Main areas of work: Food biopreservation; chemistry and biochemistry of meat and aquaculture products; food toxicology.

Education: Veterinary Doctor and Animal Husbandry; Specialist in Aquaculture; M.Sc. and Ph.D. Food Science.

Research interests:

• Food biopreservation.
• Chemistry and biochemistry of meat and fish products.
• Food Toxicology.

Research groups

• Group leader: Food biopreservation.
• Food quality assurance and new product development.

Recent projects:

• Use of flavonoids in edible coatings for the preservation of aquaculture products (2016-2019).
• Use of a co-culture in the production of bacteriocins with potential application in food (2017-2018).
• Influence of the production system on the hygienic, sanitary and antibiotic residue quality of raw milk in Colombia (2016-2018).

Outstandings Publications:

• Piedrahíta Márquez, D. G., Fuenmayor, C. A., & Suarez Mahecha, H. (2019). Effect of chitosan‐propolis edible coatings on stability of refrigerated cachama (Piaractus brachypomus) vacuum‐packed fish fillets. Packaging Technology and Science, 32(3), 143-153.
• Sánchez, E. G. T., Fuenmayor, C. A., Mejía, S. M. V., Díaz-Moreno, C., & Mahecha, H. S. (2020). Effect of bee pollen extract as a source of natural carotenoids on the growth performance and pigmentation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquaculture, 514, 734490.
• Mejia, S. M., de Francisco, A., Barreto, P. L., Damian, C., Zibetti, A. W., Mahecha, H. S., & Bohrer, B. M. (2019). Incorporation of β-Glucans in Meat Emulsions through Modeling Systems. Meat and Muscle Biology, 2(2), 70.