Dept of Food Science & Nutrition, UMN

The Plant Protein Innovation Center wrapped up this year's unique events in May and welcomed over 180 attendees from more than 95 companies, organizations, and institutions across the plant protein value chain. The momentum across both events made this our strongest year yet, with many sharing that these were our best‑executed programs, reflecting on PPIC’s mission to take plant protein research from field to food service.

Solution‑Driven Innovation Workshop
May 18–19, 2026
This year’s Workshop brought together leading and emerging companies, including 12 PPIC members, who delivered fast, focused lightning talks showcasing scalable innovations across ingredient functionality, processing, and product development.
Day 2 moved to hands‑on learning, giving attendees access to advanced processing and pilot‑scale capabilities at Bühler, NETZSCH, and CPM Crown. Participants left with practical insights and clear pathways to move innovations from concept to scale.
Highlights included:
Engaging technical presentations and demonstrations
Lively Q&A and cross‑sector problem‑solving
Networking that sparked new partnerships
Strong participation from PPIC members

7th Annual Research Spotlight Meeting
May 20–21, 2026
Our annual meeting once again showcased the depth and breadth of plant protein research across the ecosystem. Attendees heard from leading scientists, industry experts, and innovators advancing functionality, processing, nutrition, sensory science, and sustainability.
Day 2, co‑hosted with the Plant Based Foods Institute, highlighted value‑chain collaboration, while the Forever Green Initiative brought forward perspectives on resilient cropping systems and long‑term agricultural sustainability.
Highlights included:
Dynamic speakers and research presentations
Engaging panel discussions
An integrated farm‑to‑test‑kitchen experience
A vibrant student poster session
Robust networking and member showcases

The University of Minnesota invites applications for a new faculty position in Native American Nutrition and Food Systems at the Assistant Professor level. This position will be a nine-month, tenured appointment involving approximately 50% research and 50% teaching as a faculty member of FScN within CFANS. (Appointment percentages may vary depending on the qualifications and seniority of the appointee.)

The appointee is expected to develop a strong extramurally funded research program that investigates the relationship between diet, lifestyle and health of Native American individuals, urban and/or tribal communities. The research program should be representative of the diversity of tribal communities in Minnesota. The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate in nutrition, food science, food systems, public health or a related field. Expectations include leadership in organizing nutrition and food-related scholarly and community events, such as the Native American Nutrition Conference.

The full position description and application instructions can be found at the UMN employment portal by searching for Job ID 373696
Link to portal: https://hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job/Search-UMN-Jobs

As we dive into summer, we wanted to update you on the major renewal project coming to FScN in less than a year! University Facilities professionals have been busy evaluating, inspecting and making plans for our various lab and research spaces in preparation for the upcoming building renewals. Contractors have brushed up on their archaeology skills while investigating our ancient, disjointed HVAC and electrical systems, cobbled together over decades to meet the needs of ever-advancing scientific inquiry. The excitement is building (pun intended) as we prepare to join our peers in the 21st century with infrastructure that matches the forward-facing research and education we do here every day. We’ll be bringing you regular updates on the project as the construction start-date nears.

See how we're using new methods and technologies to create a more personalized gut health approach for the future

Analyzing individual food patterns for healthier gut microbiomes University of Minnesota researchers are developing a personalized approach to track how individual food choices impact the gut microbiome.

The FScN community had quite a showing at the 2026 MN Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND) Annual Conference! Here are a few of the ways our students, alumni and faculty made a splash:

Award Winners:
Brook Meyer (‘26 BS Nutrition) - Outstanding Student Award [DPD Program]
Anita Lam (‘26 BS Nutrition) - MAND Foundation Scholarship
Kendal Burstad (‘23 PhD Nutrition) - Young Dietitian of the Year

Sessions:
Aimee Tritt - Session Speaker
Alissa Perteet-Jackson and Chris Tollberg - Research Posters

Year after year, our students, staff, faculty and alumni demonstrate how indispensably integrated FScN is within the nutrition and health systems of Minnesota, as evidenced by their consistent recognition at these types of events. Thank you to all those who amplify the important work of dietitians through your advocacy and exemplary professionalism!

We have some quite accomplished students this year and so it’s time to celebrate a few of their notable successes from this spring! Up first this week is our 2026 FScN Student Award recipients:

Jonah Udall - 2026 Renee Rosen Excellence in Teaching Award

McKeon Student Award:
-Food Science: Marie King
-Nutrition: Brook Meyer

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award:
-Brook Meyer
-Megan Roehrig
-Alejandra Spillers

Outstanding Graduate Student Award:
-Vici Thahir
-Noor e Huma
-Elie Fayad
-Jawadul Misir

Congratulations to all these honorees and thank you for your dedication to our department and academic community!
Stay tuned as we continue to announce more of our students’ recognitions throughout the week!

Congratulations to all our students who graduated this past week! This year’s commencement ceremonies and preceding FScN reception were top notch, with excellent student speakers sharing insightful, encouraging words. Notably, Susan Strom not only spoke at our reception, she was also the student speaker at the CFANS Graduate Commencement Ceremony!

We are of all our incredible students and graduates. They have particularly demonstrated their superlative qualities this year, receiving numerous awards and recognitions. In honor of that, next week will be Spring Student Success Week, in which we will be posting all about our outstanding students and their accomplishments. Stay tuned for that and once again, congratulations to our new graduates!

As part of Minnesota Section IFT's May 13th 'Bring on the Summer Bash' event, two “A SUB W” license plates, donated by the family of Ted Labuza, will be auctioned off to support student scholarships.

Don't miss your chance to own a unique piece of food science memorabilia and support young food scientists at the same time!

See comments below for bidding and registration details

Help us create the next UMN ice cream flavor for the 175th Anniversary!

Have you ever been curious about the human gut microbiome and its impact on health? Then you’ll love this 3-part crash course series, moderated by our own Levi Teigen! This series will be an approachable panel discussion featuring UMN experts covering different aspects of microbiome health. The sessions will take place virtually, 5-6:30 PM over the next three Wednesdays. Register at the link below