The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Department of Food Science at UMass Amherst

food science research

SECURING THE SAFETY OF THE FOOD SUPPLY

UMass Amherst scientists are conducting research to promote the safety of the food we eat—and to stop the spread of outbreaks when they occur.

Department News

FOOD SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT

BENEFICIAL BACTERIA IN THE INFANT GUT USES NITROGEN FROM BREAST MILK TO SUPPORT BABY’S HEALTH

A University of Massachusetts Amherst nutrition scientist who has spent his career studying breast milk has demonstrated how beneficial microbes in the gut of infants use nitrogen from human milk to support pediatric nutrition and development.

“The molecules in breast milk not only feed the baby but also feed the baby’s microbiome,” says David Sela, associate professor of food science and director of the Fergus M. Clydesdale Center for Foods for Health and Wellness. “This changed the way people think about the role of human milk in infant nutrition.”

David Sela