College of Agriculture & Natural ResourcesDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Main research initiatives

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) and its faculty provide research supporting several food and health areas including food allergies, reproductive and child health, food safety and food policy.

• Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition
• Human Nutrition
• Food Processing and Quality Enhancement
• Food Safety and Toxicology

Additional research activities

Nutrition

FSHN faculty support MSU Extension outreach programs around Michigan. These community nutrition programs are designed to teach people how to develop healthy lifestyles, particularly in improving nutrition and promoting physical activity.

International Development

FSHN faculty and researchers are involved in various international initiatives supporting nutrition and sustainable food, including in Africa.

Food Regulations

FSHN supports initiatives to improve the quality, safety, nutritional value and demand for meat, fruit, vegetable, dairy and cereal products.

Including the ongoing education program through the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR) that offers online courses by an international network of food science, academic, and legal professionals. IFLR explores the complex nature of food laws and how they impact the flow of food and agricultural products across national boundaries.

Processing Facilities

MSU has received $4.4 million from the State of Michigan to renovate an on-campus food processing laboratory and create a new mobile food processing units for use with the IAT Food Processing, Technology and Safety certificate program.

On the East Lansing campus, the $3.2 million project primarily involves renovating an existing lab in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Building.

Food@MSU

Food@MSU provides tools steeped in science to help people make informed decisions about food, where it comes from and how it impacts our health and our planet are hosted on food topics and issues.

Food@MSU also offers seed grants to interdisciplinary research teams working on food and community-focused projects.