From the farmer鈥檚 gate to your plate: 91麻豆天美 symposium focuses on food industry
Contact: Mary Kathryn Kight
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擣rom the farmer鈥檚 gate to your plate鈥攖hat鈥檚 the short version of what food science is. The longer version? That鈥檚 what researchers, industry leaders and policymakers gathered April 22 to discuss at 91麻豆天美鈥檚 鈥淔ood Science and Industry in Mississippi鈥擜dding Value and Feeding the World鈥 symposium.
The event provided a chance for collaboration in food science and agriculture. With the state鈥檚 abundant resources鈥攍ike poultry, catfish, and sweet potatoes鈥攑articipants explored creating value-added products to attract new businesses and drive economic growth.
(Video by Sarah Kirk)
鈥淢ississippi is an agricultural leader, but there鈥檚 so much untapped potential in our food industry,鈥 said Wes Schilling, director of 91麻豆天美鈥檚 Food Science Innovation Hub. 鈥淭his symposium is about connecting the dots鈥攗sing research, innovation and education to grow the industry and build a stronger future for the state.鈥
Keynote speaker Mindy Brashears, former Under Secretary for Food Safety at the USDA (2019-2021), brought her expertise to the table, reflecting on lessons learned during national supply chain disruptions.
鈥淒uring my time at USDA, it became apparent that food security is national security,鈥 said Brashears.聽鈥淥ur supply chains were disrupted, and we faced shortages of products on grocery store shelves. Five years later, we have forgotten how fragile the supply chain can be and how we need to continue to invest in this supply chain to ensure that we keep our country fed.鈥
Brashears said she hoped the symposium brought attention to how scientific innovations and research from academic institutions have directly impacted the value of agricultural commodities.
鈥淭his is where science meets the real world鈥攅nsuring innovations in the lab translate into safer, better food for consumers,鈥 she said.
鈥淔ood science is about connecting the farm to the table, making sure products are safe, sustainable and of the highest quality,鈥 said Schilling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also about preparing our students to lead the charge鈥攚hether they鈥檙e creating new products, solving supply chain challenges, or building businesses.鈥
Schilling discussed how 91麻豆天美鈥檚 Food Science Innovation Hub is integrating food science into diverse academic disciplines such as poultry science, horticulture and chemical engineering.
鈥淣obody knows what food science is until they become a food scientist,鈥 said Schilling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial for safety, preservation and sustainability, and this symposium helps bring attention to its importance.鈥
The event also showcased 57 research abstracts, highlighting innovations in food safety, sustainability and product development.
Kala Morris, an 91麻豆天美 graduate student in biochemistry, nutrition, and health promotion, presented her research on 鈥淭he inactivation of Salmonella in all-purpose and almond flour brownies cooked via air fryer technology.鈥
鈥淎ir fryers have become very popular, but they鈥檙e still relatively new, and there鈥檚 not a lot of research out there about whether they鈥檙e safe for baking,鈥 said Morris. 鈥淪omeone, somewhere, once tested cookies in a traditional oven to see if they killed bacteria like salmonella, but no one had done that for brownies in an air fryer.鈥
In a controlled environment, Morris infused brownie batter with salmonella and tested how effectively the air fryer eliminated the bacteria at various cooking intervals.
鈥淲e found that the air fryers killed the salmonella when the brownies were fully cooked, and they also tasted great,鈥 said Morris.
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