The Top 10 Breakthroughs in Food Science in the Past 75 Years

A scientific breakthrough is defined as a significant, sometimes sudden discovery or development that results in the removal of a barrier to progress. In recognition of the 75th anniversary of IFT’s annual food expo and scientific and applied sessions, I have compiled a list of the top 10 food science breakthroughs. Others might come up with a very different list, but this is my list, so here they are in more or less chronological order. It is interesting to note the incredible productivity of the 1940s and ‘50s, and even ‘60s. Does it simply take a long time to recognize some breakthroughs, or are the barriers to innovation increasing?

1. Controlled atmosphere storage and packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables. Robert Smock at Cornell University is credited with bringing controlled atmosphere storage technology to the United States and was the first to use the term “controlled atmosphere storage” in 1941. With help from Smock, the first commercial facility for the storage of apples was opened in New York state. Thanks to controlled atmosphere storage and—more recently—packaging, fresh fruits and vegetables are now available throughout the year.

2. The ‘Green Revolution’ in agriculture. In 1944 just two years after completing his PhD at the University of Minnesota, Norman Borlaug was invited to direct the wheat improvement program in Mexico. Over a period of 20 years, he was successful in developing high-yielding, short-stature disease-resistant varieties of wheat. This technology soon spread to India and Pakistan, and eventually led to great improvements in crop yield. It is said that Borlaug saved a billion people from starvation, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

3. Microwave ovens. Percy Spencer developed and patented the first use of high-powered microwave beams for heating food in 1945 (based on radar technology) while working for the Raytheon Corp. In 1947 Raytheon sold the first Radarange, and in 1967 Amana Corp. sold the first countertop microwave oven. By 1997 more than 90% of all American households owned a microwave oven, proving that convenience had become a top priority in the modern home.

4. Application of modern analytical methods to food science. Rapid developments in electronics in the 1950s led to the creation of new analytical instrumentation, such as the gas chromatograph first described by Archer Martin and A. T. James in 1952. A progression of advanced instrumentation such as FTIR, NMR, HPLC, and mass spectroscopy soon followed. Modern analytical methods have unlocked the secrets of food at the molecular level, paving the way for new food products and packaging.

5. Food irradiation. Although ionizing radiation to kill bacteria in food was patented in 1905, the formation of the National Food Irradiation Program by the U.S. government in 1953 started implementation. Initially there was great hope that food irradiation would be the solution for ensuring food safety. But public concerns, science illiteracy, high costs, and poor marketing prevented the promise from being realized. Even great breakthroughs can fail to remove all barriers.

6. Bulk aseptic packaging, storage, and transportation. Henry Holsman and Lindley Potts obtained the first patent in 1954 using pre-sterilized plastic bags within metal drums to aseptically package food in bulk. With the pioneering work of Philip Nelson at Purdue University beginning in the 1960s, bulk aseptic packaging and storage has revolutionized global food trade.

7. Food applications of plant proteins. Food-grade soy protein isolate was first produced in the United States in 1959 by Central Soya Company. A number of plant proteins now offer an alternative to animal protein and a potential solution for many of the problems of sustainable agriculture.

8. Mechanically deboned chicken. Robert Baker of Cornell University, also known as “nugget man,” changed the way we eat chicken when he published his recipe for chicken nuggets in 1963. Professor Baker developed machines for deboning chicken, which allowed the paste to be formed into a variety of shapes at low cost. In 1980 McDonald’s launched Chicken McNuggets. In 1992 the consumption of chicken surpassed beef, and the rest is history.

9. The alliance between food and health. Ancel Keyes’ Seven Countries Study on the relationship of saturated fat and heart disease launched in 1955 awakened the world to the relationship between food and health. Following the study’s publication in 1970, the public’s awareness of food and health has changed dramatically. Take just one example: how gut bacteria, metabolizing the food we do not digest, affect our health, including the ever growing epidemic of obesity. The future of human health is linked to food.

10. Genetically modified food. The first transgenic tomato was sold in the United States in 1994. This was soon followed by the sale of Roundup Ready soybean seed in 1996. Genetically modified crops offer great promise for supplying the growing food needs of both developed and developing nations. Hopefully this technology will not suffer the same fate as food irradiation.

Guy Crosby, PhD, CFS, a professional member of IFT, is Science
Editor, America’s Test Kitchen, and Adjunct Associate Professor,
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health ([email protected]).