Nutrition and Food Sciences News
Food Science Club has Another Successful Year
The LSU Food Science Club was recognized with the LSU Purple Organization Award at the 2026 Tiger Excellence Awards ceremony and the club's Diversified Foods & Seasonings industrial tour was also nominated among the Top 5 Educational Events of the Year. The college bowl team beat both Texas A&M and Texas Tech to come in second behind Arkansas in the IFTSA South Central Regional college bowl competition. Team members were undergraduate students Kay Gaines, Sanjhbati Mukherjee and Dominic Carallo and graduate students Dikshya Shilpakar, Drew Puckett, Neelam Sharma, Pratiksha Shrestha and Andrea Muela. The Food Science Club is advised and the college bowl team coached by Dr. Joan M. King, who won the College of Agriculture club advisor of the year award. https://lsureveille.com/277236/news/lsu-food-science-club-visits-manufacturing-plant-learns-about-food-production/ The pruple award info will be shown soon on this website https://www.lsu.edu/campus-life/leadership/awards.php
Advisor of the Year, Dr. King with the Food Science Club
Dear Dr. King, We are excited to officially congratulate you on being named the Club Advisor of the Year! Your exceptional guidance, unwavering support, and dedication to the success of your student organization have truly made a significant impact. Your efforts to foster growth, encourage member engagement, and support your club in making a lasting contribution to the LSU College of Agriculture community have set you apart. This recognition is a testament to the positive influence you've had on your club members and their success. We will be officially announcing the winner on our Instagram (@lsuagstudentassociation). Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! We look forward to seeing your continued success in guiding and inspiring students. Best, Abbygail Davis https://www.instagram.com/lsuagstudentassociation/
SNFS PhD Student Elise Kreilich Receives Prestigious Loyal E. Horton Memorial Scholarship
The School of Nutrition and Food Sciences (SNFS) proudly celebrates Human Nutrition PhD student Elise Kreilich, MS, RDN, LDN, on receiving the highly competitive Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Loyal E. Horton Memorial Scholarship for 2026. Awarded through the Foundation of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Loyal E. Horton Memorial Scholarship recognizes emerging leaders in nutrition and dietetics who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, professional promise, and commitment to advancing the field. This national honor supports graduate-level scholars who are poised to make meaningful contributions to research, education, and practice. Elise, a dedicated researcher and clinician, is pursuing her PhD in Human Nutrition within SNFS, where her work reflects a strong commitment to evidence-based practice, innovation, and mentorship. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist, she brings both scholarly rigor and practical experience to her doctoral training. This prestigious award not only recognizes Elise's accomplishments to date but also invests in her continued impact on the profession. The SNFS community congratulates Elise on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to the important contributions she will continue to make in nutrition research and practice.
LSU RESEARCH BITES: SMARTER HYDROPONIC, SOIL-FREE FARM METHODS REDUCE CROP CONTAMINATION RISK
Hydroponics is a method for growing food in a water-based solution rich in nutrients, rather than using soil. This allows growers to plant more crops in a smaller area, saving land and water, and enabling plants to grow up to 50% faster than in traditional farming methods. However, hydroponic systems and other methods that utilize enclosed structures, such as greenhouses or vertical farms, also present unique food safety challenges. Harmful microbes present in substrates, seeds, water, and nutrient solutions can quickly spread and contaminate a whole system. Dr. Achyut Adhikari, Interim Director of the Food Innovation Institute (FOODii) and professor in the LSU School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, and his team are generating science-based data to ensure crop safety and quality in hydroponic systems. For example, they are working on ways to prevent outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes illness and is often spread through contaminated produce. While adding chemicals to kill pathogens like Listeria in hydroponic systems may seem like a possible solution, these chemicals can also destroy the beneficial microorganisms that are crucial for growing healthy foods. Instead, Adhikari and his team are optimizing inputs like pH levels and using sterilizing ultraviolet (UV-C) light to minimize harmful pathogens without disrupting beneficial microorganisms. In a recent study published in the Journal of Food Protection, Adhikari and his team showed that while Listeria often grew in lettuce and strawberry hydroponic solutions at neutral pH levels, a tomato nutrient solution, UV-C light, and more acidic solutions all successfully inhibited bacterial growth. "This research offers a practical approach to enhancing food safety in hydroponic systems by managing pathogens through input optimization rather than chemical use," Adhikari said. The researchers are exploring other ways to enhance the safety of hydroponic agriculture, such as using boiling water to decontaminate hydroponic substrates that house plant roots. Adhikari and his team collaborate with farmers and farm industry partners to develop guidance and protocols that enhance food safety, health, and sustainability. Adhikari and his team collaborate with farmers and farm industry partners to develop guidance and protocols that enhance food safety, health, and sustainability. Read the paper: Effect of pH, Nutrient Composition, and UV-C Light Treatment on Listeria monocytogenes in Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions https://www.lsu.edu/blog/2025/11/rb-hydroponics-adhikari.php LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7396548319268757504
Research Highlights from Sheetal Jha's USDA FSIS Fellowship (2024-2025)
Sheetal Jha, a Ph.D. student in Adhikari's Food Safety Lab, was awarded the prestigious USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) ORISE Fellowship for 2024-2025. This highly competitive fellowship provided an exceptional opportunity to deepen her expertise in food safety while working closely with FSIS mentors. Over the course of a year, Sheetal collaborated with federal scientists, gaining valuable insights and hands-on experience that complemented her ongoing research. 1. Awarded the USDA FSIS ORISE Fellowship (2024-2025) - Research focuses on disrupting quorum sensing in Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes using Bacillus megaterium to reduce biofilms in NFT hydroponic systems. - Aims to enhance food safety in controlled environment agriculture. 2. Visited USDA & ARS Eastern Labs in Athens, GA - Toured FSIS testing labs and observed microbiology, chemistry, and pathology workflows. - Connected with FSIS researchers and mentors; visited Pilgrim's Pride poultry facility. 3. Fan Favorite Winner - 2025 ORISE Ignite Off Competition - Delivered a dynamic 5-minute talk on bacteriocins targeting Listeria and Salmonella biofilms. - Recognized for excellence in science communication and impactful research. ORISE IGNITE OFF competition: https://orise.orau.gov/internships-fellowships/resources/ignite-off-competition.html
LSU food science club visits manufacturing plant, learns about food production and practices
The Food Science Club toured Diversified Foods and Seasonings company in Madisonville, LA last Friday, February 27. About twenty undergraduate and graduate food science students and the club advisor, Dr. Joan King, joined the tour. Melody Bennett Anderson, Director of Food Technology set up the tour for the club in cooperation with graduate student and President of the Food Science Club, Neelam Sharma. A food science and technology area alumni of the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Maria Brasher, has worked there for the past seven years as a Food Science Process Manager. Link to Story in LSU Reville https://lsureveille.com/277236/news/lsu-food-science-club-visits-manufacturing-plant-learns-about-food-production/#
School of Nutrition and Food Sciences Graduate Students Present their Health Food Products to the Faculty
The School of Nutrition and Food Sciences graduate students enrolled in NFS 7022 (Current Topics in Nutrition and Food Science) presented their class project to the faculty at the December 5th department meeting. The students described how they made their healthy snacks, provided samples of the finished product and showcased the websites they created to market their items.
LSU Research Bites: Smarter Hydroponic, Soil-Free Farm Methods Reduce Crop Contamination RiskNews Article Title
Hydroponics is revolutionizing farming--growing crops in nutrient-rich water instead of soil means saving land and water while boosting growth rates by up to 50% faster than traditional methods. But this innovation comes with a challenge: enclosed systems like greenhouses and vertical farms can quickly spread harmful microbes, threatening food safety. Dr. Achyut Adhikari, Interim Director of LSU's Food Innovation Institute (FOODii), and his team are leading the charge to keep hydroponic produce safe. Their research focuses on preventing pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes--a dangerous bacterium often linked to contaminated produce--without relying on harsh chemicals that harm beneficial microbes. Instead, they're using smart strategies like pH optimization and UV-C light sterilization to stop pathogens while preserving healthy microorganisms. In a recent study published in the Journal of Food Protection, the team found that acidic solutions, UV-C light, and tomato-based nutrient mixes successfully inhibited Listeria growth, offering a practical alternative to chemical treatments. The team is also exploring innovative methods like boiling water decontamination for hydroponic substrates and working closely with farmers to develop science-based protocols that enhance food safety, sustainability, and crop quality. 📄 Read the study: Effect of pH, Nutrient Composition, and UV-C Light Treatment on Listeria monocytogenes in Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions
Empowering Future Leaders: LSU Student Named Vice Chair of IAFP Student Professional Developing Group
These references highlight recent research and updates in low-moisture food safety, including outbreak trends, processing technologies, industry needs for research and extension, and pathogen survival kinetics on tree nuts under varying conditions.