WSU professor recognized for frozen food innovation
By Kate Wilhite, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences
PULLMAN, Wash. – Juming Tang, food engineering researcher and regents professor at Washington State University, has earned the 2014 Freezing Research Award – international recognition for research that has significantly improved food quality and safety through freezing.
His contributions to the field of food process engineering include microwave pasteurization technology to control microbial and viral pathogens in frozen and chilled meals.
“Dr. Tang’s contributions to the field of food science and engineering have aided the scientific community and consumers alike by demonstrating innovation through increased product quality, safety and shelf-life,” said Kraig R. Naasz, president of the Frozen Food Foundation (http://www.frozenfoodfacts.org/) and president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute (http://www.affi.org/).
The award will be presented by the foundation and the International Association for Food Protection (http://www.foodprotection.org/) on Aug. 6 at the association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis.
“This award illustrates the food industry’s confidence in the potential positive impact of new WSU microwave pasteurization technology on the safety of chilled and frozen meals,” Tang said.
He is the distinguished chair of food engineering and associate chair of biological systems engineering at WSU where he has taught and conducted research for 19 years. A pioneer in food engineering, he has led development of two novel technologies commonly referred to as “microwave-assisted thermal sterilization” or MATS (http://www.microwaveheating.wsu.edu/) and “microwave-assisted pasteurization system” or MAPS (http://microwavepasteurization.wsu.edu/).
Learn more about Tang’s work at http://microwavepasteurization.wsu.edu/mwp-main/people.html.
Contacts:
Juming Tang, WSU food engineering and biological systems engineering, 509-335-2140, jtang@wsu.edu
Kate Wilhite, WSU CAHNRS communications, 509-335-8164, kate.wilhite@wsu.edu
