Joseph M. Awika
Assistant Professor of Food Science & Technology
Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2003
Email: jawika@ag.tamu.edu
Voice: 979.845.2985
Office: 429 Heep Center
Research.
- Cereal Chemistry: Structural and functional properties of minor cereal organic molecules, (e.g., flavonoids, structural lipids and carbohydrates, phytates). Effect of ionic properties of solutions on chemical interactions of the molecules with natural food constituents (sugars, starch, etc) and common food additives like ascorbates and sulfur dioxide. Such fundamental interactions are key to predicting processing stability and understanding their effect on food quality. Our research also investigates how the cereal components may affect health through their free radical quenching properties and human epithelial cell interactions.
- Cereal processing and quality: Rapid predictive methods for wheat and other cereal processing quality, especially for tortillas and noodles; currently there is no reliable screening tool that wheat breeders can use to screen wheat lines for tortilla production. We also investigate methods to enhance health properties of cereal products by minimizing use of artificial additives and enhancing processing and sensory attributes of natural components.
Graduate level course teaches the chemistry and functional properties of carbohydrates, the most abundant and versatile food ingredient. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of how the structure and molecular weight of carbohydrates affect their phsico-chemical behavior, and will thus be able to select carbohydrates for specific food applications and processes to obtain desired properties. Carbohydrates as nutrients, their biochemistry and metabolism, and related health aspects are also introduced. Undergraduate level course provides students with a fundamental and practical understanding of how the major cereal components, especially starch and proteins, interact with other food ingredient to produce the wide varieties of bread, pastries, and other baked products we regularly consume.