Biagio Fallico

Biagio Fallico is a Full Professor of Food Science and Technology at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) at the University of Catania. He currently serves as a member of the EFSA FAF Panel for 2024-2029 and participates as an FAO expert in the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Previously, he served as President of the master's degree program in Food Science and Technology (2020/21-2022/23).

His academic journey began with a Degree in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Catania (1992) with honors (110/110 cum laude), progressing to university researcher in 1994, Associate Professor in 2014, and Full Professor in 2018. He completed postdoctoral research at the University of Reading (UK) in 1998-1999 and 2002, focusing on melanoidins biochemistry and food risk analysis.

Professor Fallico's research spans four interconnected domains: risk assessment (including pesticide residues in blood oranges and consumer exposure to additives like Allura Red); food legislation (mapping Italian food control systems and European honey regulations); thermal treatment effects (studying hydroxymethylfurfural and 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds in foods); and chemical composition analysis of Mediterranean products (blood orange juice, monofloral honeys, pistachios). His work contributed to PDO specifications for Pistacchio Verde di Bronte and Ciliegia dell'Etna.

His scholarly impact includes over 160 publications: 65 peer-reviewed journal articles, 2 book chapters, 30+ conference papers, 19 abstracts, and 5 professional guidelines. His methodologies for anthocyanin quantification and risk assessment have influenced food safety standards internationally.

• Member of JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives)
• Member of EFSA FAF Panel for 2024-2029
• Evaluator for MIUR research projects ('Futuro in Ricerca' call)
• Georgian Republic State Science Grants Competition evaluator

Professor Fallico has mentored over 50 graduate students for final dissertations and served as tutor to 4 PhD students. He coordinated the establishment of new degree programs including Science and Technology for Catering and Distribution of Mediterranean Foods. His international collaborations span UK, Turkey, and Algeria, supported by European Union projects and ERASMUS agreements.

His laboratory combines chemical analysis with sensory evaluation to develop non-destructive techniques for shelf life estimation. Current research focuses on dicarbonyl compounds in red juice-based drinks and low-sodium durum wheat bread, with ongoing EU-funded projects examining food safety standards and risk analysis methodologies.