Ruplal Choudhary

Ruplal Choudhary is a Professor of Food and Bioprocess Engineering in the Agricultural Systems and Education department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's College of Agricultural Sciences. With over 20 years of academic and industrial experience in food processing equipment design and development, his career spans multiple institutions including the University of Manitoba, South Dakota State University, National Dairy Research Institute in India, and the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering.

Dr. Choudhary earned his Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2004, an M.S. in Dairy and Food Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, India in 1994, and completed his undergraduate studies in Agricultural Engineering at J.N. Agricultural University, Jabalpur, India.

His research focuses on improving food safety and quality through innovative nonthermal processing technologies. Dr. Choudhary specializes in using germicidal ultraviolet light, nonthermal plasma, power ultrasound, and nanotechnology for pathogen removal and food allergy mitigation. He also employs near infrared spectroscopy and color machine vision systems for rapid sensing of food safety, quality, and defects. His work spans across dairy products, soy, fruits, and vegetables, with particular emphasis on postharvest horticulture and agricultural systems.

Analysis of Dr. Choudhary's recent publications reveals consistent focus on food safety technologies, particularly nonthermal processing methods and edible coatings for shelf-life extension. His research demonstrates strong integration of engineering principles with food science, with recurring themes in spectroscopic sensing, nanotechnology applications, and pathogen control across diverse food products including berries, dairy, and soybeans.

Dr. Choudhary has received notable recognition including a Team Award from SIU's College of Agricultural Sciences. He serves as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Food Protection (IAFP) and as Associate Editor for the Processing Division of ASABE.

As a dedicated educator and industry collaborator, Dr. Choudhary serves as Project Director for the USDA NIFA Food Safety Outreach Program, Lead Instructor for FSPCA Human Foods Preventive Control courses, Trainer for Produce Safety Alliance growers training, and Instructor for the FDA Better Process Control School. He is also recognized as an FDA Food Processing Authority in Southern Illinois.

His laboratory work focuses on developing and testing food safety technologies, particularly nonthermal processing equipment and sensing systems for food quality assessment. His research team actively investigates edible coatings, antimicrobial treatments, and spectroscopic methods for food safety and quality monitoring.