University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Food Science

The inspiration to develop the faculty of the Food Science Department began when Dr. Frank Waugh asked Walter Chenoweth to give a paper to a group of fruit growers.

Under Dr. Fellers guidance the department shifted its focus from community research and education to the scientific age of industrialization of food manufacturing.

For example, he patented a process for canning and freezing shellfish to prevent discoloration and the proliferation of gritty, glass-like struvite by controlling pH and binding minerals.

This invention was credited by the U.S. shrimp packing industry to have “solved two of the most serious outstanding problems of the canned shrimp industry and constitutes the greatest technical advance in 25 years.” [citation needed] Dr. Fellers also worked closely with cranberry growers in Massachusetts in an organization called “The Cranberry Exchange” to produce safe, nutritious and great tasting products.

During WWII he was stationed in Australia and is accredited for establishing 33 dehydration plants that provided dried milk and egg products to the troops.

In 1987, Dr. Fellers felt that“The challenge is to provide the shoulders on which the future investigator will stand and from which he, in turn, will peer beyond the present horizons of knowledge into the great unknown.

That is the spirit of research.”[citation needed] Not only did Dr. Fellers have one of the top research programs in the world but he was also one of the founding fathers of food science.

[citation needed] IFT established the Carl R. Fellers Award to honor distinguished leaders in Food Science.

Dr. Esselen had a broad research program that focused on thermal processing, spore resistance, pickle technology, vitamin retention and packaging of cranberries.

This pioneering research established the basis for today's practice of utilizing high temperature-short time pasteurization to ensure food safety yet maximize nutrient retention.

For example, faculty member Irving Fagerson began working with the Consumers Union to establish the nutritive value and quality of a number of processed foods such as frozen broccoli (a relatively unknown crop at that time), canned soups and frozen dinners which began the era of consumer education on the quality of processed foods.

But let no one be under the illusion that we can feed the population with the organic movement.” Dr. Francis's insights over 40 year ago are still the topic of numerous popular press debates today.

Some 40 years later, he donated $1.5 million from this investment to establish the first endowed chair in the history of the University of Massachusetts Food Science Department.

He conducted ground breaking research on methods to determine thermal processing times to ensure food safety.

Dr. Clydesdale also had an illustrious research career as he was one of the ground breaking scientists to integrate the fields of Food Science, Nutrition and Public Policy.

He was one of the leading Food Industry consultants providing expert advice for various projects such as one establishing the health benefits of whole grains.

This alliance provides critical research funding that was used to establish one of the top scientifically equipped food science departments in the world.