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John M. Krochta
, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Peter J. Shields Chair in Dairy Food
Science and Packaging & Biopolymer Film Lab Director,
UC Davis
Dr. Krochta, a registered professional engineer, has been a professor at the University of California at Davis for the past 12 years. He is a professor in the Department of Food Science & Technology as well as in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering. Some of the courses he teaches include Introduction to Food Preservation, Food Packaging and Mass Transfer in Food and Biological Systems. Additionally, Dr. Krochta is director of UC Davis' Packaging and Biopolymer Film Laboratory. His research involves study of polymer film formation, transport characteristics, modeling, and application to food packaging and biological systems.
Dr. Krochta also is the current Peter J. Shields Chair in Dairy Food Science. His research on biopolymer films has focused on utilization of whey protein for edible films and coatings. Applications being investigated include whey-protein oxygen-barrier coatings for nuts, whey-protein gloss coatings for confections, whey-protein-based anti-mold coatings for cheese, and whey-protein pouches for milk powders and other dry foods. Dr. Krochta has spoken and written extensively on the topic of edible films and coatings, including editing a book and authoring several book chapters, a Scientific Status Summary for the Inst. of Food Technologists, an encyclopedia section, several patents and roughly 70 peer-reviewed journal papers.
Dr. Krochta's extensive research background includes 18 years with the USDA-ARS, Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., where he served as a research chemical engineer. Dr. Krochta also is an active member of several scientific and professional societies - American Chemical Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education, Institute of Food Technologists, and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.
Dr. Krochta has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Purdue University, and a M.S. and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, both from the University of California at Berkeley.
Contact Dr. Krochta:
John M. Krochta, Ph.D.
Department of Food Science & Technology
Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Peter J. Shields Chair in Dairy Food Science
University of California
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616-8598
jmkrochta@ucdavis.edu
phone: 530-752-2164
fax: 530-752-4759
For more information on Dr. Krochta and the Food Science and Technology Department at UC Davis, please visit his Web site - http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu/fst/faculty/KrochtaWeb/index.htm.