Mary Ellen Camire

Expertise

?? Aging and older adults, ? Consumer preference, ? Food science, ? Food security, ? Human health, ? Nutrition, ? Potatoes, ? Seafood, ? Shellfish

Camire’s research spans the fields of food technology and human nutrition including how processing changes a food’s nutrients and antioxidants; ingredients and processing techniques to make foods more healthful and satisfying, and assessing consumer reactions to new crops by sensory evaluation. She is interested in improving the nutritional status of older and disadvantaged individuals, and in promoting the consumption of healthy foods and the development of sustainable food production. Visit Camire’s biography to learn more.

A bubble graph showing a 60% research and 40% teaching appointment split.
Camire balances her time between teaching courses about nutrition, aging, research design, and sensory evaluation (40%) and studies how to leverage food technology to make foods more healthy and satisfying (60%).

Appointment details

Camire’s work is supported by:

  • School of Food and Agriculture at the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture
  • Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station

Experiment Station contributions

Annually we assess promising potato varieties for their suitability for baking and boiling. My Hatch project seeks to improve the nutrition quality of foods for older adults and reduce food waste through utilization of food by-products.

  • Current project: Palatable, Healthful Foods for Maine. Hatch Project Number ME021804.
  • Current project: Collaborative Potato Breeding and Variety Development Activities to Enhance Farm Sustainability in the Eastern US. Hatch Multistate Project Number ME032331.

Career Highlights

Institute of Food Technologists and International Life Sciences Institute Babcock-Hart Award (2008), American Society for Nutrition Health and Innovation Award (2016), Past President of Phi Tau Sigma, Cereals & Grains Association, and the Institute of Food Technologists, and the first Editor-in-Chief appointed for sole responsibility of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.