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Diane M. Barrett, Ph.D. Co-operative Extension Specialist

UC Resources for Fruit & Vegetable Processing

This is a list of University of California extension and research/teaching faculty who work on fruit and/or vegetable postharvest handling, storage and processing.


Arpaia, Mary Lu 209-891-2500 arpaia@uckac.edu At Kearney Agricultural Center. Research focus: handling citrus, avocado & other subtropical fruits.

Barrett, Diane 530-752-4800 dmbarrett@ucdavis.edu Quality of processed fruit and vegetable products, as affected by raw material quality and method of processing. Quality attributes commonly measured: color, texture, flavor, and nutritional value. Endogenous fruit and vegetable enzymes also of interest.

Bruhn, Christine 530-752-2774 cmbruhn@ucdavis.edu Consumer attitudes & perceptions of food quality, safety, and wholesomeness. Educational programs directed toward health professionals, educators, consumers, & the media.  Center for Consumer Research Web

Cantwell, Marita 530-752-7305 micantwell@ucdavis.edu Research & extension objectives: to identify & solve problems related to postharvest physiology & handling of fresh market vegetables.

Cook, Roberta 530-752-1531 cook@primal.ucdavis.edu Fresh marketing strategies; international competitiveness; exporting to Mexico & Latin America; U.S. fresh produce distribution systems.

Crisosto, Carlos 209-891-2500 carlos@uckac.edu Developing new technology to overcome fruit industry problems; divulging new information to growers, packers, shippers, buyers, retailers, & produce managers; primary focus: stonefruit, kiwifruit, persimmon, pomegranate, Asian pear, table grape.

German, J. Bruce 530-752-1486 jbgerman@ucdavis.edu Chemistry & biochemistry of lipids; the role of dietary fat in tissue & cell function; essential fatty acid metabolism & synthesis of bioactive metabolites; enzymology of lipid oxidation.

Guinard, Jean-Xavier 530-754-8659 jxguinard@ucdavis.edu Taste chemoreception in man; psychophysics of fats & oils; oral sensitivities & saliva; sensory evaluation methodology; sensory properties of alcoholic beverages; chemical senses & nutrition; sensory determinants of food acceptability.

Harris, Linda J. 530-754-9485 Ijharris@davis.edu Microbial food safety & applied microbiology with emphasis on spoilage, safety of fresh-cut fruits & vegetables, microbiology of vegetable fermentations & microbiology of meat.

Kader, Adel A. 530-752-0909 aakader@ucdavis.edu Quality & safety of tree fruits & nuts as influenced by controlled/modified atmospheres. (Now retired.)

Krochta, John M. 530-752-2164 jmkrochta@ucdavis.edu Food packaging systems; edible coatings to control mass transfer, microbial growth and disintegration in foods; modeling to describe mass transfer in packaged and coated food systems.

McCarthy, Kathryn L. 530-752-1487 klmccarthy@ucdavis.edu Application of theoretical modeling & experimental evaluation of fluid flow in processing equipment & quality control applications; focus on mixing, rheology, & extrusion processing of food materials.

Mitcham, Elizabeth 530-752-7512 ejmitcham@ucdavis.edu Postharvest biology & technology of fruits aimed at finding alternatives to chemicals used to control physiological disorders, decay, & insects. Extension focus includes: apple, pear, cherry, cling peach, apricot, prune, berries, walnut, almond.

Mitchell, Jeff 209-891-2500 mitchell@uckac.edu At Kearney Agricultural Center. Focus on crop management impacts on quality & safety of vegetable crops.

Reid, David S. 530-752-8448 dsreid@ucdavis.edu Physico-chemical aspects of freezing process in model systems & food systems; role of water in food systems; ion-polymer interactions in gel systems.

Reid, Michael 530-752-7060 msreid@ucdavis.edu Covers spectrum from studies of the biochemistry of senescence to application of new methods in postharvest technology of ornamental plants, particularly cut flowers & potted plants.

Russell, Gerald F. 530-752-3041 gfrussell@ucdavis.edu Chemistry of volatile food components; flavor & odor compounds; analysis of toxic & carcinogenic compounds; use of computers for laboratory & process automation.

Shoemaker, Charles F. 530-752-8079 cfshoemaker@ucdavis.edu Food rheology; interfacial phenomena in food systems; microcomputer technology in food analysis & process control.

Shoemaker, Sharon P. 530-752-2922 spshoemaker@ucdavis.edu Director, Calif. Institute of Food & Agricultural Research & Visiting Research Biochemist. Microbial polysaccharides & carbohydrases related to food & agriculture. Microbial fermentation, recovery, characterization & kinetic analysis of native & recombinant forms.

Suslow, Trevor 530-754-8313 tvsuslow@ucdavis.edu Applied solutions to postharvest quality limitations during transportation; issues of horticultural perishables in distribution; integrates a variety of technologies to identify & control sources of postharvest decay & quality reduction in fresh market vegetables.

Thompson, Jim 530-752-6167 jfthompson@ucdavis.edu Design & operation of cooling systems, transportation equipment & fumigation & cold storage facilities for fresh horticultural perishables; drying systems for fruits & nuts.

Winter, Carl K.
530-752-5448 ckwinter@ucdavis.edu Director, Food Safe Program. Pesticide residues in foods, including analysis, risk assessment, regulation & public policy; development of bioanalytical methods using mass spectrometry to measure xenobiotic metabolites from biological fluids; development of biomarkers for in vivo lipid peroxidation; toxicology of naturally-occurring chemicals. FoodSafe Web