Keith H. Steinkraus
Encyclopedia
Keith H. Steinkraus was an American
food scientist
who was well known in food fermentation
which led to the growth of soy-based foods. He also was involved in bacterial diseases used in the control of European chafer and Japanese beetles in New York state.
, Steinkraus earned his B.A.
from the University of Minnesota
and his Ph.D.
from Iowa State University
in 1951. He would stay at Iowa State for one year before joining Cornell University
and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
(NYSAES) in 1952. He would stay at Cornell and NYSAES until his 1988 retirement.
During his career, Steinkraus's research would focus on the microbial, chemical, and nutritional changes occurring in fermented foods such as tempeh
, soy sauce
, and soy milk
. He was also the first researcher to obtain sporulation of Bacillus popillae in a fermentation medium.
He published over 180 scientific papers, edited three books, and earned seven patents.
Since his retirement from Cornell, Steinkraus has acted a consulting microbiologist worldwide, especially in Asia
.
((Category: Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology/Steinkraus,Keith H.))
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
food scientist
Food science
Food science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork"...
who was well known in food fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
which led to the growth of soy-based foods. He also was involved in bacterial diseases used in the control of European chafer and Japanese beetles in New York state.
Career
A native of MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Steinkraus earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in 1951. He would stay at Iowa State for one year before joining Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, Ontario County, New York State, is an integral part of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. It is a mission-oriented experiment station with a strong emphasis on applied research...
(NYSAES) in 1952. He would stay at Cornell and NYSAES until his 1988 retirement.
During his career, Steinkraus's research would focus on the microbial, chemical, and nutritional changes occurring in fermented foods such as tempeh
Tempeh
Tempeh , or tempe , is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty...
, soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, and soy milk
Soy milk
Soy milk and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from soybeans. A stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein, it is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water...
. He was also the first researcher to obtain sporulation of Bacillus popillae in a fermentation medium.
He published over 180 scientific papers, edited three books, and earned seven patents.
Since his retirement from Cornell, Steinkraus has acted a consulting microbiologist worldwide, especially in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Honors and awards
- American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
Fellow. - American Academy of MicrobiologyAmerican Society for MicrobiologyThe American Society for Microbiology is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. Microbiology is the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye and which must be viewed with a...
Fellow. - Institute of Food TechnologistsInstitute of Food TechnologistsThe Institute of Food Technologists or IFT is an international, non-profit professional organization for the advancement of food science and technology. It is the largest of food science organizations in the world, encompassing 22,000 members worldwide as of 2006. It is referred to as "THE Society...
(IFT) International AwardBor S. Luh International AwardThe Bor S. Luh International Award has been awarded every year since 1956. Before 2005, this award was named the International Award. It is given to an individual or institution that had outstanding efforts in one of the following areas in food technology: 1) International exchange of ideas, 2)...
- 1985. - ((IFT Fellow - 1987.
- International Academy of Food Science and TechnologyInternational Union of Food Science and TechnologyInternational Union of Food Science and Technology]]The International Union of Food Science and Technology is the international non-governmental organization established in 1962, devoted to the advancement of food science and technology...
Charter Fellow - 1999.
Selected work
- Steinkraus, K.H. (2004). Industrialization of Indigenous Fermented Foods, Second Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
External links
- List of IFT fellows
- List of IFT past award winners
- Professor Emeritus Keith H. Steinkraus dies at age 89
((Category: Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology/Steinkraus,Keith H.))