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Clemson University
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Food Sci & Human Nutrition
Clemson University
224 Poole Ag. Center
P.O. Box 340371
Clemson, S.C. 29634
Ph. 864-656-3397
Fax. 864-656-0331
gbrwn@Clemson.edu

Most of us welcomed the year 2000 with hopes for good health, followed by a string of other warm and nebulous wishes. While Clemson researchers can't make all our wishes come true, they can and are working tirelessly to give us perhaps the most valuable -- a healthier future.
From producing safer and more nutritious foods to helping prevent cancer, improving joints, alleviating pain, lowering blood pressure and healing acne -- Clemson biotechnology, bioengineering and a host of other sciences are helping shape the future of our health.

Here are just a few of the many projects going on at Clemson that may surprise you and make you proud of your university's faculty and advanced students and their constant quest to find a better way.

'Eat the wrapper - It's good for you'

Food packaging films that fight bacteria and that are edible may be commonplace in the next century thanks to research efforts at the University.
Clemson scientists have formed the Food Packaging Films Group to explore these and other possibilities. The group is led by Paul Dawson, a food scientist, and includes food scientist Jim Acton and chemical engineers Amod Ogale and Douglas Hirt.
The group has produced packaging films that may be edible, made from soy and corn protein. These films are being tested for digestibility. If successful, the films could be recycled as animal feed, reducing the amount of packaging waste sent to landfills.
"We're very excited about these findings," says Dawson, "and encouraged at the new applications we're discovering."
The group has also developed an antimicrobial film that is being tested against common meat-borne bacteria, such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria. The film contains two natural proteins that inhibit bacterial growth: lysozome and nisin. These proteins are added prior to film formation so that they are incorporated into the packaging film. In addition to corn and soy, polyethylene has also been used. All the components of the antimicrobial film are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for human consumption.
The group also discovered a way to preserve turkey with one simple item -- honey. Adding honey prior to cooking turkey meat increases the product's shelf life and quality by preventing oxidation. The natural qualities of honey also enhance the flavor, aroma and color of the meat.
Another group of Clemson researchers, led by packaging scientists Bob Testin and Pete Vergano, is working with films produced from shrimp and crab shells. These films have exhibited some natural antimicrobial properties and other capabilities that suggest possible applications as wound dressings or other uses in addition to food packaging.
"It's too early to know all the ways that these films might be used," Testin says. "We're still exploring their various properties."
Another study is testing the use of antimicrobial film to extend the shelf life of shredded cheddar cheese. Packaging scientist Kay Cooksey is coating low density polyethylene packaging with cellulose containing nisin, an FDA approved antimicrobial additive. This study will also examine the effects of different acids and coating densities on the cheese.

These are but a few of the exciting breakthroughs coming from the University. And though actual use of these devices and processes may be years away, in some cases, decades, researchers are laying the foundation so that they may eventually become commonplace.
The new millennium may or may not be as marvelous as we envision. And along with new answers to old problems, it's bound to bring new problems. But if it does, you can bet someone at Clemson will be working to find a solution ­- a safer, healthier, more efficient, less painful way of getting it done ­- a better way of living.