Topic：Potential of Cold Plasma Technology in Food and Agriculture
Speaker：Prof. Kevin M. Keener, University of Guelph, Canada
Time：10:00-11:30, 15th May, 2025
Venue：B8-235, University Town Campus
Abstract：
Atmospheric cold plasma isan emerging technology that can deliver sustainability benefits in foodproduction, food processing, food safety and food quality. High voltageatmospheric cold plasma was invented by Professor Keener in 2007. This presentation will highlight a range of potential applications of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma in food and agriculture with recent laboratory results. Additionally, a brief description of commercialization potential and implementation barriers for high voltage atmospheric cold plasma within thefood and agriculture industries will be presented.
About the Speaker：
Prof. Kevin Keener isthe University of Guelph’s first Barrett Family Foundation Chair in Sustainable Food Engineering. Prof. Keener joined the University of Guelph in 2019.Previously, he was a professor and the director of the Iowa State University Center for Crops Utilization Research and BioCentury Research Farm where he leda 12-member staff team providing assistance on over 100 industry, government,faculty, staff, and student projects each year to develop sustainable technologies and processes at pilot and small industrial scale for food, feed,biochemicals and bioplastics industries. He earned bachelor’s and master’sdegrees in agricultural engineering from Ohio State University and a doctoratein food processing engineering from Purdue University in 1996. He has visiting professor appointments at South China University of Technology, UniversityCollege Dublin (Ireland), and Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland). He alsopreviously served as a 2014 Distinguished Fulbright Professor at Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. He is a Fellow ofthe American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Institute of Food Technologists. He has received a number of awards including the International Food Engineer of the Year Award, Lalit and Aruna Verma Award for Excellence in Global Engagement, Rainbird Engineering Concept of the Year,Iowa State University Economic Development Award, along with several others.
Professor Keener has authored more than 200 publications, including 100 peer-reviewed journal papers, 13 book chapters, and 12 patents. He has also delivered over 100 workshops on food safety, foodquality, food manufacturing, food export, food technology, food regulations, andenvironmental sustainability to over 2500 food manufacturers, governmentinspectors, and food entrepreneurs around the world.
Professor Keener currentlyoversees the Sustainable Food Systems Innovation Laboratory which includesseveral staff and students. His research focuses on improving safety processesand practices to reduce food waste, increase the use of food and fiber, andensure sustainable food manufacturing processes. He develops novel food technologies that can enhance sustainable food systems and ensure the global transport of safe, nutritious high-quality food that benefits consumers, food manufacturers and government agencies. He has invented a number of novel technologies including controlled dynamic radiant frying, variable heat fluxheat exchanger, high voltage atmospheric cold plasma, and others. Atmosphericcold plasma technology is an emerging, green process that can aid food manufacturers in increasing processing efficiency, reducing overall food waste,and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It can be applied as a surface decontamination technology for food stuffs and food packaging material at room temperature with minimal energy input.
