In food science, timing can mean the difference between nourishment and waste.
For Prof. Emmanuel Adu Amankwah, the challenge of preserving food quality, reducing post-harvest losses and transforming local crops into value-added products has defined an academic journey that has now earned him promotion to Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology, KNUST.
His rise reflects years of research focused on one of Ghana’s most practical scientific questions: how can engineering and food science work together to make crops last longer, travel farther and create more value?
Trained first as an Agricultural Engineer before transitioning into Food Science and Technology, Prof. Amankwah’s career has been shaped by this rare interdisciplinary strength. From his early work on energy efficiency at one of West Africa’s largest maize farms to his later studies in food product development and drying systems, his research has consistently focused on technologies that respond to local needs.
At the centre of his scholarly impact is Drying Technology, a field in which he has become one of the department’s leading voices.
His research spans the processing of roots, tubers, cereals, cocoa, legumes, fruits and vegetables, with particular emphasis on model-based solar collector design and solar-adsorption drying systems. These innovations are critical for countries like Ghana, where post-harvest losses remain a major challenge for food security and agribusiness.
A defining chapter in his career came through his PhD at Wageningen University Research Center in the Netherlands, where he focused on yam drying with solar adsorption systems. The work advanced scientific understanding of moisture diffusion, shrinkage and drying efficiency in yam processing, while also creating practical models for food preservation technologies that can be adapted locally.
Long before that, his work had already begun shaping innovation at KNUST.
As principal investigator on a World Bank-funded project, he led the design and manufacture of solar and oven dryers using local materials to improve drying operations within the Biochemistry and Biotechnology and Food Science departments. The project demonstrated how research can be translated into affordable technologies with immediate institutional and community relevance.
His promotion to Associate Professor also reflects his impact in teaching and mentorship. Over the years, he has supervised more than 30 MSc and MPhil students, in addition to numerous undergraduate researchers whose work spans food product development, biomass drying and processing technologies.
Beyond academia, his expertise has also informed public service and development planning.
In 2017, he led a 10-member committee under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) in the Ashanti Region, coordinating consultations across 47 constituencies to document community priority needs for government consideration. His service later extended into leadership at the Middle Belt Development Authority, where he continues to contribute to regional development initiatives.
For the Department of Food Science and Technology, his promotion is a recognition of a scholar whose work has consistently connected engineering precision with food innovation.
Prof. Emmanuel Adu Amankwah’s journey shows how the science of drying, preservation and product development can move beyond the laboratory to strengthen food systems, support local industry and reduce waste.
In his hands, the science of keeping food longer has become a pathway to sustaining livelihoods and strengthening national food resilience.
Story by: Edith Asravor
