University of Arkansas Students and Faculty Shine at IFT FIRST Meeting

Food science students and faculty members from the University of Arkansas made a notable impact at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) FIRST Annual Event and Expo in Chicago in July. Professor Ali Ubeyitogullari, his graduate students, and visiting Ph.D. students presented their research on innovative applications of supercritical carbon dioxide in food engineering. Their presentations earned top honors, with one graduate student placing third in an oral competition category and two others being finalists in presentation contests. The university's faculty and students showcased their expertise in creating high-value food ingredients using green approaches, optimizing ethanol-water cosolvent systems, and enhancing the aroma of whole sorghum flour. Their research demonstrates the potential of supercritical carbon dioxide processing in transforming the food industry.

Key Takeaways:

• Food science doctoral student Arda Tuhanioglu placed third in the IFT Food Engineering Division oral competition category with the presentation "Enhancing the aroma of whole sorghum flour using supercritical carbon dioxide: Application of the treated flour in 3D printing of sorghum cookies."
• Gabriel Laquete De Barros, a visiting Ph.D. student, was a semi-finalist in the Sustainable and Functional Food Systems Division Graduate Student Oral Competition with "Developing high-value food ingredients from purple sweet potatoes using supercritical carbon dioxide-based green approaches."
• Sophia Hinkebein, an undergraduate student, was a finalist in the Undergraduate Research Competition with "An innovative supercritical carbon dioxide drying for moisture reduction and bioactive retention in apple pomace."
• Professor Ali Ubeyitogullari presented "Enhancing the aroma of sorghum flour using supercritical carbon dioxide" and led the Food Engineering for Health Lab.
• The University of Arkansas's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences focuses on preparing graduates who will be leaders in the food, family, environment, agriculture, and sustainability sectors.
• IFT is a professional organization that aims to inspire and transform collective scientific knowledge into innovative solutions for the benefit of people worldwide.

Statistics:

• The University of Arkansas contributes more than $3 billion to the state's economy through teaching, entrepreneurship, research, and job development.
• The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity.
• The University of Arkansas is ranked among the top public universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Sources:

• University of Arkansas: "Fayetteville, Ark -- The following information was released by the University of Arkansas..."
• University of Arkansas: About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
• University of Arkansas: About the University of Arkansas
• Institute of Food Technologists: IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo