Food for life: Cultivating, sustaining and transforming

Food for life: Cultivating, sustaining and transforming

An illustration of various produce and food products as well as how they're grown, delivered, sold and served.

This publication is made possible, in part, with the support of the Research Support Fund.

Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation

At Toronto Metropolitan University, our researchers are curious about food. Their curiosity is cultivating positive change and serving up innovative solutions.

Steven N. Liss, PhD

Vice-President, Research and Innovation

Meet the Expert

A graphic image of an aphid, half of which is pixelated while the other half is clear.

Designing robots to keep crops safe

Insect infestations can severely damage or even destroy crops. Faculty of Science professor Guanghui (Richard) Wang and his collaborators are prototyping an easier way to detect and fight invasive insects: a small robot.

360 Degrees

An illustrated graphic shows hands grasping an orange takeout bag in front of a cell phone screen showing a food delivery app.

Regulating food safety in an age of online take-out

Thanks to online food ordering apps and delivery services, customers can order meals on demand with just a few clicks. But what else should you know about where your delivered food comes from?

A collage shows historic views of the brick exterior of the St. Lawrence Market, people browsing wares in the interior, brightly coloured fruit and a red tomato

The evolution of the St. Lawrence market and its role in public health

Architectural science professor Leila Marie Farah at TMU explores Toronto’s historic St. Lawrence Market and its role at the intersection of civic life and public health, including food safety.

Intersection: Migration

A grocery aisle shows a variety of international goods.

How access to cultural foods can help people feel more at home

Moving to a new home can be an exciting adventure, but sometimes, people need the comfort of the familiar. TMU professor Zhixi Zhuang researched the importance of culturally familiar restaurants and grocery stores for people moving to Canada.

Farm workers pick strawberries in a field.

Improving working conditions for essential migrant farm workers

Led by TMU researchers, the Fair Farm Work project is an initiative focusing on improving living and working conditions for farm workers, examining agri-food systems, migrant labour and exploitation around the world.

Culture

A graphic showing a collection of food and emotion emojis.

Mindsets matter: Click-worthy foods on social media

When viewing food posts on social media, do you find yourself clicking on sweet treats and salty snacks instead of vegetable-based dishes? If so, you're not alone, according to research by TMU marketing professor Matthew Philp.

Idea to Innovation

An amber fluid is in a beaker and a drinking glass.

Entrepreneurial spirits: Innovating alcohol production with a splash of organic chemistry

Organic chemistry and the maturation of alcoholic spirits are a perfect pairing for a TMU researcher and an alumni who launched a company based on their joint research.

Alumni Spotlight

Karon Liu in a white t-shirt, blue striped apron smiling while holding a plate of food which includes pineapples, red cherries and eggs.

Food beat: Q&A with journalism alum Karon Liu

Karon Liu has been a Toronto-based food reporter for more than a decade, from testing recipes to writing about the impacts of the pandemic on the food industry.