Melaku Tafese Awulachew is a dynamic and multidisciplinary Food Science and Nutrition Scientist at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). He specializes in Food Process Engineering, Nutritional Innovation, Postharvest Technology, and Sustainable Agro-Processing.
He earned his M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (Food Engineering) from Addis Ababa University and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (Process Engineering) from Adama Science and Technology University. Melaku's work bridges applied research and community impact, with a strong focus on functional foods, probiotics, grain quality, and by-product utilization.
With over 70 scientific publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and full-length books, he is recognized both nationally and internationally. His research has addressed vital issues such as probiotic stability during thermal processing, non-thermal food preservation, biofortification of staple crops, and development of novel cereal-based functional foods using indigenous Ethiopian grains.
Melaku is an active member of multiple scientific societies, including the Food and Nutrition Society of Ethiopia (FONSE), Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineers (ESChE), the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and the Australian Plant Breeding ******* ociation (APBA). He also serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for several peer-reviewed journals.
In 2023, he received the Droga Research Grant in the category of Functional Foods and was invited as a keynote speaker at the LumiMinds EMEA Global Food Innovation Summit.
Above all, Melaku is deeply committed to transforming food systems through research, innovation, and capacity building. He actively mentors young scientists and collaborates across disciplines to address food and nutrition challenges in Africa and beyond.
He earned his M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (Food Engineering) from Addis Ababa University and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (Process Engineering) from Adama Science and Technology University. Melaku's work bridges applied research and community impact, with a strong focus on functional foods, probiotics, grain quality, and by-product utilization.
With over 70 scientific publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and full-length books, he is recognized both nationally and internationally. His research has addressed vital issues such as probiotic stability during thermal processing, non-thermal food preservation, biofortification of staple crops, and development of novel cereal-based functional foods using indigenous Ethiopian grains.
Melaku is an active member of multiple scientific societies, including the Food and Nutrition Society of Ethiopia (FONSE), Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineers (ESChE), the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and the Australian Plant Breeding ******* ociation (APBA). He also serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for several peer-reviewed journals.
In 2023, he received the Droga Research Grant in the category of Functional Foods and was invited as a keynote speaker at the LumiMinds EMEA Global Food Innovation Summit.
Above all, Melaku is deeply committed to transforming food systems through research, innovation, and capacity building. He actively mentors young scientists and collaborates across disciplines to address food and nutrition challenges in Africa and beyond.
11 months ago
