Liming Cai, Ph.D., has been promoted to the role of principal scientist at MGP. His primary responsibilities include providing research, applications and technical support to grow and enhance the company’s portfolio of specialty starches and proteins that address increased demand for clean label, healthy and functional food products. The position also involves assisting in the development of operational process and system improvements related to ingredients production.

“Dr. Cai’s talent and competencies as a food scientist have shined during his nearly five years of employment at MGP,” said Ody Maningat, Ph.D., vice president of ingredients R&D and chief science officer. “He has a very strong fundamental science background that greatly complements our value-addition research initiatives. In his new role, he will perform an even more vital role in providing technical support to our sales team, as well as our domestic and international customers.”

An accomplished food and grain science expert, Dr. Cai joined MGP in the role of applications scientist in 2013. He previously had served as a post-doctoral research associate in cereal chemistry at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. He began in that position in January 2012 after spending over four years as a graduate research assistant in carbohydrate chemistry in the Department of Grain Science and Industry at Kansas State University, Manhattan.

A native of Putian, Fujian, China, Dr. Cai received a bachelor’s degree from Wuhan (China) Polytechnic University in 2004. He earned a master’s degree in food science from South China University of Technology in 2007 and his doctorate in grain science from Kansas State University in 2011.

Over two dozen scientific research publications and presentations have been authored and co-authored by Dr. Cai. He additionally has presented research data at various food industry conferences and seminars and provided independent analytical services and technical support for a number of major food product manufacturers.

Dr. Cai has served as assistant editor of Food Science, Versita Open Access Books (2012-2013), and has been a guest editor of the Journal of Chemistry (2016) and a member of the editorial board of Food Research International since 2015. He is a member of the American Association of Cereal Chemists International and the Institute of Food Technologists. Among honors Dr. Cai has received are the National Starch Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Student Award (2010) and the Ming-Long/Paul Seib Graduate Achievement Award (2009), both from the Kansas State University Grain Science and Industry Department, and the Outstanding Poster Award in Cereal Chemistry (2008) from the Corn Refiners Association.