Personal profile

Academic Biography

Clarity Ropafadzo Mapengo is a Lecturer in Food Science & Technology. She holds a PhD in Food Science from the University of Pretoria (2020). Clarity joined the School of Health and Life Sciences in 2022. Prior to her appointment, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pretoria where she assisted in delivering Food Chemistry lectures (2020-2022). During her postdoctoral fellowship, she researched and published work relating to the manipulation of biopolymers using thermal technologies & green chemistry in order to develop low GI food and food ingredients.

Summary of Research Interests

  • Food innovation- Climate change & food systems
  • Cultural landscapes & consumer behaviour
  • Understanding interactions between food processing technologies & product/ingredient functionality
  • Natural polymers utilisation towards developing nano-therapies

Learning and Teaching Interests and Activities

Clarity is currently the module leader for Food Chain & composition as well as being part of the Biologics & Health product development + Food Product Development module teams. 

Enterprise Interest and Activities

Her Enterprise interests focus on designing innovate, feasible, impactful and commercially viable solutions to challenges in the food industry (from reducing food waste to value-addition). 

External Research Collaborations

External Roles and Professional Activities

Global Biotech Revolution (2024): Innovation ambassador

Global cultural relations programme (2023): Cultural relations platform

World Food Forum Young Scientist Group represantative (2022): Innovation & start-up challenges (World Food Forum + Xtreme Tech Challenge Launch)

Education/Academic qualification

PhD, Nutritional, Structural and functional properties of infrared heat-moisture treated maize starch and maize meal with added stearic acid, University of Pretoria

1 Feb 201830 Jul 2020

Award Date: 30 Sept 2020