Food drying is a common process for preserving many types of food, including fruits and meat; however, drying can alter the food’s quality and nutritional value. In recent years, researchers have developed precision techniques that use optical sensors and AI to facilitate more efficient drying. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discusses three emerging smart drying techniques, providing practical information for the food industry.

Devin Edmonds isn’t like most amphibian hobbyists. For one thing, he’s now a trained herpetologist, studying frogs and turtles as a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But as an amateur back in 2006, he did something bold for the love of frogs that changed the trajectory of his life, not to mention the frogs’. 

A team of undergraduate students from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, competed at the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) 2024 Venture Building Challenge on Nov. 14–15.

The National Association of Agricultural Educators has granted its 2024 Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award to the agricultural education concentration, part of the Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications program in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Urbana-Champaign.

You’ve probably heard of product recalls involving lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens. Consuming these popular vegetables is among the main causes of food poisoning, affecting thousands of people every year. Leafy greens can become contaminated with pathogenic E. coli or other bacteria through splashes of soil or contaminated irrigation water in the field, or through processing and handling. Growers and processors work hard to implement multiple safety procedures, but contaminated products still slip through the cracks and reach consumers.

Through the innovative Global Food Security Internship program, selected undergraduates in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) are working with faculty mentors on specific projects towards global food and nutrition security in low- and middle-income countries.

Wendy Dorman is determined to map a brighter future for grassland birds. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign doctoral student will use a $150,000 investment from NASA to develop robust maps of grassland habitat across the Midwest and beyond. Her goal is to understand the species-specific habitat factors that matter most to imperiled birds and optimize strategies for their conservation.  

A team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has engineered potato to be more resilient to global warming, showing 30% increases in tuber mass under heatwave conditions. This adaptation may provide greater food security for families dependent on potatoes, as these are often the same areas where the changing climate has already affected multiple crop seasons.