Dr. Shai Barbut serves as a Professor Emeritus in Food Science at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Barbut's research can be characterized as both innovative and novel, given his approach to blending practical meat science with muscle's basic chemical and physical properties. He is adept at interfacing basic and applied research to solve problems and create new solutions to some of the most fundamental questions associated with meat as a food.

Barbut has led efforts resulting in a new poultry muscle grading scheme based on the meat's functional properties, which contrasts with the current system based on conformation and physical defects of the carcass. He also made valuable contributions to improving the control of microbiological issues of meat products using bioluminescent E. coli 0157:H7 to model food safety.