“You look at the University Dairy Creamery and think it should be easy to make ice cream, but it really isn’t,” said Dr. McConlogue, who teaches courses such as Food For Thought (ANFS 102) and Foodborne Infection Investigation. says Kari Kneir, professor of microbial food safety at the University of California. (ANFS 230). “Given its freezing properties and crystalline taste in the mouth, it has to be perfect.”
Knier said students pursuing food science research and development must overcome the setbacks of trying again and again until they get the best product.
“Jane's tenacity makes her a great candidate for food science,” says Farnham's supervisor, Knier. “Ice cream is not a very forgiving matrix. Small changes have a big impact, and small mistakes can make a measurable difference.”
Patience helps in this area. Because of the applied science skill set and willingness to hire food scientists, a UD Food Science major has a 100% placement rate in his desired career.
This internship experience encouraged Farnham to stay in the food science research and development department and hone the food science skills she developed as an undergraduate at UD.
Farnham said she particularly enjoyed Cneil's Food Microbiology (ANFS 439/639) course for food science majors.
“You learn about all these organisms in lecture and then apply it in the lab section by making real food,” Farnham said.
These burgeoning food scientists study every microorganism that may be present in food, from disease-causing microorganisms to microorganisms essential to food production.
“We have a laboratory that does basic microbiology research, such as bacterial enumeration,” Knier said. “We typically link these technologies to specific regulations for the food supply within the United States and consider different testing strategies.
Students also study fermentation, making kimchi, for example, by tracking microbial communities that change during the fermentation process.
Food science can be unforgiving and extremely complex at times, but it can also be extremely rewarding.
“A few weeks ago, I went to Food Lion and saw that flavor on the shelf. I was crying because I had been working on this project all summer,” Farnham said. “I put my blood, sweat and tears into this, and it's really incredible that it's now real food that people can buy.”