Food science research link agreed between Cardiff Met University and Ohio State University

Dr Ellen Evans and Dr Sanja Ilic

Closer collaborative food science research is set to take place between Cardiff Metropolitan University and Ohio State University following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions.

The MoU has been established by Dr Ellen Evans from ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Met University and Dr Sanja Ilic from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University. 

The agreement will focus on food safety research, focusing on vulnerable patient groups, which is being conducted by the two institutions. Data collection is currently being carried out in the USA to look at the food safety training of dietitians and the collaboration has already resulted in two publications and four conference contributions, with more already planned.

Dr Evans is also advising a PhD student at Ohio State University, who is using the findings of a Tenovus funded research product undertaken at ZERO2FIVE as the basis for the development of targeted food safety interventions for people receiving cancer treatment.

To coincide with the research agreement, Dr Ellen Evans travelled to Ohio State University to take part in an MoU seminar, where she discussed Cardiff Met University’s accolades, the recent outputs of Food Innovation Wales’s Project HELIX and the three main areas of research undertaken at ZERO2FIVE. 

Dr Ellen Evans, Research Fellow at ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, said:

“Collaboration between Cardiff Met University and Ohio State University has already resulted in a series of impactful research publications. With this Memorandum of Understanding in place, we will be able to deliver further important research together that will help to protect the most vulnerable in society from the risk of foodborne illness.” 

The MoU was signed on behalf of Cardiff Met University by Professor Katie Thirlaway, Dean of the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, who said:

“One of the strategic priorities of Cardiff Met University is building and strengthening our global links by connecting with partner universities around the world to produce research with global relevance and impact. This MoU is a clear example of the type of collaborative link we are looking to build.”