Food Protection Trends - March/April 2023 - 180

BEYOND the BIO
Name: Francisco Diez-Gonzalez
Employment: The UGA Center for Food Safety
Location: Griffin, GA
Discovery and challenge feed
Diez-Gonzalez's food safety career
When Francisco Diez-Gonzalez thinks
about the last 40 years of his career in
food science and food safety, one of the
biggest changes, he said, is the evolution
of food safety itself.
" When I went through school, there were
science degrees like biology and chemistry,
and there were food science degrees, but
food microbiology and food safety weren't
big topics yet, " Diez-Gonzalez said. " Yet
in that same amount of time, there were
serious outbreaks and food safety crises in
many populated countries. We've realized,
over time, that our food supply is not as safe
as we once thought. "
An avid reader and explorer, DiezGonzalez
recalls the strong influence his
father played in building his interest in
science.
" The highest level of education my father
completed was sixth grade, " Diez-Gonzalez
said. " But he was always reading, always
teaching himself, and wanted us to do the
same thing. I remember him subscribing to
National Geographic, which was not a typical
publication for households in Mexico.
He definitely influenced my interest and
career path into food science. "
Diez-Gonzalez grew up in Durango,
Mexico, with his mother, father and three
siblings. As he approached college, his
parents encouraged him to choose a career
that was practical and could withstand the
ups and downs of the economy.
" We grew up in a very practical household,
so it made sense to me (and my
siblings) when our parents inspired us to
pursue careers that would give us options
in the future and allow us to earn a living, "
Diez-Gonzalez said. " For me, if I would
have chosen a field like biology, [at the
time], I wouldn't have had a lot of career
options. The more practical option was
food science, which merged science with a
growing scientific interest in food and food
technology. "
Diez-Gonzalez completed his undergraduate
degree in food science through
the Tecnólogico de Monterrey (Monterrey
Institute of Technology), originally located
in Monterrey, Mexico, with campuses
throughout the country. Following graduation,
he entered the workforce and worked
in the private sector for a food ingredients
company.
" At this point in the mid-1980s, food
microbiology was still not a popular career
track, " Diez-Gonzalez said. " I was doing
quite a bit of technical work and product
development for food ingredients, but it got
to the point where I wasn't finding anything
new and I wasn't being challenged. It was
time to do something else. "
Diez-Gonzalez's drive to discover became
a sticking point as he charted the course for
his next career move. After some worldly
travels with his wife, the couple ended up
at Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)
where Diez-Gonzalez began graduate work
in the field of food science.
" My time in the private sector gave me
a different mindset and strengthened my
desire to do research, find that intellectual
challenge, " Diez-Gonzalez said. " As I
entered graduate school, I stayed with food
science, but started to focus my research
on microbial fermentations, which led to
post-doctoral work in foodborne pathogens
- and my real start in food safety. "
Diez-Gonzalez said that it was in the
labs at Cornell where he met and worked
with one of his lifelong mentors, Jim
Russell, a prominent rumen microbiologist.
Diez-Gonzalez would stay on with Russell
for another three years as they researched
the pre-harvest ecology of E. coli O157 in
cattle. With these experiences under his
belt, Diez-Gonzalez then accepted a job as
a faculty member in the food science and
nutrition department at the University of
Minnesota (Twin Cities, Minnesota).
180 Food Protection Trends March/April
Food Protection Trends - March/April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - March/April 2023
