John-Lewis Zinia Zaukuu

Food Science and Technology

About

Dr. John-Lewis Zinia Zaukuu is an accomplished Food Scientist, researcher, and consultant whose work sits at the cutting edge of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), chemometrics, and machine learning for food quality evaluation, safety assurance, and adulteration detection. His research combines advanced analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, and artificial intelligence to develop rapid, non-destructive techniques for authenticating, monitoring, and predicting food quality and safety, addressing critical challenges in food fraud, regulatory compliance, and food security.He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and has supervised and evaluated postgraduate research (both internally and externally) in food analysis, sensor-based monitoring, and data-driven safety systems across several international universities. Dr. Zaukuu has been invited by national and international funding bodies to review, assess, and evaluate competitive research grant proposals, demonstrating his standing as a trusted scientific assessor and thought leader in food innovation and analytical research.Dr. Zaukuu serves on the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports (Springer Nature) and has acted as a Guest Editor for other prestigious international journals in food science and spectroscopy. His editorial and peer-review activities reinforce his reputation for excellence in analytical methods, chemometric modelling, and food authenticity research.He is a member of several distinguished professional organizations, including the Ghana Young Academy, the International Aquaphotomics Society, and other scientific networks promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and policy influence in food systems research.Within KNUST, Dr. Zaukuu provides strategic academic and operational leadership as the Examinations Officer (regular & IDL) of the Department of Food Science and Technology. He also led the Department’s laboratories toward achieving ISO/IEC 17025 international accreditation, making KNUST the only University in Ghana to have such status and one of only three regulatory bodies in the whole of Ghana with this accreditation. This is a milestone that enhances the department’s analytical credibility and compliance with global quality standards. Beyond academia, he has provided consultancy services to industries and research institutions in Ghana and internationally, offering expertise in spectroscopic method development, chemometric data interpretation, and food quality assurance systems. His work continues to bridge science and industry, translating research innovations into practical solutions that strengthen food safety, consumer trust, and trade competitiveness.Contact Dr. Zaukuu (zaukuu.jz@knust.edu.gh or izaukuu@yahoo.com ) for further details or visit his Orcid profile: Orcid

Research Summary

(inferred from publications by AI)

The research focuses on advancing analytical techniques through advanced applications in food and plant materials. Utilizing near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, machine learning, and chemometric methods, the studies aim to enhance quality control, sensory analysis, and classification of foods and plants. This encompasses areas such as detecting adulterants, monitoring odors during fermentation, and assessing nutritional compositions using diverse analytical approaches like Vis-NIR, NIR-UV, and machine learning models.

Research Themes

All (65 Papers)

Physical Sciences (37 Papers)

Life Sciences (24 Papers)

Health Sciences (4 Papers)

All Papers

Historical Evolution and Food Control Achievements of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Electronic Nose, and Electronic Tongue—Critical Overview(2020)

Emerging trends of advanced sensor based instruments for meat, poultry and fish quality– a review(2019)

Authentication of Tokaj Wine (Hungaricum) with the Electronic Tongue and Near Infrared Spectroscopy(2019)

Factors Influencing the Long-Term Stability of Electronic Tongue and Application of Improved Drift Correction Methods(2020)

Electronic Nose for Monitoring Odor Changes of Lactobacillus Species during Milk Fermentation and Rapid Selection of Probiotic Candidates(2020)

Detection and Quantification of Tomato Paste Adulteration Using Conventional and Rapid Analytical Methods(2020)

Standardized Extraction Techniques for Meat Analysis with the Electronic Tongue: A Case Study of Poultry and Red Meat Adulteration(2021)

Electronic Tongue as a Correlative Technique for Modeling Cattle Meat Quality and Classification of Breeds(2021)

Standard Analytical Methods, Sensory Evaluation, NIRS and Electronic Tongue for Sensing Taste Attributes of Different Melon Varieties(2019)

Detecting the Bitterness of Milk-Protein-Derived Peptides Using an Electronic Tongue(2022)

Impacts of β-cyclodextrin bead polymer (BBP) treatment on the quality of red and white wines: Color, polyphenol content, and electronic tongue analysis(2023)

Prediction of main analytical and physical parameters of honey with electronic tongue(2017)

Detection Methods of Adulteration in Natural Foods(2024)

Application of electronic tongue and near infrared spectroscopy to detect adulteration of some foods with high economic value(2021)

Agricultural Potentials of Molecular Spectroscopy and Advances for Food Authentication: An Overview(2022)

An Overview of Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Its Applications in the Detection of Genetically Modified Organisms(2021)

Identification of Amaranthus Species Using Visible-Near-Infrared (Vis-NIR) Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Methods(2021)

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Aquaphotomics for Monitoring Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) Sprout Growth and Validation of Ascorbic Acid Content(2021)

Novel Detection Techniques for Shrimp Powder Adulteration Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy in Tandem Chemometric Tools and Multiple Spectral Preprocessing(2023)

Discrimination of Transgenic Canola (Brassica napus L.) and their Hybrids with B. rapa using Vis-NIR Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Methods(2021)

Non-destructive authentication of melon seed (Cucumeropsis mannii) powder using a pocket-sized near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer with multiple spectral preprocessing(2024)

Detection and quantification of groundnut oil adulteration with machine learning using a comparative approach with NIRS and UV–VIS(2024)

Vis-NIR Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Methods for the Discrimination of Transgenic Brassica napus L. and Their Hybrids with B. juncea(2022)

Rapid discrimination of Brassica napus varieties using visible and Near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy(2022)

Predictive techniques for authenticating and quantifying crude palm oil adulterated with leaf extract and food color − An ultra-violet visible spectrophotometric approach(2023)

Rapid and non-destructive detection of ponceau 4R red colored pork(2023)

Discrimination of Brassica juncea Varieties Using Visible Near-Infrared (Vis-NIR) Spectroscopy and Chemometrics Methods(2022)

Aquaphotomics based screening of tomato powder extracts reveals susceptibility to bulking and coloring agents(2023)

Authenticating peanut butter and yoghurt in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana using near infrared spectroscopy(2023)

Non-invasive prediction of maca powder adulteration using a pocket-sized spectrophotometer and machine learning techniques(2024)

Combining NIR spectroscopy with chemometrics for discriminating naturally ripened banana and calcium carbide ripened banana(2024)

Physico-chemical and chemometric analysis of milk chocolate sold in Ghana using NIR spectroscopy(2024)

Predicting aflatoxin contamination in white and yellow maize using Vis/NIR spectroscopy combined with PCA-LDA and PLSR models through aquaphotomics approaches(2025)

Classification of Bee Pollen and Prediction of Sensory and Colorimetric Attributes—A Sensometric Fusion Approach by e-Nose, e-Tongue and NIR(2020)

Detection of Low-Level Adulteration of Hungarian Honey Using near Infrared Spectroscopy(2023)

Classical and correlative analytical methods for origin identification of Hungarian honeys(2019)

Identification of Botanical and Geographical Origins of Honey-Based on Polyphenols(2020)

Effect of Heat Treatment on Chemical and Sensory Properties of Honeys(2017)

Detection of heat treatment of honey with near infrared spectroscopy(2019)

Analytical Methods for Nutritional Composition of Honey(2024)

Honey-Based Polyphenols: Extraction, Quantification, Bioavailability, and Biological Activities(2020)

Detecting Low Concentrations of Nitrogen-Based Adulterants in Whey Protein Powder Using Benchtop and Handheld NIR Spectrometers and the Feasibility of Scanning through Plastic Bag(2020)

Comparison of Multiple NIR Spectrometers for Detecting Low-Concentration Nitrogen-Based Adulteration in Protein Powders(2024)

Near infrared spectroscopy as a rapid method for detecting paprika powder adulteration with corn flour(2019)

Spectroscopy as a rapid detecting paprika powder adulteration(2019)

Quantification of multiple adulterants in beef protein powder by FT-NIR(2019)

Detection of Monilia Contamination in Plum and Plum Juice with NIR Spectroscopy and Electronic Tongue(2021)

Spectroscopic Methods for the Detection of Microbial Pathogens and Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases—An Updated Overview(2023)

Processing methods and microbial assessment of <i>pito</i> (an African indigenous beer), at selected production sites in Ghana(2016)

Detection of bissap calyces and bissap juices adulteration with sorghum leaves using NIR spectroscopy and VIS/NIR spectroscopy(2025)

NIRS and Aquaphotomics Trace Robusta-to-Arabica Ratio in Liquid Coffee Blends(2022)

Food quality attributes of melon (Cucumis melo L.) influenced by grafting(2020)

A Critical Overview of Common Foodborne Toxicants and Methods for Their Reliable Detection(2025)

Millets: Food Diversification and Processing Techniques(2024)

Glycemic Index of Root and Tuber Crops: Increasing Relevance in Diet(2024)

AfroPALM - Afrocentric palm oil adulteration learning models: An end-to-end deep learning approach for detection of palm oil adulteration(2024)

Monitoring Lactobacillus Bulgaricus Growth in Yoghurt by Electrical Impedance(2020)

Editorial: Advances in nutrition, food processing and monitoring(2023)

The Second Aquaphotomics European Conference(2020)

Assessment of Chocolate Retail in Ghana and Willingness to Use Cooling Devices(2023)

Assessment of chocolate retail in Ghana and willingness to use cooling devices(2024)

New Horizons for Millets: Food and Nutrition Security(2024)

Non-invasive discrimination of roasted and unroasted cocoa bean shell of cocoa clones in Ghana and quantification of nutritional and bioactive components: a chemometric approach(2024)

Correction: Physico-mechanical measurements, functional properties, proximate composition of newly developed climate-resilient cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) varieties and their classification with near-infrared spectroscopy(2025)

Chemical and physical characterization of 'egusi' melon seeds and prediction of fat content by NIR Spectroscopy(2025)

Collaboration Network

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Research Collaboration Map

Collaboration Frequency

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About This Profile

This profile is generated from publicly available publication metadata and is intended for research discovery purposes. Themes, summaries, and trajectories are inferred computationally and may not capture the full scope of the lecturer's work. For authoritative information, please refer to the official KNUST profile.