Expert Details
Food Processing and Packaging
ID: 716914
Virginia, USA
Expert's activity in this area includes teaching graduate and undergraduate food processing courses, which include food sterilization. One of his active areas of research is the sterilization of multi-layer plastic food containers.
The emphasis of his research in package closures and testing has been package integrity testing of heat sealed containers. This research has identified non-destructive methods for integrity testing of flexible and semi-rigid containers. Other package testing includes oxygen and moisture transmission testing.
He has investigated and published on many different Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) applications. He began in work with poultry products and continues to be actively involved in research for cheese and other dairy products. Recent activities include broccoli packaging and packaging of fresh herbs.
He has worked with aseptic fluid food processing and packaging. He has been a trainer for aseptic processors in eight states and continues to consult for dairy manufacturers. Along with dairy products he has been involved in consulting for infant formula and adult nutritional aseptic processing.
One of the primary research areas for Expert has been the investigation of integrity testing for flexible and semi-rigid food containers. His research has established the characteristics and conditions that microleakers would lead to a loss of hermetic seals.
He is a program coordinator for the FDA/USDA approved Better Process Control School. He has taught this school approximately 30 times including foreign country locations.
In addition to integrity testing, he has been actively involved in evaluating nondestructive test methods to detect microleakers. He has published on the suitability of acoustic testing for plastic and paper containers.
He is currently a Principal Investigator on a multiyear, multi-university NASA project to develop an ohmic heating food package for the mission to Mars. As part of this team he has investigated both flexible and rigid containers that might be used on a lunar base camp or the Mars mission.
For five years, he was a principal investigator at the Citrus Agricultural Research and Education Center located in Lake Alfred, Florida. While there he conducted research on both orange processing and packaging.
While his main research interest has been the interaction between foods and their containers, the result has been to look at many plastic food contact surfaces and how they can be improved. Active packaging is a major component of his ongoing research.
He participated in sous-vide experiments to determine if the standards as practiced in Europe could be safe from C. botulinum during refrigerated distribution.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1980 | Degree: Ph.D. | Subject: Food Science | Institution: North Carolina State University |
| Year: 1976 | Degree: M.S. | Subject: Food Technology & Science | Institution: University of Tennessee |
| Year: 1974 | Degree: B.S. | Subject: Food Technology & Science | Institution: University of Tennessee |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1988 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Professor | Department: Food Science and Technology Department |
Responsibilities:Has a research and teaching program that investigates the interaction of packaging materials and foods. He is also involved in leak detection research and active packaging for foods. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1989 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:He is a consultant to the food and packaging industry with emphasis on aseptic and retortable food packaging. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1984 to 1988 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Business Development Manager | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Provided technical marketing and business development for high barrier plastic food packaging. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1980 to 1984 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Assistant Professor | Department: Food Science Department |
Responsibilities:His research was in aseptic processing and packaging of citrus juices. |
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International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 1985 to 1993 | Country / Region: Western Europe | Summary: Started as business development adviser for the UK manufacturing of Rampart Packaging and then continued as an independent consultant. |
| Years: 1998 to 2001 | Country / Region: Egypt, Morocco | Summary: He worked with USAID funded agencies to provide food processing information to local canned and aseptic food companies. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| Expert is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, the Institute of Packaging Professions, and the American Chemical Society |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| He has 3 book chapters, 45 referred publications, and various other publications and patents in food science and packaging. |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Expert was an expert witness for package integrity and food processing litigation. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| He was Program Coordinator for FDA/USDA Better Process Control Schools. |
Fields of Expertise
aseptic filling, aseptic packaging process, food aseptic processing, liquid packaging process, food retorting, food sterilization, package closure, package testing, package testing requirement, modified atmosphere packaging, dairy product aseptic processing, integrity testing, package integrity, low-acid food, nondestructive testing, ohmic food processing, orange, plastic container, package-food product interaction, sous-vide packaging, package-food product interaction, package design, controlled environmental packaging, terminal sterilization, heat-sealable polymer, food shelf life extension, stand-up pouch, equipment sanitizing, packaged product, plastic closure, oxygen barrier film, grated cheese, citrus fruit processing, stability, food package, vacuum packaging, sterilization packaging technology, sterilization processing technology, sterile product aseptic manufacture, flexible packaging film, package testing standard, packaging migration, sterile processing, ultra-high temperature short time sterilization, packaging machine, low-acid food aseptic processing, flexible packaging material, seal (device), poultry, packaging testing, packaging evaluation, packaging development, packaging technology, sterilant, controlled atmosphere storage, product-package system compatibility evaluating, sealing, product-package system, shelf life, packaging standard, package consumer testing, food packaging plastic, beverage packaging process, packaging material, package, oxygen, sterilization, thermoformed package, sterile packaging process, food shelf life testing, rigid plastic package, plastic package, packaging process, orange juice, heat sealing, fruit product, food technology, food storage, food safety, food processing equipment, food processing, food packaging process, flexible package, controlled-atmosphere packaging process, citrus fruit product, can (container), bottle