Friday, February 2, 2018

Barrett Foundation supports food research

The University of Guelph is dipping into the Barrett Family Foundation fund for $3 million to hire a researcher to head the Barrett Family Chair in Sustainable Food Engineering.

The Barrett family donated $5 million last year to establish the foundation.

The chair is intended to develop innovative ways to improve food processing and production.

“Feeding the world’s growing population, safely and sustainably, is one of the greatest global challenges of today,” said president Franco Vaccarino.

“But it is not just a matter of generating more food; we must also do more to protect the food we produce, including improving food safety and reducing food waste.”

“The University of Guelph is Canada’s food university; we have the expertise and the technology to address these issues,” Vaccarino said.

“This transformational gift – among the largest in U of G history — will allow us to leverage our strengths and develop solutions that support both consumers and the food industry.”

The research will focus on the design, construction and operations of food processing.
It will include improving food packaging, developing new “green” technologies, and finding ways to prolong shelf life and reduce food waste.

Educational outreach will include symposiums, programs and courses, partnerships with industry and government, and research collaborations across U of G and beyond.


The chair will also work with industry in identifying challenges and developing research projects.