2019-2020 PRESIDENTIAL ENGAGEMENT FELLOWS

University of Missouri SystemC O L U M B I A | K A N S A S C I T Y | R O L L A | S T. L O U I S

University of Missouri-Columbia

Andrew ClarkeFood Science

Andrew D. Clarke is an Associate Professor and Program Leader of Food Science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. He is a meat scientist by training and primarily studies applications of ingredients and technologies to improve the quality and safety of further processed meat products for consumers.

His experience with a wide range of topics supports his teaching and outreach activities that serve the meat and food processing industry. The core of his research interests include studies to evaluate the use of alginate as a binder for restructured products and the effects on physical, sensory and microstructural characteristics. His many projects have continued the development of restructured products based on cold-set binders and the use of both extrusion and supercritical fluid extraction as processing methods for novel meat products. A series of special projects involving the utilization of Asian carp for new markets has been completed as part of a national effort to rid our major rivers of that invasive species.

Most recently, he and his students have investigated the effects of fiber in meat products and analytical methods for determining food additives in restructured products. He has co-written a textbook for Introducing Food Science that touches on many of the principles of food production and how these relate to food issues in the news and commercial food production. An avid traveler, he routinely co-leads Study Abroad courses to New Zealand and Germany where students gain an appreciation for the meat, dairy and wine industry along with cultural experiences that should last a lifetime.