Ms. Leah Masakhwe Munyendo

Designation: Tutorial Fellow
Institute: Institute of Food Bioresources Technology
Department: Food Science & Technology
Email: leah.munyendo@dkut.ac.ke

Academic Qualifications

Qualification Institution Year
PhD. Food Science and Technology University of Hohenheim 2020 – To date
MSc. Food Science and Technology Dedan Kimathi University of Technology 2015 – 2017
BSc. Food Science and Technology Dedan Kimathi University of Technology 2011 – 2014

Professional qualification

  • Food Scientist.

Areas of Expertise

  • Coffee Technology (Coffee Processing and Quality Evaluation)
  • Food technology

Work experience

  • 2018 – To date: Tutorial fellow – Institute of Food Bioresources Technology, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.
  • 2016: Graduate assistant – Institute of Food Bioresources Technology, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.
  • 2015: Supervisor – Dormans Coffee Limited, 30147-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

Publications

  • Munyendo, L.; Njoroge, D.; Hitzmann, B. (2022). The Potential of Spectroscopic Techniques in Coffee Analysis—A Review. Processes, 10, 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10010071
  • Munyendo L.M, Njoroge D., Owaga E. and Mugendi B. (2021). Coffee phytochemicals and post-harvest handling—A complex and delicate balance. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 102, 103995.
  • Munyendo L.M, Koskei R., Mburu M. (2017) Moulds and Ochratoxin A associated with green coffee beans (Coffea arabica L.) processed by wet and dry methods: A case study of Nyeri County, IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT), vol 11 (6),66-72.

Papers presented in conferences

  • Munyendo L.M, Njoroge D., Owaga E. and Mugendi B. (2019), Functional characteristics and potential application of coffee phytochemicals. The 2nd Food Science & Technology Platform of Kenya Conference, 2nd to 4th October 2019, Nairobi – Kenya.
  • Munyendo L.M, Koskei .R and Mburu M. (2017). Moulds and Ochratoxin A associated with green coffee beans (Coffea arabica L.) Processed by dry and wet methods: A case study of Nyeri County. The 3rd DeKUT International Conference on Science ,Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 1st to 3rd November 2017, Nyeri – Kenya.

Awards and Scholarships

  • 2020 – DAAD scholarship for PhD study at University of Hohenheim, Germany.
  • 2015 – Sponsored by Dedan Kimathi University of Technology to undertake my MSc. study.

Research

  • On going (2020 – To date): University of Hohenheim – Research on development of rapid analytical methods for quality assessment of coffee using spectroscopy and chemometrics.
  • Completed research (2017): DeKUT – Conducted research on the safety of green coffee produced in Nyeri county.
  • Research funding (2017) – National research fund (NRF), Ksh. 435,350.

Research interests

  • Food processing and preservation
  • Coffee processing and quality assessment