The 2010 recipient of the Harold Macy Award is Dr. Kevin M. Keener. Dr. Keener, an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at Purdue University with a courtesy faculty appointment in Agriculture and Biological Engineering, is the Director of the Food Processing Environmental Compliance Assistance Center at Purdue University and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Between 1997 and 2005, he worked as an assistant and associate professor at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, and still remains an adjunct faculty in the Department of Poultry Science.
Dr. Keener is best known for his food process engineering expertise. His research interests include development and commercialization of innovative food processing technologies. Dr. Keener has led an outstanding outreach in technology transfer between academia and the food industry. Past accomplishments include development of dynamic radiant frying, cryogenic cooling process for chicken eggs, and chicken egg pasteurization using microwave energy. His current research includes in-package ozonation treatment of foods, rapid cooling of food using cryogenic gases, and controlled dynamic radiant frying.
One of the greatest impacts of Dr. Keener’s program has been in the State of Indiana. Since his arrival in 2005, over 250 food entrepreneurs have been trained in food processing and food preservations methods for starting a food business. In addition, Dr. Keener created the Food Entrepreneur’s Assistance Response (FEAR) team which assists over 150 Indiana food entrepreneurs and food manufacturers with food regulations and food processing requirements. These efforts have led to many successful food entrepreneurs working with salsa, cookie, meat, poultry, and dairy products.
An example of Dr. Keener's close collaboration between academia, industry, and government is his involvement with the development of the radionuclide testing requirements for poultry meat exports to Russia. USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) contacted Dr. Keener for his assistance. Dr. Keener worked with USAPEEC, USDA, poultry industry representatives, and five land grant universities to develop a radionuclide testing protocol for meat products. To this day, this service continues, and annually analyzes radioactivity of poultry meat exports to Russia, representing 300 million pounds of poultry (1/3 of Russian poultry meat imports).
For his numerous accomplishments and professional contributions to the food industry, the Minnesota IFT section proudly presented the 2010 Harold F. Macy Award to Dr. Kevin M. Keener of Purdue University.