Hayriye Cetin-Karaca, Ph.D.
Hayriye Cetin-Karaca, Ph.D., is a dedicated food scientist, engineer, and microbiologist based in Cincinnati, Ohio, whose work focuses on food safety and quality. With over 18 years of experience in the field, she has specialized in controlling foodborne pathogens, using natural bioactive compounds and high-pressure processing technologies to improve the safety and shelf life of high-risk foods. Her research has targeted critical areas such as Salmonella in chicken liver, Bacillus cereus and Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formulas, and the application of antimicrobial phenolic compounds in dairy products.
Dr. Cetin-Karaca has held key roles at Smithfield Foods, advancing from Research Scientist to Senior Research Scientist, and has also served on the USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), providing scientific guidance on national food safety standards. Her work has been recognized through multiple honors, including first place at the graduate student oral presentation competition at the International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, and she has published numerous studies on antimicrobial efficacy and food safety interventions.
Beyond her research, Hayriye is passionate about mentorship, teaching, and public engagement. She has instructed courses at the University of Kentucky and guided interns in experimental design and scientific research. Recognizing the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she emphasizes continuous personal and professional growth, advocating for self-investment and resilience to ensure one’s voice is heard. Her dedication extends to volunteer work in education and childhood cancer initiatives, reflecting her commitment to both science and community.
• Enhancing Your Productivity
• Public Speaking Fundamentals
• Negotiating Your Salary
• Communicating with Confidence
• Acing Your Interview
• Job Search Strategies
• Managing Your Time
• J.T. O'Donnell on Making Recruiters Come to You
• HACCP Certification
• Beef Safety 101
• Better Process Control School, Acidified Foods
• International Non-thermal Processing Workshop and Short Course
• University of Kentucky- Ph.D.
• University of Kentucky- Master's
• Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi- Bachelor's
• 1st place at the graduate student oral presentation competition, 59th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology (ICOMST)
• Feeding Tomorrow, IFT Graduate Scholarship recipient
• Food Engineers Honors Student Member Award
• Food Microbiology Division Poster Competition finalist, IFT Annual Meeting (5th place)
• Social Helping and Solidarity Foundation Scholarship
• American Meat Science Association
• International Association of Food Protection
• North American Meat Institute
• Gamma Sigma Delta, International Honor Society of Agriculture
• Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society, UK Chapter
• IFT-Institute of Food Technologists
• Author of the Turkish Food Section at Sun Express News
• Author of Food Science Section at Bonbon Kids Magazine
• Owner of the food blog “www.turkishfoodandrecipes.com”
• UK Food Science Club, Vice President
• UK International Student Council
• UK Turkish Student Association
• Kentucky State Fair
• UK Dance BLue
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to helping public health and nutrition, and to providing healthy and nutritious food to all populations. The most valuable thing for me is to be able to help public health and contribute to human nutrition as well. I see that in recent years, our diet has changed a lot and we've started consuming more processed foods and more convenient food. My passion is to help provide healthy and nutritious food to all populations, not just specific sections of the population, but to the entire population, so everyone can afford wholesome, healthy, and safe food.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to believe in myself and know that I'm capable. As long as I believe in myself and do my due diligence, there's nothing that I cannot achieve. Success comes with believing in myself and then working toward that goal. I learned not to let anyone else distract my mind, no matter what they say, and just focus on my goals. I believe in myself and then just do due diligence and work hard to achieve that.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be to invest in themselves. Don't get intimidated by different professional areas, especially those with male dominance, like the field I am in. Food manufacturing is maybe only 10% female, and that was something that I was intimidated by at the beginning of my career, but then I figured that this is not something that will create setbacks. As long as we feel like we are enough, actually, it's not we are enough, we are more than enough. We are capable, we are strong. I would say to young people entering their careers, invest in themselves. Don't get intimidated by the professionals, especially with the male co-workers or colleagues around them. Just get focused on their personal growth and development in the workplace and both in personal life. That's very important. When I first started my job, because of this male dominance, there were no mentors around to help me out, to get my voice heard, because I was young and I was a female in the field, so I struggled a lot. But once I noticed that I need to keep investing in myself, in personal growth and both personal and business growth and development, that helped me a lot. Keep focused, never stop, and never get intimidated.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field is navigating company approval processes, including legal clearance, and addressing employer unfamiliarity with new platforms and concerns about professionalism. A key opportunity is leveraging platforms like Influential Women to gain visibility and share that recognition, enhancing both personal and company reputations.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most valuable thing to me is to be able to help public health and to contribute to public health and also human nutrition as well. I see that in recent years, our diet has changed a lot. We've started consuming more processed foods, more convenient food. So my passion is to help provide healthy and nutritious food to all populations, not just specific sections of the population, but to the entire population, so everyone can afford wholesome, healthy, and safe food.