Blog

October 2025: Letter from the Director

It has been a whirlwind since our last newsletter, with multiple sold-out events and news to share.

Last Saturday, we hosted our 12th Annual TASTE Food and Wine Tasting. It was a beautifully cool fall evening filled with camaraderie, great wine, delicious food and lively conversation. We are grateful to every guest who helped raise funds to support public scholarship, highlighting food and beverage innovation and research at UC Davis.

Savor: Is Wine Healthy?

The Robert Mondavi Institute’s sold-out Savor Series event, hosted in partnership with the UC Davis Library, brought together a panel of experts in wine chemistry, cultural history, human medicine, and nutritional metabolism to tackle one of today’s most debated questions: Is wine healthy? What emerged was a fascinating conversation where science, robust culture, and history converged around a single glass.

Pati Jinich: Connecting Cultures through Food

Nearly 800 food lovers gathered for a special conversation with James Beard Award-winning chef and Emmy-nominated host Pati Jinich. She is the culinary force behind Pati’s Mexican Table, La Frontera, and her newest series, Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana. Throughout the night, Pati captivated the audience with her bright-eyed curiosity, boisterous laugh, and infectious energy, sharing personal anecdotes that had everyone laughing while revealing her lifelong passion for cooking.

Floundering to Food Science

Back in high school, I had no doubt that college was the next step. However, the pressure of choosing a major was colossal! It felt like choosing the rest of my life when asked to select a major. I knew I wanted to do something creative, but I didn’t want to throw away all of my hard-earned A’s in physics, chemistry, and biology. After switching the major option about a hundred times, I finally registered under Undecided - Fine Arts for UC Davis.

The Evolution of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis

The food science and technology major offered at UC Davis is a well-rounded mix of theory and practice, with a hands-on learning approach being both effective and expected at California’s No. 1 agricultural school.  This program is internationally recognized and is one of only 88 IFT HERB approved programs , but how did this niche major come to be?

UC Davis Food Tech Club

Whether you are a future food scientist or a regular foodie, the Food Tech Club at UC Davis is a great opportunity for students to grow and connect with others. For over 50 years, the Food Tech Club has served as a student chapter of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) to connect students, faculty, professionals, and community members to something we all love: food!

A Tasty Finale for Food Science Seniors

The Department of Food Science and Technology’s senior product showcase has become a celebratory event among community members, students, and faculty. The Senior class of 2025 presented their ideas during a 10-week period this spring. With the guidance of Dr. Andrew Gravelle, Dr. Jean-Xavier Guinard, and Matthew Ford, eight teams crafted healthy, sustainable, and delicious food, all while considering affordability, safety, and profitability.