QUALIFICATIONS

• 1986: B.Sc. (Physiology and Microbiology) University of the Free State
• 1987: B.Sc. Hons. (Microbiology) University of the Free State
• 1991: M.Sc. (Microbiology) University of the Free State
• 1997: Ph.D. (Food Science) University of the Free State

   

  CAREER

   

• 1987-1989: Appointed in Department of Dairy Science

• 1989-2022: Professional Officer, Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor in Department of Food Science
• Current: Professor, Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry

RESEARCH STANDING

• NRF rating: C2
• Secretary of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes: Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Aerobic Bacteroidetes

   

  MEMBERSHIP

   

• The South African Society of Microbiology (SASM)
• The South African Society of Dairy Science and Technology (SASDT)
• The South African Association of Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST)
• Registered as Professional Natural Scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP)

PROMOTOR AND CO-PROMOTOR TO post-graduate STUDENTS:

• 86 Hons/Masters/PhD students

EXAMINER/REVIEWER:

• Masters and PhD studies: 45

• International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
• Meat Science
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
• Food Research International

After the outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa in 2017/18, the Food Industry will in future be more vigilant about food safety and food safety issues. The Microbial Food Safety and Food Spoilage group of the Microbiology and Biochemistry Department focuses on food safety and food spoilage of especially the psychrotolerant bacteria in food (of which Listeria is one such a bacterium) with emphasis on the genera Chryseobacterium, Flavobacterium, Kaistella and Pseudomonas. Another focus of this group is to investigate the use of natural preservatives and lowered salt concentrations in the production of food in terms of food spoilage and food safety.

Some of the research activities of this group include:

• The taxonomy and significance of Chryseobacterium species in the food industry
• The role of psychrotolerant bacteria in age gelation of ultra-high temperature milk
• The influence of natural and/or alternative preservatives on microbial food safety and food spoilage
• The influence of lowered salt and replacer salts on microbial food safety and food spoilage

Food Microbiology

Research fields include food microbiology; food safety; taxonomy and significance of Chryseobacterium bacteria; psychrotolerant food spoilage

Undergraduate

SFFS1513 (Food Safety: Fundamental Food Compliance)

MCBP2626 (Microbial evolution and diversity)

FSCL4806 (Food Science Seminar course)

Post-graduate

FSCL6806 (Food Science Seminar course)

MCBT6814 (Preservation of Microorganisms; Conventional identification of Microorganisms)

FSCI8900 (Master of Science in Food Science)

FSCI9100 (Ph D in Food Science)