#UFFSciComm
An Upcycled Food Global Scientific Research Community
#UFFSciComm is the world’s first global upcycled food science community that collaborates and shares research across academic, government and industry institutions to accelerate progress in science and innovation.
Upcycled Food Foundation:
Global Scientific Symposiums
Upcycled Food Foundation’s first Global Scientific Symposium debuted during Upcycled Food Month, June 2025.
The Upcycled Food Foundation’s inaugural Global Scientific Symposium I was a virtual gathering on June 10–11, 2025: 11 hours of presentations from 22 speakers with participants from 10 countries, spanning every scientific discipline touching the upcycled food revolution. We brought a spotlight to bold, breakthrough research—especially from students and early‑career scientists—while welcoming seasoned experts who want to share fresh insights on turning would‑be waste into nutritious, market‑ready ingredients.
On 2025’s International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, we gathered for Symposium II: the next inspiring and informative two days of virtual learning, 7.5 hours with 20 speakers from 9 countries, a global scientific convening on upcycled food innovation, September 29 and September 30!
True to our mission, our symposiums are designed for maximum access and minimum footprint: our fully online format eliminates travel emissions without sacrificing real‑time interaction. Join our next Symposium III during Upcycled Food Month June 2026 to exchange data, ignite collaborations, and help continue this biannual symposium, an essential fixture on the global food and sustainability calendar.
Submit your speaker proposal for Symposium III, TBD 2026.
Keynote, lightning talks, and panel presentations all available.
Questions? Email info@upcycledfood.org
September 2025
UFF Scientific Symposium II Speakers
Webinar recordings will be available to registered attendees as well as UFA Members within Member Resources!
Dr. Lara Ramdin, UFF Board Member/Scientific Committee Chair & Matt Smardz, PhD Candidate, Cornell University
Juan Jose Cardenas, Ph.D., RMIT University & University of Adger: From awareness to engagement, design consumer-facing implementations to reduce food waste.
Dr. Elad Tako, Associate Professor, Cornell University & Matt Pataki, co-founder of PomacePlus: The Value of Fruit Skins - Transforming Food Byproducts into Health Benefits
Professor Ke Wang, Cornell University: Innovative and Translational Research in Converting Food Waste and Byproducts into Bioplastics
Viral Shukla, Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell University: Using Food Technology to Enhance Upcycling NPD - Case Studies from NY Byproducts
David Wishnick, Co-Founder, Nutraberry: Micronizing Agricultural Byproducts - Unlocking Nutrition and Circular Value
Steven Grall: The OG of Upcycling — and Why Integration Is the Next Frontier
Dr. Simona Grasso, Ad Astra Fellow & Assistant Professor, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Ireland & Dr. Alexandra Grygorczyk, Research Scientist, Sensory and Consumer Services, Vineland Research
Joy Nnadiegbulam, PhD Researcher, University College Dublin, Ireland: Co-creating new upcycled food concepts with Irish consumers
Maria Dermiki, Lecturer, Atlantic Technological University: It looks like a regular soup, but does it taste like one? Exploring ways to increase acceptance of upcycled foods through tasting and co-creation
Malgorzata Krzywonos, Professor, Wrocław University of Economics and Business: Upcycled Food in Poland - Aligning Consumer Motivations and Stakeholder Priorities
Ítala Marx, Principal Investigator, University of Córdoba: Upcycling the Future - Olive Pomace as a Next-Gen Gluten-Free Functional Flour
Jessica Aschemann-Witzel, Professor and Centre Director, Aarhus University: What draws consumers to upcycled food? Exploring frugality, nostalgia and systems thinking
Dr. Alexandra Grygorczyk, Research Scientist, Sensory and Consumer Services, Vineland Research: The untapped functionality of upcycled fruit and vegetable powders
Dr. Andrew Tait, Ph.D., Founder Tait Labs, Affiliate Associate Professor, Concordia University: Food Waste Is Medicine - From Citrus Peels to Crab Shells
Xiumin Chen, Professor, Jiangsu University: From Byproduct to Functional Ingredient - Coffee Leaves in Beverages and Nutraceuticals
Emily Steliotes, Food Informatics Researcher & Entrepreneur, IC-FOODS & The Job Feed: Sustainable Food Informatics - From Research to Workforce Development
Click to read speaker bios: Day 1 & Day 2!
June 2025
UFF Scientific Symposium I Speakers
Webinar recordings are available to UFA Members within Member Resources!
Kickoff & welcome: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate
Keynote Speaker: Nik Watson, Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Food in the School of Food Science and Nutrition - University of Leeds. AI for Circular Food Systems.
Keynote Speaker: Professor Glen Fox, PhD DSc FCIBD - Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor, Malting & Brewing Science, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis. Brewing Value: The Science of Spent Grain at UC Davis.
Spotlight Session: Dean Hauser, UFF Fellow and Graduate Research Assistant - Cornell University. Characterization, consumer liking, and consumer willingness to pay for upcycled grape pomace and yogurt acid whey beverages.
Lightning Talk: DeAndra Forde MPH, PhD Nutrition Student - Drexel University. Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization: Culturally Tailored Intervention for Caribbean and Latin Americans in the United States (CHEF – WPM:C/LA).
Fresh Take: Lauren Shamie, Recent Graduate Tufts, MS in Nutrition, RD-Eligible. Upcycled Foods & Nutrition: Transforming Waste into Wellness.
Spotlight Session: David Wishnick, Co-Founder - Nutraberry. Beyond Extraction: Unlocking the Full Potential of Upcycled Ingredients Through Continuous Advanced Milling.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Deutsch, Professor, Department of Food and Hospitality Management - Drexel University. Drexel Food Lab: Case Studies & Consumer Data.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Belal Hasan, Nutrition and Food Science Department, Huntley College of Agriculture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Economic Feasibility of Solid-State Biotechnological Processing for Upcycling Agriculture Co-Products.
Fresh Take: Dr. Alexandra Grygorczyk, Research Scientist, Sensory and Consumer Services - Vineland Research. The Canadian Upcycled Food Landscape.
Keynote Speaker: Francesca Goodman-Smith, Development and Extension Director - End Food Waste Australia (EFWA). Research, development and extension insights used to shape the upcycled food sector in Australia and beyond.
Concluding remarks: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate
Kickoff & welcome: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate
Spotlight Session: YooHee Hwang, Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management - Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Why should we try upcycled foods? Context-specific and country-specific examinations.
Spotlight Session: Anne Odille Peschel PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Aarhus University. How to engage consumers with upcycled food as a sustainable alternative?
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Simona Grasso, Ad Astra Fellow & Assistant Professor, School of Agriculture and Food Science - University College Dublin, Ireland. Upcycled foods in academia: key review findings.
Keynote Speaker: Jonathan Kershaw, Associate Professor of Food Science - Brigham Young University. To the rescue? Reframing upcycled foods as a frugal solution rather than rescued waste can improve product acceptance.
Spotlight Session: Jon Schroeder, Sustainable Materials Management Specialist, Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, MnTAP. I Know What You Did Last Summer : What an MnTAP intern achieved in upcycling.
Spotlight Session: Derya Kahveci Karincaoglu PhD, UFF Fellow & Associate Professor - Istanbul Technical University. Upcycling oilseed meals and green leaves into plant-based proteins: Benefits and limitations.
Spotlight Session: Hongjun Ye, UFF Fellow & Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing - University of Pittsburgh & Peng Lu, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication - University of Georgia. A National Survey on Consumer Attitudes Toward Upcycled Food.
Spotlight Session: Dr. Ziynet Boz, UFF Fellow & Assistant Professor, Sustainable Food Systems Engineering - University of Florida. Upcycling and the LCA.
Keynote Speaker: Devon Gholan Ph.D., Vice President of Science and Innovation - Step Change Innovations. Harnessing the Power of Upcycled Ingredients in Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.
Concluding remarks & thank yous: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate
Click to read speaker bios!
UFF SciComm Co-Chairs
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Dr. Lara Ramdin - Chief Scientist/Ambassador, FoodxClimate
Dr. Lara Ramdin is the Chief Scientist/Ambassador at FoodxClimate. Often hailed as the “Upcycling Queen,” she transforms undervalued by-products into high-quality, nutrient-rich ingredients, thereby addressing food waste while simultaneously enhancing food security. Her innovative approach not only contributes to environmental sustainability but also propels the food-as-medicine movement forward by producing foods that support holistic health outcomes and are accessible to a wide population. Dr. Ramdin's work is at the intersection of science, sustainability, and social impact, making her a key figure in the future of food and an Emeritus Board member of Upcycled Food Association. Her vision and dedication to upcycling and nutrition have established her as a thought leader in creating food solutions that nourish both people and the planet.
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Dr. Jonathan Deutsch - Professor, Dept of Food and Hospitality Management, Drexel University and Director, Drexel Food Labs
Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D., CHE, CRC is Professor and Vice Chair of Health Sciences, which encompasses Culinary, Food, Nutrition, Exercise and Health Sciences at Drexel University. He is the Founding Program Director of Drexel’s Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs. He is past President of the Upcycled Food Foundation and previously was the inaugural James Beard Foundation Impact Fellow, leading a national curriculum effort on food waste reduction for chefs and culinary educators. He was named a Food Waste Warrior by Foodtank. Before moving to Drexel, Deutsch built the culinary arts program at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York (CUNY) and the Ph.D. concentration in food studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and School of Public Health. At Drexel, he directs the Drexel Food Lab, a culinary innovation and food product research and development lab focused on solving real world food system problems in the areas of sustainability, health promotion, and inclusive dining. He is the co-author or -editor of eight books including Barbecue: A Global History (with Megan Elias), Culinary Improvisation, and The Anti-Inflammatory Family Cookbook, and numerous articles in journals of food studies, public health and hospitality education. He earned his Ph.D. in Food Studies and Food Management from New York University (2004), his culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America (AOS, Culinary Arts, 1997), and is an alumnus of Drexel University (BS, Hospitality Management, 1999). A classically trained chef, Deutsch worked in a variety of settings including product development, small luxury inns and restaurants. When not in the kitchen, he can be found behind his tuba.
