State-of-the-art laboratories and teaching facilities add strength to the Food and Nutritional Sciences program.
A pilot scale food processing facility houses blast freezing, freeze drying, extrusion (single screw extruder), canning and sous vide equipment. A separate research lab houses a Varian Saturn 2100T GCMS (gas chromatograph/mass spec) and ASE 200 accelerated solvent extractor. The food packaging laboratory houses a walk-in environmental chamber for temperature and humidity control. One of the only cook-chill systems in a dedicated teaching and research laboratory is also found in the facility. A computerized sensory evaluation laboratory, two quantity food production laboratories and five basic food preparation laboratories are also available. Almost all of these laboratories have recently been remodeled and updated with many pieces of new equipment.
Our newest demonstration laboratory houses equipment developed on site and patented that provides an adjustable height work surface to accommodate disabled individuals, children and persons of various heights to do food production safely.
The department also maintains a nutritional assessment laboratory for education and research with a Sahara clinical bone sonometer, Tanita body composition analyzer, Hemocue for hemoglobin determination and Cholestech LDX. The new human performance laboratory presently houses a treadmill, exercise cycle, and Sensor Medics Vmax Encore 29 for exercise physiology teaching and research. Related facilities that support the program include chemistry, food microbiology, packaging, physiology, instructional technology and counseling laboratories. Off-campus sites for the dietetic internship include a variety of acute and long term care facilities, clinics, community agencies and food service management facilities.