He also was involved in bacterial diseases used in the control of European chafer and Japanese beetles in New York state.
During his career, Steinkraus's research would focus on the microbial, chemical, and nutritional changes occurring in fermented foods.
At Cornell, the experience of mentoring students who had come from Asia, Central America and Africa to study the microbiology of their native foods prompted Steinkraus to study fermented foods, including tempeh, soy sauce, soy milk, tape, trahanas, idli/dosa and the fermented fish sauces (List of fish sauces; List of fish pastes)and soy products of the Far East, including miso and tofu.
His "Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods," published in 1983, was the first comprehensive and authoritative book on the subject.
"Steinkraus named fellow of IUFoST's International Academy of Food Science and Technology".