OUR MISSION - To implement education, research and outreach programs designed to provide a safe, nutritious, and affordable food supply that enhances human health.
FSHN offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, conducts research in food science and nutrition, and serves the people of Illinois with its extension and outreach programs, which cover a wide range of subjects from nutrition and wellness to food safety and bioprocessing. We have committed ourselves to playing a leadership role in all aspects of our mission and to be the best department of our kind in the land-grant university system.
We also believe that we are accountable to our stakeholders — students, parents, the college and campus, the industry, government, and the people of Illinois and the nation — to do nothing less than strive for excellence and produce useful and meaningful outcomes with the investment that has been made in us.
The faculty members in Food Science and Human Nutrition come from diverse backgrounds and cover a wide range of specialties. We have experts in the areas of food chemistry, food microbiology, food processing, food engineering, food safety, food analysis, biotechnology and bioprocessing, clinical nutrition, biochemical and molecular nutrition, community nutrition and dietetics, and nutritional toxicology. Commodity specializations include corn, soybeans, legumes, oilseeds, dairy products, vegetables, meats, wine, and fermented beverages.
Graduate students include both domestic and international students. While some of them majored in food science or nutrition, most of them have undergraduate degrees in diverse areas such as microbiology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and engineering.
Research in FSHN
Our research covers a wide range of topics from food safety and biotechnology to clinical nutrition and toxicology. Some examples of current research projects include:
- Industrial fermentation for the bioconversion of corn into butanol
- The design of optimum membrane processes to reduce production costs
- The role of bioactive compounds in infant development
- The role of soy in lowering cholesterol
- Optimization of nutritional support through parenteral and enteral nutrition
Research funding comes from a variety of sources such as the National Institutes of Health, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Council for Food and Agricultural Research, Mitsubishi Chemical, United States Department of Agriculture, Illinois Soybean Association, United Soybean Board, and Kraft Foods.
View a List of Faculty Research Areas [PDF]
Extension & Outreach
FSHN Extension and Outreach programs reflect the teaching and research expertise of FSHN faculty, with the additional strength of off-campus University of Illinois Extension educators. Our mission is to help the citizens of Illinois put food and nutrition knowledge to work!
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Diversity and Multicultural Programs
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences seeks to encourage diversity and multiculturalism among its faculty, staff and student body. To learn more about diversity programs in the College, click here.