IUFoST-FD: Food Dehydration

Donald G. Mercer, Ph.D., P.Eng., FIAFoST

Dr. Don Mercer has a Doctorate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, Canada. In August 2012, he was inducted as a “Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology” in recognition of his contributions to international education and training in food science and technology within the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). 

Dr. Mercer has fourteen years’ experience as “Senior Research Engineer” with Kraft General Foods Canada; ten years’ experience with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a “Special Advisor on Food” and “Commercialization Officer”; plus diverse experience as a “Special Lecturer” and “Adjunct Professor” at several leading Canadian universities.  For the past ten years he has served as an “Assistant Professor” and currently “Associate Professor” of Food Science at the University of Guelph.

Don’s areas of specialization include food process engineering (with particular emphasis on food dehydration and drying), and the development of training materials pertaining to food processing and related activities.  For the past ten years, Don has co-chaired an international committee to develop and deliver training courses through a distance education format to food industry workers in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The drying courses, which he designed have been successfully tested in a number of Sub-Saharan countries.

Don has had considerable international experience, having completed projects in the following countries:  Equatorial Guinea (2 projects), Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi (2 projects), South Africa, Honduras (3 projects), and India.  He has recently completed a three-year “Education for Employment” project in Tanzania.  In December 2012, he began work on two “Education for Employment” projects with the Caribbean Community in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica.   In addition, he has provided training courses for delegations from China and other countries who have visited the Kemptville Campus.  Don has authored training material such as course manuals used at the university degree level, certificate and diploma levels, and for extension training purposes.

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