DANIEL
Y.C. FUNG
Professor of animal sciences and industry
Professor of food science
Rapid
detection of spoilage and harmful microorganisms in food, clinical
specimens, industrial and environmental samples can help prevent
food spoilage and foodborne outbreaks. That promotes food safety
and public health. Daniel Y.C. Fung, professor of animal sciences
and industry and professor of food science at Kansas State University,
has devoted his career to developing faster processes for detecting
spoilage and harmful and beneficial microorganisms in food and
the environment. He also has worked on controlling pathogenic
organisms by physical methods (microwave treatment, heating, freezing,
etc.), chemical methods (antioxidants and antimicrobials), and
fermentation procedures. He received three U.S. patents in relationship
to pathogen detection and fermentation technology.
Fung has also studied how spices can deter food-borne pathogens. Use of common kitchen spices, like clove and garlic, can kill up to 99 percent of the E. coli bacteria in ground beef. Fung is testing other spices for similar results and working to determine the exact combination of heat and spice that will be most effective on food-borne pathogens -- as well as the best tasting.
Fung is an internationally recognized authority in the field of rapid methods and automation in microbiology for his research as well as his many presentations in more than 40 countries on five continents. At K-State he initiated the international workshop on rapid methods and automation in microbiology in 1981, a workshop that has attracted more than 1,500 scientists from 45 countries. He is also a consultant to the food industry and microbiological diagnostic companies.
Fung received his bachelor's degree from the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan in 1965, his master's degree from the University of North Carolina in 1967, and his doctorate from Iowa State University in 1969. He has been with K-State since 1978. He is a member of 15 professional societies including the American Society for Microbiology and the Institute of Food Technologists, where he has held active leadership roles.
Fung has received numerous awards throughout his career including the 1997 Harold Macy Food Science and Technology Award from the Minnesota Section of the Institute of Food Technologists and the 1997 Institute of Food Technologists International Award. In 1995, he was named a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists and in 1998 he was elected a Fellow of the newly formed International Academy of Food Science and Technology.
Fung can be reached at 785-532-1208 or by e-mail at dfung@k-state.edu.