Publication
82
Open Access
6
Dr. Mukul Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Türkiye, with more than 10 years of experience in teaching, research, student supervision, and academic administration. His academic and research expertise spans Food Science, Food Technology, and Food Engineering, with particular emphasis on functional and nutraceutical foods, herbal formulations, bioactive compounds, extraction technologies, food waste valorization, algal applications, infant food products, extruded foods, functional beverages, sustainable food packaging, and value-added product development. I previously worked at Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India, and Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India, where he was involved in teaching, research, student supervision, and academic responsibilities. He has been recognized among the World’s Top 5% Scientists in the 2025 SciRank Global Registry, reflecting his research visibility and scholarly contributions at the international level.
Dr. Kumar earned his Ph.D. in Food Technology from Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India, where his doctoral research focused on the development of herbal anti-obesity formulations using Himalayan herbs. He also holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Food Technology. His academic training has been complemented by industrial exposure, including beer-production training at Carlsberg and bakery-production training at Kitty Pvt. Ltd., strengthening his understanding of industrial food-processing operations and practical product development.
His research focuses on developing health-oriented, functional, sustainable, and value-added food products and technologies through the integration of traditional food resources with modern scientific approaches. His research portfolio encompasses herbal formulations, functional and nutraceutical foods, bioactive extraction, functional beverages, innovative food processing, agricultural and food-processing by-product valorization, sustainable packaging, and circular food systems.
Dr. Kumar has established a strong scientific publication record with 82 Scopus-indexed publications, receiving more than 1,483 Scopus citations with an h-index of 15. His research has also received more than 2,163 citations on Google Scholar, with an h-index of 19. A significant component of Dr. Kumar’s academic career has been student research supervision and mentoring at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. He has guided more than 50 B.Tech. Food Technology, B.Sc. Agriculture under Experiential Learning Programmes (ELP), and Capstone Project-II students, and more than 60 M.Sc. Food Technology, and M.Tech. Food Technology students. At the doctoral level, he has guided 5 Ph.D. scholars in Food Technology, while 3 additional Ph.D. scholars are currently working under his supervision. His mentoring activities encompass research methodology, experimental design, product development, scientific writing, data interpretation, and the translation of research outcomes into practical applications.
Dr. Kumar has received recognition for his academic and research contributions through research publication awards and academic invitations, including service as a paper setter for CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya. He is also a Life Member of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) [AFST(I)].
Beyond teaching and research, Dr. Kumar has undertaken diverse academic, administrative, examination, and student-development responsibilities. His experience includes leadership roles in student welfare, extracurricular activities, sports and cultural coordination, and examination administration. He has also contributed to the organization of national and international conferences, scientific meetings, and academic events related to food science, agriculture, sustainability, and nutritional security.
Dr. Kumar is actively engaged in scientific publishing, editorial activities, and international peer review, contributing to journals across food science, food chemistry, nutrition, biotechnology, health sciences, and related interdisciplinary fields.
His broader research vision is centered on integrating food science, nutrition, sustainability, circular economy principles, and industrial applications. Through research on functional foods, bioactive ingredients, sustainable processing technologies, and the valorization of agricultural and food-processing by-products, he seeks to contribute to innovative and sustainable food systems addressing contemporary challenges in human health, nutrition, food security, waste reduction, and responsible resource utilization.