Ph.D., University of Georgia, Food Science and Technology, 1988
M.S., Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, Food Science and Technology, 1983

Dr. Floros' overall research efforts in food process engineering and packaging involve applications of chemical engineering, applied mathematics, and industrial statistics to understand many phenomena that drive food processing and packaging systems. His research work has generated significant innovations and efficiencies in food manufacturing systems, while improving the value, quality, safety, and shelf life of food products.

In the area of food processing, he developed effective peeling processes for fruits and vegetables, optimized a calcification process for diced tomatoes, established new, environmentally friendly techniques to commercially ferment vegetables using low-salt brines, proved that application of ultrasonic radiation accelerates mass transfer in food dehydration / rehydration, and that electric fields increase permeate flow during ultrafiltration. Recently, he showed that neural networks and fuzzy logic can be used to monitor and optimally control some food manufacturing operations, and applied thermal and non-thermal methods to reduce pathogenic microorganisms and increase the safety of fresh apple cider, and minimally processed fruits and vegetables.

In the area of food packaging, he designed "breathable" films with optimal permeability that are now used to reduce respiration, maintain quality and extend the shelf life of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. He also developed "active" packaging films with oxygen scavenging and/or antimicrobial properties that improve food safety and extend the shelf life of some packaged foods. In other cases, he developed methods and tested equipment that detect package integrity defects to assure food safety and quality. Recently, he incorporated active properties, such as antimicrobial properties, in edible films and coatings, and investigated the effect of Ozone and Chlorine Dioxide treatments on the mechanical, physical and barrier properties of polymers.

Floros, J.D., Dock L.L. and Han J.H. 1997. Active packaging technologies and applications. Food Cosmet. & Drug Packag. 20:10-17.

Farkas, J.K., Floros, J.D., Lineback, D.S. and Watkins, B.A. 1997. Oxidation kinetics of menhaden oil with TBHQ. J. Food Sci. 62:505-507, 547.

Gnanasekharan, V. and Floros, J.D. 1997. Migration and sorption phenomena in packaged foods. CRC Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutrit. 37:519-559.

Han, J.H. and Floros, J.D. 1997. Casting antimicrobial packaging films and measuring their physical properties and antimicrobial activity. J. Plastic Film Sheet. 13:287-298.

Han, J.H. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Modeling the growth inhibition kinetics of bakerís yeast by potassium sorbate using statistical approaches. J. Food Sci. 63:12-14.

Han, J.H. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Potassium sorbate diffusivity in American processed and Mozzarella cheeses. J. Food Sci. 63:435-437.

Han, J.H. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Simulating diffusion model and determining the diffusivity of potassium sorbate through plastics to develop antimicrobial packaging films. J. Food Proc. Preserv. 22:107-122.

Han, J.H. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Modelling the change in colour of potassium sorbate powder during heating processes. Internat. J. Food Sci. Technol. 33: 199-203.

Dock, L.L., Nielsen, P.V. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Biological control of Botrytis cinerea growth on apples under modified atmospheres. J. Food Protect. 61: 1661-1665.

Floros, J.D., Ozdemir, M and Nelson, P.E.. 1998. Trends in Aseptic Packaging and Bulk Storage. Food Cosmet. Drug Packag. 21: 236-239.

Han, J.H. and Floros, J.D. 1999. Modeling antimicrobial activity loss of potassium sorbate against bakerís yeast after heat process to develop antimicrobial food packaging materials. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 8: 11-14.

Rattray, J.H., Floros, J.D. and Linton, R.H. 1999. Computer-aided microbial identification using decision trees. Food Control 10: 107-116.

Moruzzi, G., Garthright, W.E. and Floros, J.D. 2000. Aseptic packaging machine pre-sterilisation and package sterilisation: Statistical aspects of microbiological validation. Food Control 11: 57-66.

Dock, L.L., Floros, J.D. and Linton, R.H. 2000. Heat inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple cider containing malic acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. J. Food Protect. 63: 1026-1031.

Ozdemir, M. and Floros, J.D. 2001. Analysis and modeling of potassium sorbate diffusion through edible whey protein films. J. Food Eng. 47: 149-155.

Han, Y., Floros, J.D., Linton, R.H., Nielsen, S.S. and Nelson, P.E. 2001. Response surface modeling for the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on green peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) by chlorine dioxide gas treatments. J. Food Protect. 64: 1128-1133.

Ozen, B.F. and Floros, J.D. 2001. Effects of emerging food processing techniques on the packaging materials. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 12: 60-67.

Dock, L.L. and Floros, J.D. 2002. Statistical Modeling of D- and z-values of E. coli O157:H7 and pH in Apple Cider Containing Preservatives. J. Food Sci. (In Press).

Han, Y., Floros, J.D., Linton, R.H., Nielsen, S.S. and Nelson, P.E. 2002. Response surface modeling for the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on green peppers (Capsicum annuum) by ozone gas treatments. J. Food Sci. (In Press).

Lay, S.V. and Floros, J.D. 1997. Extend product shelf life by combining MAP with other packaging and processing technologies. In Fundamentals of Modified Atmosphere Packaging, 11 pages, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Dearborn, MI.

Farkas, J.K. and Floros, J.D. 1997. Active packaging: Applications and effects on food quality and safety. In MAPack '97, 10 pages, Institute of Packaging Professionals, Herndon, VA.

Dock, L.L. and Floros, J.D. 1997. Processing techniques to improve the quality and shelf-life of tomato products. In Solutions '97, 11 pages, Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, Arlington, VA.

Liang, H. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Osmotically induced mass transfer in apple slices. In Drying í98. Proceedings of the 11th International Drying Symposium (IDS 98), Halkidiki, Greece, Aug. 19-22, 1998, vol. A, pp. 938-945.

Ozaslan, B.F., Ozdemir*, M., Dock, L.L. and Floros, J.D. 1998. Optimizing the osmotic dehydration process of green peppers. In Drying '98. Proceedings of the 11th International Drying Symposium (IDS 98), Halkidiki, Greece, Aug. 19-22, 1998, vol. A, pp. 946-953.

Floros, J.D., Rattray, J. and Liang, H. 1999. Mass transfer and diffusion in foods. In Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology. Francis, F.J. (Ed), Wiley, NY.

Floros, J.D. and Rattray, J. 1999. Optimization methods in food processing and engineering. In Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology. Francis, F.J. (Ed), Wiley, NY.

Dock, L.L. and Floros, J.D. 1999. Thermal and Non-Thermal Processing Techniques. In Science and Technology of Functional Foods, Schmidl M. and Labuza T. (eds.), Aspen Publishers.

NASA
USDA, NRI
USDA, Food Safety
Value Added Center
Food Industry

Justine Carter,
Vanesa Lay