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?? Student Spotlight: Andrew Crumpley’s Research on Cheese Stickiness ???? Meet Andrew Crumpley, an MS student at Utah State University, working with Dr. Prateek Sharma to solve a common frustration for cheese lovers—sliced cheese that sticks together! Pre-sliced and shredded cheeses are some of the most popular retail cheese products, often packaged using modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). However, excessive cheese stickiness can lead to slices tearing when consumers try to separate them, reducing product quality and satisfaction. Andrew’s research aims to identify the key factors behind cheese stickiness, including: ? Cheese composition ? Extent of proteolysis (protein breakdown over time) ? Rheological properties (texture and flow behavior) ? Packaging conditions and gas composition Why This Research Is Important ?? Enhances Consumer Experience – Reducing cheese stickiness makes pre-sliced cheese easier to use and more enjoyable. ?? Improves Product Quality – Understanding cheese properties can help manufacturers create better, more consistent cheese slices. ?? Supports the Growing Cheese Industry – With the U.S. cheese market expanding (~16% CAGR), optimizing cheese texture and packaging is essential for product innovation and market success. Andrew’s work could lead to new solutions for improving cheese packaging and texture, making everyday cheese products more convenient and high-quality for consumers. Stay tuned for his findings! ?? #StudentResearch #DairyScience #CheeseInnovation #FoodTexture #FoodPackaging #BetterCheese

Wow! Way to go OSU Food Science and Technology!! ?? ??

???? Exciting changes are coming to the dairy industry! The upcoming modifications to Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO), set to take effect in June of this year, will have significant implications for milk pricing and dairy farmers. These changes, the first major updates in over two decades, aim to better align milk prices with market conditions and improve price transparency. As part of my research at the University of Wisconsin, I am analyzing how these adjustments will impact dairy producers and the entire dairy supply chain. Understanding these shifts is crucial for farmers, policymakers, and stakeholders to navigate the evolving dairy landscape. Check out the Dairy Innovation Hub's post to learn more! Huge thank you to the Professional Dairy Producers for inviting me to be a part of their annual business meeting and to the Dairy Innovation Hub for funding this work.

Dr. Yanyun Zhao and Sheri Cole recently visited Boardman, OR, for a roundtable discussion with vegetable processors and regional Economic Development leaders to understand the opportunities and challenges to create greater value from current byproduct streams.?The potatoes, onions, and other crops, grown and processed there are an economic engine for their region and the state.?With more than 1/3 of the global food supply lost or wasted along supply chains, it’s a significant challenge that also poses great opportunities for rural communities.?OSU FST has prioritized Food Loss as a focus area and is organizing differently with our network to find new ways to capture lost value.?A big thank you to Debbie Radie at Boardman Foods, Inc. for generously helping us organize the discussion and to folks from Boardman Foods, Lamb Weston, Oregon Potato Company, Calbee America, RD Offutt Farms, Tillamook Foodservice, Port of Morrow, and Food Northwest for sharing their time and insights that will influence the path forward.

???? AI-Powered Research Assistance: The Scholarly AI Analyzer ???? Eric Hill, an MS student at Idaho State University with Dr. Leslie Kerby, is developing a game-changing AI tool to assist researchers in the early stages of literature review! His Scholarly AI Analyzer leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to automatically gather and analyze research papers from Google Scholar, streamlining the literature review process and enabling researchers to query articles directly for relevant insights. ?? Why Does This Research Matter? Literature reviews can be time-consuming and overwhelming—Eric’s tool aims to revolutionize this process by automating data collection, summarization, and analysis, making scholarly research faster, more efficient, and accessible across disciplines. The project is currently in early testing, with a web-based UI in development to enhance usability. With further refinements, this AI-powered assistant could become an indispensable tool for researchers worldwide! ??? #AIforResearch #MachineLearning #AcademicTools #LiteratureReview #EdTech #Innovation

???? Exploring the Role of L. casei in Mozzarella Cheesemaking ???? Katherine Rehberger, an MS student at Washington State University with Dr. Carolyn Ross , is diving into the world of Mozzarella cheese innovation! Traditional Mozzarella is made with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and/or Streptococcus thermophilus, but Katherine’s research examines how adding Lactobacillus casei affects sensory, textural, and functional properties—especially in baked applications like pizza. ?? Why Does This Research Matter? Mozzarella isn’t just for fresh consumption—it plays a critical role in baking, melting, and stretching on everything from pizza to casseroles. Katherine’s findings show that while L. casei didn’t significantly impact cold Mozzarella, it delayed defects in melted cheese over time, improving its performance on baked goods. This could lead to better cheese for pizza lovers and food manufacturers alike! ???? #MozzarellaScience #FoodInnovation #DairyResearch #CheeseLovers #PizzaCheese #FoodScience

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???? Turning Dairy Byproducts into Sustainable Solutions ??? Morgan Fong, an MS student at Boise State University with Dr. Owen McDougal, is tackling a major sustainability challenge in the dairy industry—the upcycling of whey permeate. With the global cheese and yogurt markets booming, the industry produces massive amounts of this byproduct, which is often used as low-value fertilizer or animal feed. Morgan’s research explores energy recovery and higher-value applications for whey permeate, focusing on innovative separation technologies like pulsed electric fields, dimethyl ether extraction, and nanofiltration. ?? Why Does This Research Matter? Currently, transporting whey permeate is costly and inefficient—80% of it is water. If a cost-effective extraction method can be developed, it could lead to on-site bioenergy production, reduce waste, and improve sustainability in dairy processing. The potential applications range from food production to biofuels, making this research crucial for a greener dairy industry. ???? #SustainableDairy #FoodScience #Bioenergy #Upcycling #DairyInnovation #WasteToEnergy

?? Attention Students, CASH PRIZE! ?? American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) is giving you the chance to Make it with Dairy and WIN! ???? ?? Get creative and submit a 2-3 minute video showcasing a food product or recipe made with a dairy ingredient! Show the world how dairy can be used to create delicious, nutrient-dense meals, snacks, and beverages. ?? Cash Prizes for the top 3 videos: ?? $1,000 for 1st place! ?? $500 for 2nd place! ?? $250 for 3rd place! ?? Winning videos will be: ? Featured on ADPI’s website & LinkedIn group (great exposure for potential employers!) ? Shown at the 2025 ADPI/ABI Annual Conference in April! ?? Key Deadlines: ?? Register by March 24 ?? Submit your video by April 14 ?? Visit ADPI.org/VideoContest for official rules and the registration form. Spread the word & tag students who should enter! ?? Questions? Contact Stephanie Clark at [email protected]. #MakeItWithDairy #ADPIContest #FoodInnovation #DairyDelicious

?? Utah State University Students Bring Tradition & Connection to the Utah Capitol ?? On Feb. 25, Utah State University students turned the Utah State Capitol into a hub of #AggiePride by delivering Aggie Ice Cream to legislators, staff, and security personnel. But this wasn’t just about handing out cups of Blue Mint—it was about building relationships and showing appreciation for those shaping Utah’s future. Gov. Spencer Cox, a proud Aggie alum, called it "our favorite day of the session," while students like Sydney Lyman reflected on how moments like these break barriers between students and lawmakers. As Jennifer Seelig, former Utah legislator and USU’s Institute of Government & Politics director, put it: "It’s not just about the ice cream." This event embodies what USU stands for—engagement, gratitude, and using even the simplest traditions to strengthen our community. ?? ??https://lnkd.in/gnYVu4mH #AggieIceCreamDay #USUAggies #LeadershipInAction #AggieTradition