May 8, 2017
Purdue Food Science receives two awards of excellence
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University’s Department of Food Science has been recognized with two prestigious awards from the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). These awards come at a time when the global food supply chain is expanding and the demand for rapid technologies to ensure food safety is escalating.
Arun Bhunia, professor of food microbiology, is the recipient of the 2017 Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award, a $2,000 honorarium and plaque recognizing his outstanding contributions in the laboratory creating detection techniques for foodborne pathogens.
Bhunia created the technique known as Bacterial Rapid Detection using Optical Scattering Technology (BARDOT). His development of sensor platforms for foodborne pathogen detection also highlights his commitment to food safety.
Bhunia considers his greatest achievements to be the BARDOT technique, the fiberoptic and cell-based sensor platforms, and the probiotic vaccine. “But my greatest satisfaction comes from discovery, teaching students and contributing to science. It’s what I love,” he said.
Bhunia believes future trends for food safety will continue to focus on early detection solutions for foodborne pathogens at the lowest possible cost for producers. “Pathogens will always be there. As they continue to change and modify, we must continue to be vigilant in taking precaution.”
The second award recognizes Purdue’s Center for Food Safety Engineering (CFSE) and Department of Food Science as the recipient of the 2017 GMA Food Safety Award, a $2,000 honorarium and plaque recognizing the group’s long history of outstanding contributions to the field of food safety.
“The strides-forward approach of 17 faculty members and their research associates and the impacts of their research, outreach, and teaching accomplishments related to food safety underscore why the United States has the safest food supply in the world,” said Lisa Mauer, director of the Center for Food Safety Engineering.
“These awards are highly competitive. The fact that Dr. Bhunia and our CFSE/Department have been recognized by the IAFP speaks to the excellence of their programs. A special thanks to Dr. Lisa Mauer, CFSE Director, for all she does for the Center,” said Brian Farkas, head of the Department of Food Science.
Awards will be presented at the IAFP 2017 Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, in July.
Writer: Cheri Frederick, 765-494-2406, cfrederick@purdue.edu
Source: Brian Farkas, 765-494-8256, bfarkas@purdue.edu
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Shari Finnell, Manager/Media Relations and Public Information, sfinnell@purdue.edu
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