Dr. Dong Uk Ahn
Professor
Iowa
State University
Ames,
IA, USA
(Portrait)
PhD 1988
University
of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
MS
& BS 1983 & 1978 Seoul National University,
Korea
Professor, Dept. Animal Science, Iowa State Univ., 1994 -
present.
SNU-WCU Professor, Seoul National University, Korea, 2009 –
2013.
Postdoc, Session Lecturer, University of Alberta and U.
Saskatchewan, Canada, 1988-1994
Research/Work Experience Areas
Dr. Ahn have
devoted his entire professional career to research and education of Animal
Products and Processing Technology. Dr. Dong Ahn¡¯s research areas include 1) the causative mechanisms
and control of lipid oxidation in muscle food systems and eggs, 2) assessment
of the impact of irradiation of muscle foods on food safety, quality and
consumer acceptability, and 3) developing functional proteins having
significant commercial applications from egg albumin and yolk. These three areas of study are
particularly important in that they address questions that impact both the
safety and quality of our food supply.
Food safety is one of the most visible concerns of consumers, regulatory
agencies and companies alike. We
are bombarded daily by news reports of unsafe food imports from questionable
trading partners, recalls of contaminated food products costing the food
industry millions, significant outbreaks of foodborne disease, and a lost in
consumer confidence over the safety of our food supply. Dr. Ahn¡¯s
research into the irradiation of foods with a focus on muscle food systems
could alleviate many of the problems noted above. He has studied nearly every aspect of
irradiation including pathogen reduction models, mechanisms of lipid oxidation
and its prevention, product color changes, and off-flavor development in
irradiated muscle foods. Lipid oxidation
is one of the major cause of quality deterioration in foods. All muscle foods contain lipids that are
susceptible to oxidation and the development of off-flavors and a shortened
shelf life leading to financial losses in the commercial marketplace. Dr. Ahn has conducted pioneering
research into the factors impacting this oxidative deteriorative process
including the mechanisms responsible for lipid oxidation in muscle foods and
eggs, the development of more accurate and objective analytical tools to assess
lipid oxidation and its byproducts, and methods of controlling lipid oxidation
through packaging, additive and dietary interventions. The third area of
research involves identifying and harnessing the value-added potential of
functional proteins and other components found in eggs. With the current worldwide interest in
functional food ingredients (i.e., nutraceuticals) and designer foods that can
positively impact human health, Dr. Ahn¡¯s research is
poised to have a very significant impact on this area. He currently stands at the forefront in
developing commercially-scalable methods to extract and separate functional
proteins and components from eggs as well as the development of functional
bioactive proteins and lipids through structural modifications. His research in this area is contributing
significantly towards the ultimate commercialization of a number of products
that will greatly benefit society in the areas of nutrition and food safety.