Upcycled Food Foundation: Global Scientific Symposium - June 10 and June 11, 2025

Join us for an engaging virtual symposium with global participants hosted by Dr. Lara Ramdin: an inspiring and informative two days of learning, the first ever international scientific convening on upcycled food innovation!  

Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 

Time: 7am-3:00pm PT / 9am-5:00pm CT / 10am-6:00pm ET

Date:  Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Time: 7am-12:30pm PT / 9am-2:30pm CT / 10am-3:30pm ET

Tickets are a suggestion donation of $10 USD

Questions? Email info@upcycledfood.org

UFF Scientific Symposium Schedule

Day 1: Tuesday, June 10 (times in Pacific)

7:15a Kickoff & welcome: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate

7:30a 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.

8:15a 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.

9a 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.

9:30-9:45a: BREAK

9:45a 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).

10:15a Fresh Take: Lauren Shamie, Recent Graduate Tufts, MS in Nutrition, RD-Eligible. Upcycled Foods & Nutrition: Transforming Waste into Wellness.

10:45a Spotlight Session: David Wishnick, Co-Founder - Nutraberry. Beyond Extraction: Unlocking the Full Potential of Upcycled Ingredients Through Continuous Advanced Milling.

11:15a Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Deutsch, Professor, Department of Food and Hospitality Management - Drexel University.

12p 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.

12:45p - 1:30p BREAK

1:30p Fresh Take: Dr. Alexandra Grygorczyk, Research Scientist, Sensory and Consumer Services - Vineland Research. The Canadian Upcycled Food Landscape.

2p 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.

2:45-3p Concluding remarks: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate

Day 2: Wednesday, June 11  (times in Pacific)

7a Kickoff & welcome: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate

7:05a 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.

7:30a Spotlight Session: Anne Odille Peschel PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Aarhus University. How to engage consumers with upcycled food as a sustainable alternative?

8a 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.

8:45a 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.

9:30a 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.

10a 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.

10:30a 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.

11a Spotlight Session: Dr. Ziynet Boz - UFF Fellow & Assistant Professor, Sustainable Food Systems Engineering - University of Florida. Upcycling and the LCA.

11:30a 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.

         12:15-12:30p Concluding remarks & thank yous: Amanda Oenbring, UFA CEO & Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate

Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Scientist/Ambassador - FoodxClimate

Dr. Lara Ramdin is a systems and design thinking leader at the forefront of innovation and sustainability. With executive experience spanning Unilever, Estée Lauder, Molson Coors, Dole Sunshine Company, and Upcycled Foods Inc., she brings a unique perspective to transforming complex food systems. A passionate advocate for shifting from extractive to circular models, Lara focuses her work at the intersection of food, climate, and consumer empowerment. She champions access to nutritious, sustainable foods that promote longer, healthier lives—advancing the food-as-medicine movement with purpose and precision. As Chief Scientist and Ambassador for FoodxClimate, and a board member of the Upcycled Food Foundation, Lara drives scientific progress in upcycling through her leadership of the Research Fellows Program and as Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee. She also serves as Chair of the IFT Trends Group and Chair-Elect of the IFT Sustainable Food Systems Division. Often called the “Upcycling Queen,” Lara is known for transforming overlooked by-products into nutrient-dense, high-quality ingredients—cutting food waste while tackling food insecurity head-on. Her work lives at the nexus of science, sustainability, and social impact, making her a recognized thought leader shaping the future of food.
Lara is also an Emeritus Board Member of the Upcycled Food Association, where her visionary leadership continues to influence food system innovation that nourishes both people and the planet.

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.

Nik Watson, Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Food in the School of Food Science and Nutrition - University of Leeds 

Keynote - AI for Circular Food Systems

Nik is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Food in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds and heads up the Food AI Lab (www.foodailab.co.uk). He is also a deputy co-director of the UK’s National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (www.napic.ac.uk). Nik’s research focuses on leveraging digital technologies to tackle pressing challenges in environmental sustainability, food safety, resilience and health within food production systems. His research has a particular emphasis on integrating low-cost sensors (e.g., acoustic and optical) with advanced machine learning methods for controlling and optimising food production processes and monitoring key material properties in real-time. His current activities have a strong focus on the circular bioeconomy and alternative proteins.  Although his research spans all technology readiness levels, he has particular expertise collaborating with industry partners across a variety of food sectors and business sizes (micro-SME to multinational). Nik holds an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hull (2006) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Leeds (2010). Following his doctoral studies, he served as a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in the Food Physics Lab at the University of Leeds from 2010 to 2014. He then advanced to roles as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Nottingham. In 2023, Nik returned to the University of Leeds to take up his current professorial appointment, where he continues to drive innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence and food science.

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

Keynote - Brewing Value: The Science of Spent Grain at UC Davis

Professor Glen Fox was appointed the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Science at the University of California in July 2019. Dr Fox has a MSc and PhD related to barley genetics influencing malt quality. His areas of research are barley, malt and brewing quality where he conducted research in Australia and South Africa. His current research focus is on starch and protein structure and their interactions and those impacts on wort and beer quality. Another research interest is using a number of ‘omics platforms to understand the complex biochemical changes during malting and brewing and the final compositional profile of beer. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. In 2025 he was awarded a DSc from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Professor Fox is in charge of the undergraduate and graduate brewing programs, and Sierra Nevada Brewing research laboratory.

Dean Hauser, Graduate Research Assistant - Cornell University 

Session title:  Characterization, consumer liking, and consumer willingness to pay for upcycled grape pomace and yogurt acid whey beverages

Dean Hauser is a PhD candidate in the Alcaine Research Group at Cornell University, where his research focuses on developing novel fermentation processes to upcycle dairy waste streams, and assessing the sustainability of upcycled products. He earned his MS in Food Science at Oregon State University in 2019 under Dr. Tom Shellhammer, assessing the efficiency of dry-hopping methods in brewing, developing methods to upcycle hops for improved brewing efficiency, and assessing the environmental impacts of hop production. After completing his MS, Dean joined Mondelez International’s global ingredient research team, conducting pre-development research on sugar- and calorie-reduction and upcycled ingredient technologies, and contributing to sustainable design tools to advise product developers. He also interned at E&J Gallo Winery, investigating strategies to upcycle grape pomace. Dean holds a BS in Food Science from Cornell University (2017)."

DeAndra Forde, MPH - PhD Nutrition Student - Drexel University

Session title: 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)

DeAndra Forde, MPH (she/her), known as D by her colleagues, family, and friends, is a passionate and purpose-driven public health professional currently pursuing her Doctorate at Drexel University as a second-year student. Her research focuses on minimizing food waste, aligning with her academic interests and her commitment to sustainability and community well-being. D is dedicated to creating a more equitable and sustainable food system. She has a background in dietetics and is Registered Dietitian Eligible. Her journey into the realm of food and nutrition is deeply personal, rooted in her love for cooking, entertaining, and sharing her cultural heritage through food. She believes that food is more than just nourishment; it serves as a tool for connection, education, and change.

Lauren Shamie, Recent Graduate, MS in Nutrition - Tufts, RD-Eligible

Session title: Upcycled Foods & Nutrition: Transforming Waste into Wellness

Lauren Shamie is a recent graduate from the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, where she earned her MS in Clinical Nutrition and completed a dietetic internship at Tufts Medical Center.  As she embarks on her career as a future Registered Dietitian, she is eager to leverage her academic training and passion for sustainable food practices to bridge clinical nutrition with innovative solutions like upcycled foods, promoting healthier, more sustainable communities.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Belal Hasan, Nutrition and Food Science Department - Huntley College of Agriculture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Keynote - Economic Feasibility of Solid-State Biotechnological Processing for Upcycling Agriculture Co-Products

Dr. Hasan has 18 years research experience in food processing with a focus on the extrusion process of plant-based foods. His work is well established and globally recognized such as developing a novel method to measure the texturization degree of plant-based meats, and it is used by food industry around the world. Dr. Hasan works on cost-effective formulation strategies such as utilizing locally sourced and/or underutilized agriculture by-products to improve the quality and make plant-based foods affordable for low-income communities. His fundamental research findings contributed to high moisture extrusion including the effect of pH value on extruded plant-proteins, the effects of protein aging on the quality of plant-based alternative foods. Currently, he is developing the next generation of plant-based foods that are suitable for different cultural cuisines such as stewing, braising, and deep frying. His research also covers water and energy use to enhance the sustainability of food processes. Currently, he serves as the coordinator for industry research outreach at the Nutrition and Food Science Department. Moreover, he serves as a member of the review committee in several industry and national funding agencies such as USDA.

Dr. Alexandra Grygorczyk, Research Scientist, Sensory and Consumer Services - Vineland Research

Session title: The Canadian Upcycled Food Landscape.

Alexandra is a Research Scientist at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. For over ten years at Vineland, she has been managing diverse contract service and grant-funded research projects to support the food and horticulture industries. Herwork has included developing value-added products from fruit and vegetable by-product streams, providing sustainability-related market intelligence for the food and agriculture sectors, and consumer and sensory testing of fresh products, food ingredients and ornamental plants. She is a recipient of the 2025 top 40 under 40 award from Greenhouse Product News for her work in waste diversion in the
greenhouse vegetable sector. Alexandra holds a PhD in Food Science from the University of Guelph.

Keynote Speaker: Francesca Goodman-Smith, Development and Extension Director - End Food Waste Australia (EFWA)

Keynote - Research, development and extension insights used to shape the upcycled food sector in Australia and beyond

Francesca is the Research, Development and Extension Director at End Food Waste Australia (EFWA). She leads a research portfolio designed to reduce, transform, and understand behaviours to combat food waste. She is also currently Acting Industry Action Director, responsible for the Australian Food Pact food waste voluntary agreement program. Prior to joining EFWA she worked as Waste Minimisation Manager for Foodstuffs NZ, New Zealand’s largest grocery retailer. Francesca works globally across the sector, having co-chaired the Standards Committee for the pioneering establishment of Upcycled Certification and her recent Churchill Fellowship which saw her travel to the USA, UK and Europe to investigate upcycled food opportunities.

YooHee Hwang, Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management - Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Session title: Why should we try upcycled foods? Context-specific and country-specific examinations.

YooHee Hwang is Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She obtained her PhD from Penn State, and her research focuses on future food and services marketing. Specifically, she focuses on how to increase acceptance and consumption of upcycled food. She published over 40 research papers in academic journals and serves on the editorial board for Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research and Journal of Smart Tourism. 

Anne Odille Peschel PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Management - Aarhus University

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Simona Grasso, Ad Astra Fellow & Assistant Professor, School of Agriculture and Food Science - University College Dublin

Keynote: Upcycled Foods in Academia: Key Review Findings

Dr Simona Grasso is an Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow in Food Science & Nutrition at University College Dublin. A food scientist by background, she has a first class honours BSc and MSc in Food Science from the University of Catania in Italy and a PhD from University College Dublin in Ireland. Her research interests span the development and characterisation of new foods that are both nutritious and sustainable, covering every step of the product development journey, from recipe development and prototype manufacturing to food characterization, sensory analyses and consumer studies. She has been researching upcycled foods since 2019.

Keynote Speaker: Jonathan Kershaw, Associate Professor of Food Science - Brigham Young University

Keynote: To the rescue? Reframing upcycled foods as a frugal solution rather than rescued waste can improve product acceptance

Jonathan is an Associate Professor of Food Science at Brigham Young University. He blends his expertise in food, sensory, consumer, and nutrition sciences to explore interdisciplinary questions related to consumer acceptance of healthy and sustainable food systems. He is passionate about finding win-win strategies to support social, environmental, and economic food sustainability.  He earned his PhD in Food Science from Purdue University, where he also completed his post-doctoral research.

Jon Schroeder, Sustainable Materials Management Specialist - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, MnTAP

Session title: I Know What You Did Last Summer : What an MnTAP intern achieved in upcycling

Jon Schroeder is a Sustainable Materials Management Specialist at the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP). He focuses on pollution prevention and source reduction of waste, as well as reuse and diversion. He conducts free technical assistance with various stakeholders and clients, including hospitals, grocery stores, food manufacturers, schools, restaurants, nonprofits, and startups. He has a Master's Degree in Sustainable Systems with an emphasis on food waste.

Derya Kahveci Karıncaoğlu holds BSc (2005) and MSc (2008) degrees in Food Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, and PhD (2011) degree from Aarhus University, Denmark. After being awarded the PhD degree, she moved back to Turkey and took a position as an assistant professor at a food engineering department. She transferred to her home university, Istanbul Technical University, on 2019 as an assistant professor and has taken up her current associate professorship position later on. She was a member of the cohort for Upcycled Food Foundation (UFF) Research Fellowship Program at 2023. Her research interests include food waste valorization, application of enzymatic processes for food production, and functional & upcycled food development. Main goal of her current projects is environmentally-friendly extraction of bioactive components from food waste and their application in upcycled foods, as well as biomedical products, supported by bioavailability perspective and consumer acceptance.

Hongjun Ye, Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing - University of Pittsburgh

Session title: A National Survey on Consumer Attitudes Toward Upcycled Food (with Peng Lu)

Hongjun Ye is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research in food marketing examines how consumer attitudes and perceptions evolve over time and under the influence of different pricing strategies.

Peng Lu - Assistant Professor, Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication - Georgia University

Session title: A National Survey on Consumer Attitudes Toward Upcycled Food (with Hongjun Ye)

Dr. Lu's research focuses on strategic communication to promote sustainable food systems, with a particular emphasis on consumer behavior and food innovation technologies. She investigates how psychological, social, and cultural factors influence consumer responses to novel food products, including upcycled foods. Dr. Lu’s interdisciplinary collaborations span food science and social science. Her projects include a scoping review of the literature on consumer acceptance of upcycled foods, as well as a social media analysis of the Upcycled Food Association’s communication strategies.

Dr. Ziynet Boz, Assistant Professor, Sustainable Food Systems Engineering - University of Florida

Session title: Quantifying Sustainability in Upcycled Foods: Environmental, Nutritional, and Economic Considerations.

Dr. Ziynet Boz is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Food Systems Engineering at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on systems thinking, life cycle assessment (LCA), and circular economy in food and packaging systems. She leads several nationally funded projects focused on food waste reduction, digital LCA tools, and sustainable food system design, including grants from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Danone Institute North America Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, USDA FAS, NSF, etc.. Dr. Boz actively collaborates with nonprofit and industry partners to advance decision-support frameworks for environmentally and nutritionally aligned innovations. She also serves on editorial boards and technical committees focused on sustainable engineering and food system transformation.

Keynote Speaker: Devon Gholan, Ph.D. Vice President of Science and Innovation, Step Change Innovations 

Session title: Harnessing the Power of Upcycled Ingredients in Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals