Research Fellowship
The Kerry Upcycled Food Foundation Fellowship
We would like to extend a special thanks to our sponsor, Kerry – a world leading sustainable nutrition company.
Our two cohorts of research fellowships initiated by the Upcycled Food Foundation (UFF) were dedicated to supporting this evidence-based industry and educating consumers about the environmental and social benefits of upcycled foods.
In June 2021, with the generous support of the Deutsch Family Foundation, we launched the inaugural UFF Research Fellowship Program. Research is key to understanding the environmental impact, market, consumer perceptions, technical opportunities, and overall potential of upcycled food.
UFF is the nonprofit subsidiary of the Upcycled Food Association, the only food industry association dedicated to catalyzing the upcycled economy to prevent food loss and waste across the entire supply chain.
Kerry Group and UFF share common goals to protect people and the planet through food solutions that leverage science, imagination, and innovation making the partnership a seamless fit. Kerry currently reaches 1.1 billion consumers daily with sustainable nutrition solutions, with the ambition to grow to 2 billion daily by 2030.
Read the full press release here.
The Kerry Upcycled Food Foundation Fellowship Cohort
Eight fellows were selected to conduct research that reflects a question of interest to the upcycled food community including consumer awareness and perception of upcycled products, novel ingredient development, and impact measurement. Findings were shared in a June 2024 webinar.
The fellows selected to participate in the second cohort represent diverse research backgrounds and are spread out across the world. During their fellowship, researchers conducted research on topics of importance to upcycled food and received both financial support from UFF and connections to the membership network of upcycled food companies.
We congratulate and thank our fellow cohorts for their participation and contributions.
Dr. Siddharth (Sidd) Bhatt
Assistant Professor of Marketing, Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg
Focus: Original research-based insights into consumer perception of upcycled foods
Dr. Alissa Bilfield
Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Washington
Focus: Insights that provide direction to improve and expand consumer messaging and education around upcycled products
Dr. Ziynet Boz
Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Focus: Contribute to the literature of mathematical model-supported decision making and analytics, specifically, Life-cycle Assessments, Life-cycle Sustainability Assessments on the circular bioeconomy approaches
Dean Hauser
Graduate Research Fellow, Cornell University
Focus: Contribute practical applications of fermentation for upcycling dairy and other food industry byproducts, and robust sustainability assessments of such products’ life cycles.
Dr. Derya Kahveci Karıncaoğlu
Associate Professor, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Food Engineering
Focus: Environmentally-friendly extraction of bioactive components from food waste and their application in upcycled foods/products, supported by bioavailability perspective and consumer acceptance
Dr. Kamaljit Moirangthem
Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow, Teagasc - Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Ireland) and University of Helsinki (Finland)
Focus: Support the creation and attraction of investments in the upcycled food sector by providing technological and consumer insights
Dr. Chetan Sharma
Postdoc in Food and Hospitality Management, Drexel University
Focus: How to elevate the consumer perception of upcycle foods along with the specific barriers
Dr. Hongjun Ye
Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing, Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
Focus: Understand and promote upcycled food awareness globally
