BSc Chemistry (Ghana), PhD Food Science (Pret)

Position: Head of Department, Professor

Field of expertise: Food Chemistry/Biochemistry, Food Engineering

Tel: + 27 (0)12 420-4299
E-mail:  [email protected]

Academic memberships:

• Professional Member of the South African Association for Food Science & Technology
• Chairman of Cereal Science and Technology – South Africa (CST-SA) (2007 – 2009)
• Executive Committee Member of CST-SA
• Member of AACC (American Association of Cereal Chemists) International
• Member of the American Association of Cereal Chemists International (AACCI) Bioactive Compounds Technical Committee
• Member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
• Member of the International Society of Food Engineering (ISFE)
• Member of the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF)

Orchid ID: ​https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3961-132X

NRF Rating: C2

Prof Duodu is Professor of Food Science in the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria. Prof Duodu has authored or co-authored more than 50 articles in international peer-reviewed journals and twelve book chapters. He currently holds a C2 rating from the NRF. He is also a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis and Legume Science. Prof Duodu teaches food chemistry, food engineering and some aspects of cereal science, legume science and fats and oils chemistry and technology.

Prof Duodu’s research is broadly on African grains and food bioactives with emphasis on the link between food and health. His research focus is on the health-promoting properties of African grains and their foods, with a specific focus on metabolomic profiling, chemistry and physiological actions of bioactive phenolic compounds of African grains using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies. It is imperative for Africa to develop high quality and affordable food products based on African cereal grains such as sorghum and millets, legumes like cowpeas, Bambara groundnut and marama bean, root crops such as orange flesh sweet potato and African leafy vegetables. Present day Africa carries an ever-increasing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. African cereal and legume grains and leafy vegetables are being recognised for their unique nutritional and health-promoting potential due to their slow digestibility and high levels of micronutrients and phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds. 

This research area includes the following interrelated topics:

• Combating conditions and diseases associated with overnutrition such as metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, Type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases with African foods
• Effect of novel food processing technologies on health-promoting properties of cereal- and legume-based foods

Prof Duodu also has research interest in nutritional aspects of African grain-based foods in terms of their protein quality and micronutrient bioaccessibility and how these can be enhanced using food-to-food fortification strategies.