Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences

Dr. Yao Olive Li is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition & Food Science at Cal Poly Pomona. With more than twenty years’ experience of research, teaching, and industrial services across the USA, Canada, and China, Olive has acquired a good overview of the general field of Food Science & Engineering, and particularly strong expertise in a specialized area of novel food ingredient delivery technologies based on microencapsulation concepts, and their applications in fortified and functional foods. This international, multidisciplinary background enables her to interact with professionals in a variety of related fields. Olive has been actively involved in and made significant technical contributions to two award-winning international fortification programs, Ultra Rice and Double Fortified Salt, in which she applied a series of microencapsulation techniques into integrated formulation and process development, and also actively participated in the technology transfer activities in India, Brazil, and China. She has published one monograph, contributed to two book chapters, published 25+ peer-reviewed journal articles, and organized two symposiums in international conferences. In addition, Olive has extensive teaching experience at university level and is also active in various professional activities, ranging from scientific program assessments, manuscript reviews, to industrial consultation service. She is an active member and symposium program reviewer in the Institute of Food Technologists of USA (IFT, including Southern California section - SCIFTS) and Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST). She has served in IFT’s Certified Food Scientist Program Ad Hoc Group, and as a Food Processing & Packaging Track Subpanelist for the past five years. She is also an editorial board committee member for International Bioencapsulation Innovations, a France-based scientific community. 

Research Interests: Functional Food Engineering

• Development of advanced delivery systems & novel processing technologies for effective delivery of various bioactive ingredients, based on micro-/nano- encapsulation and controlled release techniques, and through an integrated approach for product & process design/development;
• Full utilization of agricultural raw materials, leading to value-added post-harvest production and functional foods, e.g., extraction, characterization, and utilization of plant proteins, dietary fibers, and phyto-antioxidants;
• Sustainable food systems: examination of various factors and their interrelationships within a highly interconnected agro-food system, involving agriculture production, food processing and distribution, and consumption patterns through a multidisciplinary approach.