Zoom: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/99572934447

World Food Safety Day, June 7, 2024

Food Science and Technology

Food Science and Technology's Cooperative Extension would like to wish you all a happy and safe World Food Safety Day today, June 7th. World Food Safety Day is an initiative that was started by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The motto for this year is "Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected".

PLASMA Demo Day Spotlights Student Startups

Food Science and Technology

The Student Startup Center at the University of California, Davis, shined a spotlight on student-led startups at PLASMA Demo Day, the culminating experience of their 12-week early-stage cohort accelerator program.

Ten teams of undergraduate student entrepreneurs pitched their companies to industry experts in front of a packed California Hall on May 2. Of them, five were awarded more than $25,000 in prizes.

Donpon (Dawn) Wannasin wins IFT's Caldwell Graduate Fellowship

Food Science and Technology

A huge congratulations to Donpon (Dawn) Wannasin on her being awarded the prestigious and competitive IFT Feeding Tomorrow Fund Dr. Elwood F. Caldwell Graduate Fellowship! Dawn, a first-year Ph.D. student in Selina Wang's lab, was awarded the $25,000 fellowship for her research which focuses on the extraction and characterization of phenolic compounds and other important bioactives in agricultural and food byproducts for potential food and supplement application to improve human and planetary health.

2024 Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Award Recipients

Food Science and Technology

Graduate Studies and Graduate Council are thrilled to honor four extraordinary faculty members with the Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Awards. These awards shine a light on the power of mentorship in shaping the academic and professional journeys of UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

Meet the 2024 Recipients

Bruce Hammock, Distinguished Professor
Department of Entomology and Nematology

Upcycled Iron Chef Competition: Students Transform Food Waste into Culinary Delights

Food Science and Technology

From the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Georgian cheese bread, cilantro-blackened fish tacos, quesabirria tacos with seitan and cinnamon sugar churros – four culinary creations but only one was crowned winner of the Upcycled Iron Chef Competition at UC Davis.

FST Undergrads Turn Out for 35th Annual Research Conference

Food Science and Technology

The UC Davis 35th Annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference (April 26-27, 2024) was well-represented by 13 FST undergraduates. The conference is designed to acquaint undergraduate students with the process and academic rigors of presenting research in a scholarly manner and in an affirming environment, and is open to all academic fields.

Their names and presentation titles are below, as well as their faculty lab affiliation. For more about the conference, see the link below.

Big Data Comes to Dinner

Food Science and Technology

Artificial intelligence is already changing how people work, communicate online, create art and manage businesses. Now the technology is being used in every aspect of our food systems.

1st Place NCIFT Poster Award to Chenxi Guo

Food Science and Technology

Please join me in congratulating Chenxi Guo, a second year Ph.D. student in Dr. Luxin Wang’s Lab, for winning first place in the student poster competition at the Northern California Institute of Food Technologists (NCIFT) annual meeting held on April 23, 2024.

Homemade nut-based dairy analogs raise questions about bacterial risks

Food Science and Technology

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