From Pilot Trials to Industrial Scale-up: Process Development for in-Pack Microwave Heating & Decontamination – Chinglen Leishangthem 

Shyam S. Sablani

Professor of Food Engineering, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, USA

Prof. Shyam S. Sablani is an internationally recognized food engineer and Professor of Food Engineering at Washington State University (WSU), USA, with expertise spanning food and packaging engineering, materials science, transport phenomena, thermal and microwave-assisted processing, food safety, shelf-life engineering, high-barrier polymer packaging, and sustainable food-processing technologies. He earned his Ph.D. in Food Engineering from McGill University, Canada, following an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras and a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Raipur. He joined WSU in 2007, became Professor in 2019, and served as Associate Chair of Biological Systems Engineering from 2016–2021. His distinguished scholarly record includes more than 280 peer-reviewed journal articles, over 30 book chapters, more than 130 conference papers, and an edited handbook on food and bioprocess modelling, while his research programme has secured over US$10 million in competitive extramural funding.

Prof. Sablani has also made an exceptional contribution to research training. His academic profile records supervision of 26 Ph.D. researchers, including 22 graduates and four then-current doctoral scholars, eight graduated M.S. students, and nine postdoctoral researchers, in addition to participation on more than 50 graduate advisory committees.  His students have pursued careers in universities, government research laboratories and international food and packaging industries. His research has contributed particularly to the development and evaluation of high-barrier polymer packages for microwave-assisted thermal sterilization and pasteurization, advanced thermal processing, frozen and dehydrated food stability, and next-generation sustainable packaging systems.
A highly active academic editor and professional leader, Prof. Sablani currently serves as Scientific Editor of the Journal of Food Engineering and has previously served in senior editorial roles with the Journal of Food Science and other international journals. WSU Labs His major recognitions include election as an IFT Fellow (2024), Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, IFT Marcel Loncin Research Prize, Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award, WSU Faculty Excellence in Research Award, and the prestigious 2026 IFT Food Packaging Award; he was also a key contributor to the team receiving the 2026 IFT Research & Development Award. IFT His career represents a strong integration of fundamental food engineering, advanced processing, packaging innovation, postgraduate mentorship and translation of research into technologies for safer, higher-quality and more sustainable food systems.

Parag Prakash Sutar                                                      

Associate Professor, Department of Food Process Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India

Prof. Parag Prakash Sutar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Process Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India, and served as Head of the Department from 2021 to 2024. He is also the Chairman of the 6th Global Congress on Microwave Energy Applications (6GCMEA 2028). He completed his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and did doctoral training at McGill University. His research and industrial-development activities span microwave processing, infrared heating, drying and dehydration, food sterilization and microbial decontamination, hybrid thermal processing, process intensification, equipment design, sustainability and industrial scale-up.

His academic profile lists 97 research publications, with papers appearing in leading international journals including Food Chemistry, Journal of Food Engineering, Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, Drying Technology, Trends in Food Science & Technology, Journal of Food Science, and Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. His has done supervision of seven doctoral researchers—and several master’s researchers. He has led and contributed to several externally funded and industrial projects supported by DST, SERB, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and industry, covering microwave–infrared–UV sterilization, electromagnetic food processing, circular food processing, industrial dryer design and microwave-based process development.

Prof. Sutar serves on the Editorial Boards of Drying Technology (Taylor & Francis), Agriculture Communications (Elsevier), and Agricultural Products Processing and Storage (Springer Nature), and has guest-edited special issues of Drying Technology. His professional recognitions include awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Drying R&D in Asia in 2019 and 2023 and election as an Associate Fellow of the International Society for Drying Science and Technology in 2024. He has also chaired the 10th and 11th Asia-Pacific Drying Conferences, and his work is distinguished by its strong integration of fundamental research, postgraduate training, industrial consultancy and translation of advanced heating and drying technologies into scalable commercial processes.

Dr. Durgawati, Durgawati Research Associates, Vadodara, Gujarat

Prof. Mukund Bade, SVNIT, Surat

Chinglen Leishangthem, R&D / Process Development Scientist

KERONE Research & Development Centre (KRDC), India

NON-RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

Accommodation is not included in the registration fee. Participants are responsible for their own stay and travel arrangements. In-person registration includes workshop access, lunch/refreshments, workshop materials and participation certificate.