UConn Food Safety Contacts

Indu Upadhyaya

Indu Upadhyaya, DVM, MVSc, PhD

Assistant Extension Educator, Food Safety Faculty

Cell: 860-786-8191 (preferred)

Phone: 860-871-0776

Email: indu.upadhyaya@uconn.edu

Food Safety expertise:

  • Food safety education, safe food handling from farm to table
  • Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point training programs
  • Education programs for farmers, processors and consumers of all ages on produce safety, meat and poultry safety, egg safety.
Indu Upadhyaya

Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH

Emeritus Extension Educator/Food Safety

Email:  diane.hirsch@uconn.edu

Food safety expertise:

  • Safe food handling from farm to table: education programs for farmers, processors, retailers, foodservice, consumers of all ages
  • Good Agricultural Practices, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point training programs
    Mary Anne Amalaradjou

    Mary Anne Amalaradjou, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Food Microbiology, Department of Animal Science

    Phone: 860-486-6620

    Email: mary_anne.amalaradjou@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Food safety, fresh produce, meat, eggs
    sheila andrew

    Sheila M. Andrew, PhD

    Emeritus Associate Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist

    Phone:  860.486.0803

    Email:  sheila.andrew@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Food safety, dairy products
    • Prevention of residues in milk and meat, research, teaching, and extension in methods to reduce the risk of residue contamination of milk and meat
    Nancy Balcom

    Nancy Balcom, MA

    Extension Educator, Marine Fisheries

    Phone: 860.405.9107

    Email:  nancy.balcom@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Safe handling and processing of seafood (HACCP program) for seafood processors
    • Seafood safety education (benefits and risks associated with seafood consumption) for consumers
    Dennis D'Amico

    Dennis D'Amico, PhD

    Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science

    Phone: 860-486-0567

    Email: ddamico@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Dairy product development, process control, environmental pathogen monitoring, and the development and implementation of food safety management systems
    •  Extension workshops for dairy manufacturers and professionals
    • Natural interventions and preventive controls for traditional dairy foods and processes
    Cameron Faustman

    Cameron Faustman, PhD

    Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Science

    Phone: 860-486-1016

    Email: cameron.faustman@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Meat and meat product safety
    Mazhar Khan

    Mazhar Khan, PhD

    Professor, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science

    Phone:  860-486-0228

    Email:  mazhar.khan@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Salmonella enteritidis (SE) reduction program. Actively involved in the environmental monitoring of SE in poultry farms.  Provide information regarding how to control SE contamination through cleaning, biosecurity, pest management and SE vaccination programs.
    Ellen Shanley

    Ellen L. Shanley, MBA, RD, CD-N

    Dietetics Director

    Phone:  860.486.0016

    Email:  ellen.shanley@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Food safety education and training; online food safety education
    Abhi Upadhyay

    Abhinav Upadhyay, PhD

    Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science Food Microbiology,
    Preharvest and Postharvest Poultry Safety

    Phone: 860-486-6585

    Email: abhinav.upadhyay@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Improving preharvest and postharvest poultry safety and production
    • Identification of novel antimicrobials for controlling foodborne pathogens such as Campylobacter and Salmonella
    • Developing novel carriers for improving the delivery and efficacy of antimicrobials
    Kumar Venkitanarayanan

    Kumar Venkitanarayanan, PhD

    Professor, Department of Animal Science

    Food safety expertise:

    • Food Microbiology

    Phone: 860.486.0947

    Email: kumar.venkitanarayanan@uconn.edu

    Food safety expertise:

    • Virulence and stress tolerance mechanisms in food-borne pathogens
    • Reducing pathogens in foods and food animals using natural antimicrobials
    • Decreasing resistance in antibiotic resistant pathogens using plant molecules