Belal Hasan – Cal Poly Pomona Experts

Food and Nutrition Assistant Professor Belal Hasan

Expertise:

Plant-Based Foods, Extrusion Process, Fermented Foods and Beverages, Functional Foods and Beverages, Agri-therapy

Belal Hasan is a food scientist with more than 20 years of research and industry experience in food biotechnology and food process. His research is motivated by an appetite to improve the quality and safety of processed foods.

Hasan’s research on plant-based proteins and their applications in highly concentrated food systems — where a few large firms control specific crops and rely on specialized industrial farming methods — has contributed to the field of high-moisture extrusion, a widely used technology used to make “meat analogues” that replicate the appearance and texture of conventional whole muscle meat. He and his research group have developed a new technique known as “swelling anisotropic index” to quantify fiber formation in plant-based foods. Hasan is collaborating with faculty partners at The Collins College of Hospitality Management to develop meat analogs suitable for different cuisines, such as those with stew-based dishes. Specifically, he is looking at the effects of different condiments on mechanical properties and the stability during the cooking process.

Hasan is also partnering with Innovation Brew Works at Cal Poly Pomona to upcycle the by-products of breweries called Brew Spent Grains (BSG). His research group is applying different processing methods including mechanical pressing, drying and particle size reduction to convert it into ingredients for extruded plant-based meat products; and applying the fermentation process to improve the texture and the flavor profile. This work will help to make meat analogues affordable and increase the security of nation’s food supply chain by reducing dependency on other countries’ ingredients currently used by the meat analogues industry.

Recent Grants and Fellowships:

“Investigation of underutilized novel almond forms for improved fibrous structure and sensory properties of plant-based meats via high moisture extrusion” (PI), Agriculture Research Institute (ARI), $78,655 (2024)
Development of solid-state fermentation process to improve the flavors and functional properties of pea protein in plant-based meats” (PI), USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, $37,266 (2024)
“Senior Capstone Laboratory Course Redesign Coupled with Micro-Internships and Service Learning for enhanced student learning outcomes” (PI), The Special Projects For Improving The Classroom Experience (SPICE), $22,249
“Elevate And Expand A Master’s Program In Food Science By Integrated Curriculum Redesign And Enhanced Academia-Industry-Government Partnerships” (CO-PI), Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program (USDA-NLGCA), $30,000 (2024)
“Training Cal Poly Pomona Students to Enhance the Underrepresented Minorities and Culturally Diverse Groups Access to Plant-Based Meat Analogues” (PI), Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Grant Program (SIRG), $15,000 (2024)
“Senior Capstone Laboratory Course Redesign Coupled with Micro-Internships and Service Learning for enhanced student learning outcomes” (PI), Special Projects For Improving The Classroom Experience, $21,649
“Plant-based foods extruded using twin screw extruder that are suitable in international dishes” (PI), Cal Poly Pomona, $2,500 (2023)
“Phase mapping of Roquette pea protein isolate for use in extruded meat analogues” (Co-PI), Roquette America, Inc., $60,000 (2022)
“Immunomodulatory effects of Malaysian fermented foods improved by the inclusion of probiotic starter cultures in BALB/CBYJ mice” (Co-PI), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia, $69,000 (2019)
Visiting Research Fellowship, “Climate Changes and Urban Food Security” (PI), Newton Fund Southeast Asia, $1,200 (2018)
“Assessment of lacto-fermented peptides derived from kenaf seed proteins as a source of natural antimicrobial agents against a broad range of food spoilage microbes” (Co-PI), Universiti Putra Malaysia, $23,900 (2018)

Selected Publications:

With Ubbink, “Effect of cooking time and conditions on the textural properties of meat analogues developed for stew-based dishes,” International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 100861, 2024
With J. Ubbink, “Effect of water content and aging on the elastic properties of extruded pea protein isolate,” International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 100861, 2024
With J. Ubbink, “Effect of water content and aging on the elastic properties of extruded pea protein isolate,” Physics of Fluids, 35(8), 2023
With J. Ubbink, “Effects of pH and aging on the texture and physicochemical properties of extruded pea protein isolate,” Food Hydrocolloids, 140, 108639, 2023
With Flores Sanchez, H. Nakagawa and J. Ubbink, “Modulating molecular interactions in extruded pea protein isolate,” Food Biophysics, 1-10, 2023
With S. Hajar-Azhari, N. Daud, N. Joghee, H. Kadum and A.S.M. Hussin, “Lacto-fermented garlic sauce improved the quality and extended the shelf life of lamb meat under the chilled condition,” International Journal of Food Microbiology, 395, 110190, 2023
With B. Arulrajah, M. S. Qoms, M. Zarei, A.S.M. Hussin, A. S. M., H. Hasan and N. Saari, “Antifungal efficacy of kenaf seed peptides mixture in cheese, safety assessment and unravelling its action mechanism against food spoilage fungi,” Food Bioscience, 52, 102395, 2023
With N.K. Mohammed, N.H. Ahmad and A.S. Meor Hussin, “Modulating of microencapsulated virgin coconut oil-based creamer,” Journal of Food Science and Technology, 1-11, 2023
With V. Filimonau, H. Algboory, N.K. Mohammed, H. Kadum and J.M. Qasem, “Food waste and its management in the foodservice sector of a developing economy: An exploratory and preliminary study of a sample of restaurants in Iraq,” Tourism Management Perspectives, 45, 101048, 2023
With J. Ubbink, “Protein physical state in meat analogue processing,” Current Opinion in Food Science, 45, 100822, 2022
With F.S. Hussin, S.Y. Chay, A.S.M. Hussin, W.Z. Wan Ibadullah, M.S. Abd Ghani and N. Saari, “GABA enhancement by simple carbohydrates in yoghurt fermented using novel, self-cloned Lactobacillus plantarum Taj-Apis362 and metabolomics profiling,” Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-12, 2021
With V. Filimonau, J.M. Qasem and H. Algboory, “Traditional foodstuffs and household food security in a time of crisis,” Appetite, 165, 105298, 2021
With N. Zawawi, A.F.A. Razis, J. Bakar and M. Zarei, “Antiviral activity of fermented foods and their probiotics bacteria towards respiratory and alimentary tracts viruses,” Food Control, 127, 108, 2021
With W.C. Tan and A.S. Meor Hussin, “Influence of Storage Conditions on the Quality, Metabolites, and Biological Activity of Soursop (Annona muricata. ) Kombucha,” Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 2982, 2020
With N.K. Mohammed and A.S. Meor Hussin, “Characterization of nanoemulsion of Nigella sativa oil and its application in ice cream,” Food Science & Nutrition, 8(6), 2608-2618, 2020

Education:

B.Sc., Food Science and Technology, University of Mosul

M.Sc., Biotechnology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

Ph.D., Food Biotechnology, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Languages:

English