OUR FELLOWS
Born in Ghana, Mavis Owureku-Asare learned to be independent when she went off to boarding school at age six, where a teacher encouraged her to pursue science. Food preparation and cooking became a later passion, and the wife of her high school chemistry teacher, a nutritionist working for the World Health Organization, developed her interest in a career in the food industry. She obtained a BSc degree in nutrition and food science from the University of Ghana, and after graduation she spent her national service working for the Ghana Standards Authority, testing food imports for their nutritional content. She later returned to university to pursue a master’s degree in food science.
We have so many indigenous food products that can be promoted both locally and internationally, but we need food scientists to conduct research to optimize these products and give them a longer shelf life,” says Owureku-Asare “Food scientists should also promote indigenous foods to help upgrade and promote the local food industry.
Field of Research
Agro-processing, product development, postharvest management, and preservation of agricultural produce such as cereals, legumes, roots, tubers, fruits, and vegetables.