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Hirut Assaye Cherie
Academic Rank
Associate Professor of Food Science and Nutrition

Hirut Assaye, PhD

Associate Professor in Food Science and Nutrition

Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology

Email: hirutas2000@gmail.com, Hirut.Assaye@bdu.edu.et

  • Office: Ghion Building, Room 217
  • ORCID ID:0000-0003-3560-4552

Biography

Dr. Hirut Assaye is an Associate Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Her research focuses on improving the nutritional quality of Ethiopian foods, food fermentation, micronutrient bioavailability, maternal and child nutrition, and sustainable food systems. She has led and collaborated on international research projects with partners from the UK, Spain, Japan, and other countries. Through research, teaching, and community engagement, she works to advance food and nutrition security in Ethiopia.

Educational Background

  • PhD in Food Science and Nutrition – Addis Ababa University
  • MSc in Biology (Applied Microbiology)  – Addis Ababa University
  • BSc in Biology – Bahir Dar University

Core Expertise & Research Interests

  • Food Analysis
  • Food Safety
  • Food Microbiology
  • Human Nutrition 

Key Publications

  1. Helen Walle Endalew, Minaleshewa Atlabachew, Lara Allen, Howard Griffiths, Jane L. Ward, Peter R. Shewry, Mohamad Farshard Aslam, Tadesse Fenta Yehuala, Mesfin Wogahyehu Tenagashaw, Metadel Kassahun Abera, Hirut Assaye Cherie (2025). Fermentation kinetics of finger millet-based Injera dough recipes: Implications for raffinose hydrolysis, amino acid content and other metabolites, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 148 (4): 108526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2025.108526.
  2. Bedada, T.L., Tigu, F., Birri, D.J., Desalegn, A., Peñas, E., Amare, E., Bai, F.Y., Martínez-Villaluenga, C., Frias, J., Assaye, H. and Curiel, J.A., 2025. Unraveling the probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts isolated from plant-based Ethiopian fermented foods and beverages. Journal of Food Science and Technology, pp.1-13.
  3. Yehuala, T. F., Atlabachew, M., Aslam, M. F., Allen, L., Griffith, H., Ward, J. L., Shewry, P. R., Kanellou, A., Gichohi-Wainaina, W., Endalew, H. W., Abera, M. K., Tenagashaw, M. W., Gessesse, G. D., & Hirut .A.C. (2025). Fermentation Kinetics and Changes in Levels of Antinutrients in Pearl Millet and Pearl Millet-Maize Composite Dough Recipes Used to Prepare Injera. Food Science & Nutrition, 13(7), e70598.  https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70598
  4.  Yehuala, T. F., Atlabachew, M., Karavoltsos, S., Sakellari, A., Aslam, M. F., Allen, L., Griffiths, H., Kanellou, A., Zoumpoulakis, P., Gichohi-Wainainah, W., Endalew, H. W., Abera, M. K., Tenagashaw, M. W., Gessesse, G. D., & Hirut.A.C. (2025). Effect of fermentation on the proximate composition, antinutrients, bioaccessibility of minerals, and sensory quality of pearl millet-based Injera. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, vvaf132. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijfood/vvaf132
  5. Yehuala, T. F., Gizaw, A. M., Abera, M. K.,   Hirut A.C,  Atlabachew, M.,  Mekonnen,T.N., Gessesse, G. D., Gichohi-Wainainah, W. (2025). Process optimization and quality evaluation of pearl millet and wheat composite flour bread. Sustainable Development Research in Green Infrastructure, Water Resources, Manufacturing, and Process Engineering: Advancements of Science and Technology (pp. 229-252). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-87352-2_12
  6. Bedada, T.L., Martínez-Villaluenga, C., Amare, E., Birri, D.J., Desalegen, A., Tigu, F., Frias, J., Curiel, J.A., Assaye, H. and Peñas, E.(2025). Unveiling the nutritional composition and bioactivity of Ethiopian native fermented foods: Kocho and Injera. Food Chemistry, 474, p.143158.
  7. Bedada, T.L., Martínez-Villaluenga, C., Amare, E., Birri, D.J., Desalegn, A., Tigu, F., Frias, J., Curiel, J.A., Assaye, H., Tessema, M. and Peñas, E., 2025. Delving into the nutritional and bioactive profiles of Cheka and Borde: Traditional Ethiopian fermented beverages. Food Chemistry: X, p.102817.
  8. Helen Walle Endalew, Minaleshewa Atlabachew, Sotirios Karavoltsos , Aikaterini Sakellari, Mohamad Farshard Aslam, Lara Allen, Howard Griffiths, Panagiotis Zoumpoulakis, Anastasia Kanellou , Tadesse Fenta Yehuala , Metadel Kassahun Abera , Mesfin Wogahyehu Tenagashaw, Hirut Assaye Cherie (2024). Effect of fermentation on nutrient composition, antinutrients, and mineral bioaccessibility of finger millet based Injera: A traditional Ethiopian food. Food Research International, 190: 114635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.  
  9. Zelalem Aneley, Hirut Assaye , Habitamu Mekonen , Yenewa Bewket , Embet Lake  and Andualem Fentahun (2024).  Breakfast consumption and associated factors and barriers among school-aged children. Front. Nutr. 11:1423301.doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1423301.
  10. Eskindir E. Tadesse; Hirut Assaye; Mulugeta A. Delele; Solomon W. Fanta; Dawit F. Huluka; Melkamu Alemayehu; Getachew Alemayehu; Enyew Adgo (2022). Assessing tomato postharvest loss through the supply chain using load tracking technique in Northwest Ethiopia.  International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation (IJPTI): 8: 4
  11. Zewdie TA, Delele MA, Fanta SW, Vanierschot M, Alemayehu M, Alemayehu G, Adgo E, Hirut A, Verboven P and Nicolai BM (2022). Design and evaluation of a prototype solar energy driven onion curing system using CFD modeling. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 6:1030915. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.1030915
  12. Eskindir E. Tadesse1, Hirut Assaye, Mulugeta A. Delele, Solomon W. Fanta,Dawit F. Huluka, Melkamu Alemayehu, Getachew Alemayehu, Enyew Adgo,Jan Nyssen, Pieter Verboven, and Bart M. Nicolai (2021).  Quantitative Postharvest Loss Assessment of Tomato Along the Postharvest Supply Chain in Northwestern Ethiopia. M. A. Delele et al. (Eds.): ICAST 2020, LNICST 384, pp. 110–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80621-7_8
  13. Awel Seid, Hirut Assaye Cherie (2022). Dietary diversity, nutritional status and associated factors among lactating mothers visiting government health facilities at Dessie town, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Plos One 17(2). 
  14. Fentanesh Nibret Tiruneh , Mesfin Wogayehu Tenagashaw   , Degnet Teferi Asres   , Hirut Assaye Cherie (2021). Associations of early marriage and early childbearing with anemia among adolescent girls in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of nationwide survey. Arch Public Healt. Jun 3; 79(1):91.doi: 10.1186/s13690-021-00610-7.
  15. Fentanesh Nibret Tiruneh , Mesfin Wogayehu Tenagashaw  , Degnet Teferi Asres   , Hirut Assaye Cherie ( 2021). Decision-making autonomy of women and other factors of anemia among married women in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of a countrywide survey. BMC Public Health 21, 1497. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11538-6
  16. Fanta Marga, Hirut Assaye (2020). Magnitude and determinants of appropriate complementary feeding practice among mothers of children age 6–23 months in Western Ethiopia. PLOS ONE 15(12): e0244277. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0244277 
  17.  Kenji Tanaka, Masatoshi Kishi, Hirut Assaye , Tatsuki Toda (2020).   Low temperatures in dark period affect biomass productivity of a cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis.Algal Research 52 (2020) 102132.       https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2020.102132. 
  18.  Randa Darwish, Mohamed A. Gedi, Patchaniya Eakpetch, Hirut Assaye, Abdelrahman S. Zaky, David A. Gray ( 2020). Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Is a Potential Food Supplement with the Capacity to Outperform Chlorella and Spirulina.  Appl. Sci.10(19): 6736; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10196736 
  19. Hirut Assaye., Belay, A., Desse, G. Gray, D. (2018).  Seasonal variation in the nutrient profile of Arthrospira      fusiformis biomass harvested from an Ethiopian soda lake, Lake Chitu.  Journal of applied phycology 30 (3): 1597-1606. 
  20. Tadesse Kebebe and Hirut Assaye (2017). Intention, magnitude and factors associated with bottle feeding among mothers of 0–23 months old children in Holeta town, Central Ethiopia: a cross sectional study. BMC Nutrition 3:53 
  21. Nigistie Ejigu,Baye Sitotaw , Solomon Girmay, and Hirut Assaye ( 2022). Evaluation of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Production Using Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Biomass Supplemented with Agricultural Wastes. Int J Food Sci. 2022:9289043. 
  22. Nelzo C Ereful, Huw Jones, Nick Fradgley, Lesley Boyd, Hirut Assaye Cherie, Matthew J Milner (2022). Nutritional and Genetic Variation in a Core Set of Ethiopian Tef (Eragrostis tef) Varieties. BMC Plant Biology 22(220).
  23. Hirut Assaye and Ashenafi, Mogessie (2014). Microbiological profile of retail sliced dry sausages in Ethiopia. International Food Research Journal 21(6): 2473-2479. 
  24. Hirut Assaye and Mogessie Ashenafi (2010). The microbiological quality and safety of locally-produced commercial sausages in Ethiopia. Achieving Sustainable Development in Africa 1: 172-185

Projects

1. Response of Teff for Zinc fertilization: Collaborative project with National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK. Project lead (Ethiopian side). Funded by ALBORADA research fund, UK.

2. MillNET_i: Millets and Nutritional Enhancement Traits for Iron bioavailability. Large grant.  Project lead (Ethiopian side).   Collaboration project with Cambridge University: Funder: BBSRC Bioscience for the future. 

3. Towards elucidating the nutritional and bioactive potential of traditional plant-based fermented food products from Ethiopia: Collaborative project with The Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), CSIC, Spain.  Project member

4. Postharvest and food processing in Northwest Ethiopia (VLIR-IOS- Bahir Dar University- project): Project member

Teaching & Academic Duties

  • Postgraduate Courses: Macronutrients and Micronutrients (AHuN 513), Nutrition in Emergency(AHuN 528), Maternal, Infant and Child Nutrition  (AHuN 526)