About
Melaku Tafese Awulachew (born 22 November 1991 in Abomsa, Arbagugu/Marti District, Arsi Zone, Ethiopia) is an Ethiopian food scientist, food engineer, and researcher specializing in food science and nutrition, food engineering, food biotechnology, postharvest technology, food processing, food packaging, and agricultural value addition. He is a Researcher at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center (KARC) of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and previously served as Head of the Food Science and Nutrition Research Process at KARC.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (Process Engineering) from Adama Science and Technology University in 2015 and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (Food Engineering) from Addis Ababa University in 2023. To strengthen his expertise in food packaging and quality systems, he completed advanced international professional training in Food and Pharmaceutical Packaging at the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), New Delhi, India, where he also visited leading food and pharmaceutical industries to gain practical knowledge of international processing, packaging, quality assurance, and regulatory systems.
Since joining EIAR in December, 2015, Melaku has contributed to Ethiopia's agricultural research and innovation system through multidisciplinary research on sustainable food processing, postharvest management, food safety, nutrition, and agricultural product development. His work aims to improve food quality, reduce postharvest losses, enhance value addition, promote climate-smart food systems, and strengthen food and nutrition security. His research interests include food engineering, food biotechnology, functional foods, fermentation, probiotics and postbiotics, food packaging, nutrigenomics, bioactive compounds, computational modeling, drying, dehydration, freezing, thermal processing, cereal and pulse technology, and sustainable agri-food systems.
Throughout his career, he has developed competitive research proposals and managed the complete research cycle, including project planning, laboratory and field experimentation, analytical testing, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, scientific writing, publication, and dissemination of research findings. He has extensive experience in laboratory quality assurance, equipment operation and maintenance, technology generation, validation, demonstration, scaling, and technology transfer. He has also organized and delivered training and capacity-building programs for researchers, extension professionals, farmers, food processors, students, and other stakeholders on food processing technologies, postharvest management, quality assurance, and agricultural value addition.
Melaku has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including journal articles and book chapters, covering food processing, nutrition, cereal science, food biotechnology, postharvest technology, sustainable food systems, and related disciplines. His research has contributed to improving processing technologies for cereals, legumes, root and tuber crops, and functional food products, with particular emphasis on increasing nutritional quality, product functionality, processing efficiency, and industrial applicability.
In addition to his research activities, Melaku serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for several international scientific journals, contributing to peer review and the advancement of scholarly publishing. He is an active member of professional organizations, including the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), American Chemical Society (AIChE), the Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineers, Chemical Society of Ethiopia, Food and Nutrition Society of Ethiopia, Asian Council of Science Editors, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE), Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR), and the Australian Plant Breeding Association.
In recognition of his research contributions, he received the 2023 DROGA Research Grant from Droga Pharma PLC for an innovative project on food processing and value addition. He has also participated in numerous national and international professional training programs in ISO-based quality management systems, Kaizen, scientific computing, research methodology, experimental design, food safety, packaging technology, and scientific writing.
Melaku's work is driven by the goal of translating scientific research into practical innovations that support sustainable agriculture, improve food quality and safety, strengthen food and nutrition security, and promote resilient and inclusive agri-food systems in Ethiopia, Africa, and beyond.
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