Eric Decker, professor in food science, has been honored for his research into free radical oxidation of lipids and mechanisms of antioxidants in numerous food systems. He gave a plenary lecture and was presented the award at the recent EuroLipid Federations meeting in Germany. This is the highest honor in this field.
“Over the last 30 years, I have had the pleasure of doing collaborative research with many institutions across the world, including in European countries such as France, England, Italy, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands,” Decker says. “I am deeply touched to be honored by these colleagues through this very prestigious award, especially at a time when research on the stability of seed oils is so critical for food safety.”
Named among the world’s most highly cited scientists in agriculture every year since 2005, Decker retired last summer after 32 years at UMass Amherst, including 12 years as head of the food science department. He will remain active with a three-year appointment to complete his work.