Federal dietary guidelines continue to emphasize a nutrient-dense diet and consumers are demanding more nutrient-rich foods with minimal processing and fewer ingredients. Heat treatment of foods is often necessary to destroy pathogens and ensure food safety but often results in loss of nutrients. With USDA NIFA support, Dr. Balasubraminan’s lab developed and facilitated the industrial adaptation of a new technology that reduces the need for thermal treatment of beverages while preserving the nutrient content and ensuring food safety. This presentation will discuss the development, scaling, and training conducted with the technology as well as opportunities for further implementation across the food industry.

Professor V.M. (Bala) Balasubramaniam, Ph.D., is with the Department of Food Science and Technology and Department of Food Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University.  Dr. Balasubramaniam’s laboratory conducts multidisciplinary research for the development and validation of next generation sustainable food processing technologies to enable the development of clean-label foods.