Professor Saalia is the first and current occupant of the OR Tambo Research Chair in Food Science and Technology in recognition of his pioneering work in food safety and quality. The appointment is one of 10 Research Chairs appointed across Africa.  He obtained BSc in Biochemistry and Food Science and MPhil in Food Science from the University of Ghana in 1990 and 2005 respectively. He later obtained PhD in Food Science and Technology from the University of Georgia, USA in May 2001, and worked in the same Department until 2005 as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate. He joined the teaching faculty in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science of the University of Ghana in August 2005 as Lecturer and rose to the rank of Professor in 2016. He was Head of the Department of Food Process Engineering from August 2016 till July 2021. His Research interests include food processing (thermal and non-thermal), chemical and physical properties of foods, food chemistry and toxicology and food nutraceuticals. He has supervised many graduate (PhD and MPhil) students’ thesis. Professor Saalia has collaborations with the food industry at the local and international levels.

(BSc, MPhil (Ghana),PhD (Georgia))

1. Mauro Marengo, Hannah F. Akoto,  Miriam Zanoletti , Aristodemo Carpen, Simona Buratti, Simona Benedetti , Alberto Barbiroli , Paa-Nii T. Johnson, Esther O. Sakyi-Dawson,Saalia, F.K.,Francesco Bonomi, Maria Ambrogina Pagani, John Manful and Stefania Iametti (2016). Soybean-Enriched Snacks Based on African Rice.Foods5(2) pp 38

2.Oduro-Yeboah, C.Mestres, C.Amoa-Awua, W.,Fliedel, G.,Durand, N.,Matignon, B.Michodjehoun, V.L.,Saalia, F.K.,Sakyi-Dawson, E.,Abbey, L.(2016) Steeping time and dough fermentation affect the milling behaviour and quality of white kenkey(nsiho), a sour stiff dumpling prepared from dehulled maize grains.Journal of Cereal Science69(1) pp 377-382

3.Bayitse, R.,Hou, X,Bjerre, A.-B andSaalia, F.K(2015) Optimisation of enzymatic hydrolysis of cassava peel to produce fermentable sugars.AMB Express(Springer Open Source) 5(1) pp 60-67

4.Graham-Acquaah, S.,Ayernor, G.S,Bediako-Amoa, B.,Saalia, F.K.,Afoakwa, E.O.,Abbey, L.(2015) Effect of blanching and frying on textural profile and appearance of yam (Dioscorea rotundata) French fries.Journal of Food Processing and Preservation39(1) pp 19-29

5. Avicor, M. N.,Saalia, F. K., Djameh, C., Sinayobye E., Mensah-Brown, H. and Essilfie, G. (2015).  The fermentation characteristics of single and mixed yeast cultures during pito wort fermentation.International Food Research Journal22(1)  pp102-109

6. Clement Djameh,Saalia, F.K.,Emmanuel Sinayobye, Agnes Budu, Gloria Essilfie, Henry Mensah-Brown  and Samuel Sefa-Dedeh (2015). Optimization of the sorghum malting process for pito production in Ghana. Journal of the Institute of Brewers12(1) pp 106-112

7. Anthony K.Q. Kamassah,Saalia, F.K.,Paul Osei, Henry Mensah-Brown, Emmanuel Sinayobye, Kwaku Tano-Debrah (2013). The Physico-chemical Characteristics of Yeast Fermentation of two Mango (Mangifera indicaLinn) Varieties.Food Science and Quality Management22 pp 45-55

8.Quansah JK,Udenigwe CC,Saalia FK,Yada RY(2013). The effect of thermal and ultrasonic treatment on amino acid composition, radical scavenging and reducing potential of hydrolysates obtained from simulated gastrointestinal digestion of cowpea proteins.Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.68(1) pp 31-8

9. Deborah Nabuuma, Dorothy Nakimbugwe, Yusuf B. Byaruhanga,Saalia, F.K.,, Robert Dixon Phillips & Jinru Chen (2013). Formulation of a drinkable peanut-based therapeutic food for malnourished children using plant sources.International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 64(4)  pp 467–475

10.Saalia, F.K.,and R.D. Phillips (2011). Reduction of aflatoxins in peanut meal by extrusion cooking in the presence of nucleophiles.LWT - Food Science and Technology44(6) pp 1511-1516

11.Saalia, F.K.,and Robert D Phillips (2011). Degradation of aflatoxins by extrusion cooking: Effects on Nutritional quality of Extrudates. LWT - Food Science and Technology44(6) pp 1496-1501

12. Amonsou, E.O;Saalia, F.K.,E. Sakyi-Dawson; S. Sefa-Dedeh and L.D. Abbey (2011).  Viscoelastic characteristics ofkpejigaou:a griddled cowpea food.Journal of Food Process Engineering34(1) pp 11–26

13. Herta Aidoo, Esther Sakyi-Dawson, Lawrence Abbey, Kwaku Tano-Debrah andSaalia, F.K.,(2011). Optimization of chocolate formulation using dehydrated peanut–cowpea milk to replace dairy milk.Journal of the Science of food and agriculture. 92(2) pp 224-231

14. Wisdom Wardy, Damir Dennis Torrico, Wannita Jirangrat, Hong Kyoon No,Saalia, F.K.,Witoon Prinyawiwatkul (2011). Chitosan-soybean oil emulsion coating affects physico-functional and sensory quality of eggs during storage.LWT - Food Science and Technology44 pp 2349-2355

15. Wardy, W., Torrico, D.D., Kyoon No H., Prinyawiwaktul, W.,Saalia, F.K. (2010) Edible coating affects physico-functional properties and shelf life of chicken eggs during refrigerated and room temperature storage.International Journal of Food Science and Technology45(12) pp 2659–2668

16. Herta Aidoo, Esther Sakyi-Dawson, Kwaku Tano-Debrah,Saalia, F.K.,(2010). Development and characterization of dehydrated peanut–cowpea milk powder for use as a dairy milk substitute in chocolate manufacture.Food Research International43 pp 79–85

17.  E. Enyonam Quist,, R. Dixon Phillips,Saalia, F.K.,(2009) Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity of proteolytic digests of peanut (Arachis hypogaeaL.) flour.LWT - Food Science and Technology42(3) pp 694-699

18. N. Pansawat, K. Jangchud,, A. Jangchud, P. Wuttijumnong,Saalia, F.K.,R.R.Eitenmiller, R.D. Phillips (2008) Effects of extrusion conditions on secondary extrusion variables and physical properties of fish, rice-based snacks.LWT - Food Science and Technology41(4) pp 632–641

19. Saalia, F. K., Amponsah, A. K., Asante, N. D., Owusu‐Brafi, N. K., Amoa, B. B., Affrifah, N. S., & Sefa‐Dedeh, S. (2017). Effects of corn steep water pretreatment on the rheological and microstructural properties of Ga‐kenkey.Journal of Food Process Engineering, 40(5)

For detail publications: Refer to the following links

Scopus:https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7801419906

Google Scholar:https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DyDzhEAAAAAJ&hl=en