News and Events

Study Shows Frying Oil Consumption Worsened Colon Cancer and Colitis in Mice

Research by UMass Amherst food scientists compared effects of fresh and thermally processed oil

In the paper published Aug. 23 in Cancer Prevention Research, lead author and Ph.D. student Jianan Zhang, associate professor Guodong Zhang, and professor and department head Eric Decker showed that feeding frying oil to mice exaggerated colonic inflammation, enhanced tumor growth and worsened gut leakage, spreading bacteria or toxic bacterial products into the bloodstream.

News & Media Relations August 23, 2019

UMass Amherst food scientist’s new book: Future Foods

Coming to Your Household Soon: 3-D Food Printers, Nano Foods and Bug Burgers

David Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and among the world’s most highly cited researchers, has written a new book that explores the brave new world of science and food.

News & Media Relations May 23, 2019

Maple Valley Creamery – UMass Food Science Ice Cream Competition Winners announced!

Congratulations to Team “Vanilla Chai” on their winning flavor concept in this year’s Maple Valley Creamery – UMass Food Science Ice Cream Competition. This year we had six teams present their unique flavor concepts to Maple Valley Creamery and a judging panel of eight culinary professionals. Maple Valley Creamery and the judges were impressed with all of the team’s submission, and ultimately selected the flavor that was the most ready to move into production. See picture of the winning team: “Vanilla Chai” - Ryan Claudino, Dietrich Pultinas, Adam Salhaney, Constantinos Argyrou, Amélia Vega.

Congratulations to our fan favorite winners this year team “Blueberry Lemon Bar”- Team members: Joy Aberg, Aanal Bhavsar, Kristen Buermeyer, Austin Cain & Emily Kelly.

Thanks to Maple Valley Creamery, faculty and students for their support and congratulations to all the teams for a great competition!

22News ; News & Media Relations May 01, 2019

UMass food scientists garner a mélange of sweet victories

From young researchers to experienced alumni—UMass Food Scientists continues to be leaders in their field

Professor Guodong Zhang is being honored with the 2019 Young Scientist Research Award from the American Oil Chemists’ Society
Alumnus Noel Anderson, a member of the College of Natural Sciences Advisory Board, has been elected president-elect of the Institute of Food Technologists
University of Massachusetts Amherst Distinguished Professor David Julian McClements and Professor Hang Xiao, both among the most highly cited researchers in the world, have won awards for their contributions to food science from the Institute of Food Technologists
Professor Eric Decker, head of food science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been elected president of the American Oil Chemists’ Society

College of Natural Sciences News. April 18, 2019

UMass Food Science Ice Cream Competition

When: May 1, 2019

Where: Integrative Learning Center, Room 120

Time: 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Join the Food Science FS-563 class as they pitch their unique ice cream flavor concepts to Maple Valley Creamery and a panel of culinary professionals. This year we have six teams giving presentations in the 2019 Maple Valley Creamery – UMass Food Science Ice Cream Competition, and you will have the opportunity to taste all the teams’ creations and choose your favorite ice cream flavor.

The 2019 winning team will have their ice cream flavor produced commercially by Maple Valley Creamery and we will soon see the new ice cream flavor available at our local markets.

Come support the product development teams of Food Science department and enjoy the Ice Cream!

UMass News & Media Relations

How much salt is too much?

Eric Decker, Department Head of Food Science, is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel that reviewed guidelines for daily sodium and potassium intake and has issued new guidelines for dietary consumption. For the first time, the NAS has tied overuse of sodium to chronic disease, saying that people getting more than 2,300 milligrams a day should reduce their sodium intake to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. The Boston Globe quotes Decker in their coverage of the new guidelines. College of Natural Sciences News. March 7, 2019

Discovery of Colon Cancer Pathway Could Lead to New Targeted Treatments

University of Massachusetts Amherst food science researchers have pinpointed a set of enzymes involved in tumor growth that could be targeted to prevent or treat colon cancer. News & Media Relations. February 25, 2019

Study Explores the Role of Citrus Peel in Reducing Gut Inflammation

After Years of Research, UMass Amherst Food Scientist Zeroes in on Powerful Interplay Between Gut Bacteria and Fruit Compounds

University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor Hang Xiao, Clydesdale Scholar of Food Science, has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how substances produced in the gut from citrus compounds are involved in decreasing inflammation in the colon. News & Media Relations. February 22, 2019

Food science professor outlines low-impact dietary choices

How to Eat a More Sustainable and Nutritious Diet

Fergus Clydesdale, distinguished professor of food science, talks about how to make food choices with fewer environmental impacts. Clydesdale directs the Food Science Policy Alliance, where he presses for policy decisions based on science, and to make nutritious and safe food available to all. College of Natural Sciences News. January 18, 2019

Good agricultural practices ‘the only line of defense’ against E. coli

Food safety expert Amanda Kinchla, UMass Extension and UMass Department of Food Science, speaks about good agricultural practices to maintain a safe food supply. The Recorder, December 26, 2018.

Department of Food Science