College of Agriculture & Natural Resources School of Packaging

Resume

Dr. Almenar received her Ph.D. in 2005 from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology-Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IATA-CSIC) for her work in active packaging. Since then, she has mainly worked in the field of fresh produce packaging, which has led to over 15 years of experience in prolonging the shelf life of food using packaging. In the course of her career, she has worked with different packaging technologies (modified atmosphere packaging, controlled atmosphere packaging, active packaging, and coatings) and packaging materials (bio-based and petroleum-based) as well as with different fruits and vegetables (whole and minimally processed) besides other perishables like meats and cereals.

Dr. Almenar is currently a professor at the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, and is mainly working on developing packaging materials made from renewable feedstock with a focus on active packaging materials (antimicrobial, scavenge, and temperature-sensitivity materials) for the delivery of high-quality and safe food (https://www.canr.msu.edu/almenar/research-team/). Utilizing her background and experience in material science and packaging, these new packaging materials are being created based on the characteristics and needs of the fresh produce and its supply chain for their successful commercial application. Her background in food science allows her to perform physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory studies to monitor the changes of the fresh produce packaged in these new materials during storage. These studies are carried out in close collaboration with researchers specialized in packaging, microbiology, postharvest physiology, and sensory analysis, as well as with produce growers, commodity groups, plastic suppliers, and packaging equipment suppliers from different countries around the world.

Dr. Almenar has authored and co-authored a variety of publications, including 39 peer reviewed articles, 9 non peer reviewed articles, and 5 peer-reviewed book chapters (https://www.canr.msu.edu/almenar/publications/). She is also the author of 7 invention disclosures. Dr. Almenar teaches undergraduate/graduate courses. Below are Dr. Almenar teaching activities.

Instructional Activities:

PKG 455 Food Packaging: Food package systems and their relationship to specific products and processes. Product composition, deterioration, and packaging-solutions. Shelf life, packaging, and supply chain issues.

PKG 456 Packaging & Shelf Life of Perishables: Chemical, physical and microbiological changes that affect the quality of produce (mainly), meat, and seafood, and their relationship to packaging and distribution (cold chain). Different packaging technologies (by themselves or in combination with other preservation technologies) and their different capabilities to extend the shelf life of perishable food.

PKG 499 Undergraduate Research: Undergraduate research project designed to enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, team work, and communication skills.  

PKG 490, Section 001 Directed Studies in Packaging: Development of solutions to specific packaging problems. Supervised individual study.

PKG 890 Special Topics: Topics related to food or food packaging of current interest. Supervised individual study.For more details on the aforementioned courses: https://www.canr.msu.edu/almenar/teaching/

For more details on the aforementioned courses: https://www.canr.msu.edu/almenar/teaching/