Prof. Dr. Joseph H. Hotchkiss

Prior to Joseph H. Hotchkiss appointment at MSU, he was Professor and Chair of the Food Science Department in the Institute of Food Science at Cornell University where he also taught and directed an active research program in food packaging, safety and quality. His current research involves the development of new active packaging concepts and materials to enhance product quality and safety.

He is particularly interested in using bioactive compounds and nanotechnology to improve packaging. He is also interested in improving the sustainability of packaging. Dr. Hotchkiss has organized symposia, taught short courses, edited books, has contributed several book chapters on food packaging and safety and published over 350 scientific articles. He is the coauthor of the text Food Science with Professor Norman Potter.

Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Hotchkiss was a Public Health Service Research Fellow in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the US Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Hotchkiss is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists and has served on several committees and executive boards the Institute and has recently served as an advisor to the International Life Sciences Institute. He has served on the scientific advisory boards of a number of for-profit companies and frequently consults on matters related to packaging and product safety.

Dr. Hotchkiss is a former member of the Food Chemicals Codex Committee of the National Academy of Sciences and the WHO/FAO Joint Committee of Experts on Food Additives (JECFA). He recently served on FDA's National Food Advisory Committee. He currently serves as an advisor to the Pew Charitable Trusts Food Additive Safety Committee and Ameripen’s Packaging Sustainability Technical Advisory Group. He is an advisor to the Center for Tobacco at the US Food and Drug Administration.