About

Prof. Nicole Sharon Affrifah is a Senior Lecturer with a strong academic background that includes a BSc and MPhil from Ghana and a PhD from the University of Georgia. Her research centers on two primary goals: developing nutritious food products from locally sourced ingredients and modernizing traditional food processing methods in Ghana to reduce labor intensity and improve efficiency. She specializes in characterizing raw materials, optimizing processing parameters, and enhancing shelf-life while integrating sustainability into food processing. With experience in the food industry, Dr. Affrifah is particularly passionate about minimizing the environmental impact of food production. Her research is well-published in reputable journals, notably on cowpea processing and phytase inactivation, underscoring her contributions to food science and sustainable development.

Education

(BSc, MPhil (Ghana) 
PhD (Georgia)

Research Interest

• Product development using locally available ingredients
• Characterization of raw food materials
• Defining product composition and processing parameters
• Shelf-life determination of food products
• Modernizing traditional food processing methods
• Reducing labor and energy intensity in artisanal food processing
• Enhancing sustainability in food production
• Minimizing environmental impact of food processing activities
• Improving efficiency while maintaining food quality and safety

Publications

• Affrifah, N.S., Chinnan, M. S., Saalia, F.K. and Phillips, R.D. 2021. Hydrothermal treatments affect the development of the hard-to-cook defect in cowpeas. Legume Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.126.
• Saalia, F.K., Amponsah, A.K., Asante, N.D., Owusu-Brafi, N. K., Amoa, B. B., Affrifah, N.S. and Sefa-Dedeh, S. 2016. Effects of Corn Steep Water Pretreatment on the Rheological and Microstructural Properties of Ga-kenkey. Journal of Food Process Engineering. 2017;40:e12521. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.12521.
• Affrifah, N.S. and Chinnan, M. S. 2006. The Effect of Drying Conditions on the Development of the Hard-To-Cook Defect in Steam-treated Cowpeas.  International Journal of Food Science and Technology 41(8):867-877.
• Affrifah, N.S., Chinnan, M. S. and Fang, C. 2006. Modeling the Thermal Inactivation of Phytase in Steamed Cowpea Seeds. LWT - Food Science and Technology 39(6) 598-604.
• Affrifah N.S., Chinnan M.S. and Phillips R.D. 2004. Heat-Moisture Treatments of Cowpea Flour and their Effects on the Inactivation of Phytase. Journal of Food Science 70(2):98-103.
• Phillips R.D., McWatters K.H., Chinnan M.S., Hung Y.C., Beuchat L.R., Sefa-Dedeh S., Sakyi-Dawson E., Ngoddy P., Nnanyelugo D., Enwere J., Komey N.S., Liu K.S., Mensa-Wilmot Y., Nnanna I.A., Okeke C., Prinyawiwatkul W. and Saalia F.K. 2003. Utilization of cowpeas for human food. Field Crops Research 82:193-213.