Research, outreach education and teaching are the main academic functions of CAHNR. At the hub of all three is Assistant Professor Dennis D’Amico, who solves food safety and quality problems in his research laboratory, brings his findings and assistance to dairy producers and teaches UConn students. “Our lab approaches food safety and quality from farm to fork and translates findings from our fundamental research into commercial practice,” D’Amico said.
As a microbiologist, D’Amico sees all his work as an integrated effort with the common denominator of microbiology and its roles in the production of dairy foods, like cheese and yogurt, as well as in product spoilage and safety. Much of his research and educational efforts concentrate on smaller operations that are the norm for the Connecticut producer. However, D’Amico, who is on the faculty of the Department of Animal Science, has a few large-scale dairy research projects, as well.
Research informs outreach, and outreach leads to research
In a USDA Rural Development multi-year research project that just ended, D’Amico worked one-on-one with seven small-scale Connecticut cheese making operations to address food safety concerns and prepare them for related audits and inspections.
D’Amico made recommendations, based on his observations and microbiological testing. Six out of seven producers made changes that were documented, such as improving cleaning and sanitation and controlling traffic flow. He also suggested structural changes to facilities and assisted in developing product testing protocols.
His current active research includes five projects where D’Amico is the Principle Investigator, with funding of over $368,000 from the UConn Foundation, federal agencies and industry groups. In multi-state grants where he is co-PI, the grants amount to over $840,000.
