Hotel, Hospitality & Tourism Management

Dr.Peter Bordi is an associate professor in the School of Hospitality Management. Founder and director of the Center for Food Innovation (CFI) in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management, He directs the only research-based food laboratory in the United States located within an academic hospitality program – which, in turn has positioned Penn State as the leading academic institution in terms of food research. CFI’s mission is clear – to develop research protocols that lead to the creation of new, healthier food products/delivery systems that improve health, prevent disease and enhance lifestyles. Each research protocol begins by adapting industrial food science models; includes assembling multidisciplinary research teams and developing strategic partnerships with end-users (i.e., consumers, government, food/foodservice industry); and, in most cases, involves conducting double blind studies

Pete’s research focuses primarily on consumer acceptance of healthier, reduced-fat,trans fat free oils, higher-protein food products. This research is part of a new scientific discipline integrating food and nutrition concepts that facilitate the inclusion of bioactive ingredients in food products in order to elicit specific health outcomes. It has long been understood that food ingredients in appropriate combinations offer potential and actual benefits for preventing/treating health conditions or diseases. To date, consumers have judged many of these “beneficial” food products to be unacceptable in terms of taste, texture, or other food quality criteria. Pete has a sabbatical at Disney this year developing healthier products for children ages 3- 9. Pete’s research grants total over 6.5 million dollars.