IFT announces Leadership Election candidates; Deadline for IFT Fellows

Harrison receives award from APLU
Judy Harrison, professor in the Department of Foods & Nutrition at the University of Georgia, was honored by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Board of Human Sciences (BoHS) with the 2018 Outstanding Engagement Award. The award recognizes a campus-based or state-level faculty member with exceptional creativity and scholarship in the development, application, and evaluation of outreach, extension, and public service programs.

Harrison was among a group of four outstanding individuals recognized by the APLU. A member of IFT, she has been instrumental in developing food safety education for childcare providers, school nutrition personnel, farmers, and youth and adult audiences. A curriculum she helped to develop for a youth food safety education program is used not only in Georgia but across the country and internationally. In addition, the USDA’s Food Safety Discovery Zone, which travels to schools and fairs to educate children on food safety, uses her work as part of its program.

The annual BoHS awards, which are presented to national leaders working to advance human sciences in higher education, aim to support the development and stewardship of academic excellence in human sciences; advocate for visibility and the leveraging of resources to support human sciences research, extension, and teaching programs; and educate leaders regarding the capacity of the human sciences to solve human problems. The awards are also part of the broader BoHS mission of promoting the intellectual integrity and stature of the human sciences at APLU-member institutions.

IFT announces Leadership Election candidates
IFT is pleased to announce the launch next month of the 2019 IFT Leadership Election. The slate of candidates comprises the following talented individuals, each of whom offers a breadth of knowledge:

Candidates for President-Elect
• Noel Anderson, managing partner, Mosaic Food Advisors, United States

• Chris Findlay, chairman, Compusense, Canada

Candidates for the Board of Directors
• Adelia Bovell-Benjamin, professor, Tuskegee University, United States

• Bruce Ferree, senior food scientist, Insight Food Safety Consulting, United States

• Mario Ferruzzi, professor, food science and nutrition, North Carolina State University, United States

• Sanjay Gummalla, vice president scientific and regulatory affairs, American Frozen Food Institute, United States

• Sean Leighton, global vice president, food safety, quality & regulatory affairs, Cargill, United States

• Brendan Niemira, research leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, United States

• Gunnar Sigge, head of department and associate professor, food science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

• Yanyun Zhao, professor, food science and technology, and associate dean of graduate school, Oregon State University, United States

During the election period, which will take place from February 1 to March 4, IFT’s voting membership will elect one member for president-elect and four members for the board of directors. Information on how to cast your vote will be emailed on February 1. Please forward any questions about the slate, petition process, or the online election to Anna Desai, staff liaison to the Nominations & Elections Committee, at [email protected].

Nomination deadline for IFT Fellows
The IFT Fellow designation is an honor bestowed upon IFT members by their peers, recognizing exemplary achievement in the field of food science. The honor is given based on peer recommendations that take into account nominees’ accomplishments in the areas of scholarly advancement, service to the food science and technology profession, inspiration of others to excel in the food science and technology field, primary responsibility for the success of a new food product, and/or improvement of the human condition via food science and technology.

If you haven’t already done so, you still have time to nominate a colleague to become a 2019 IFT Fellow. Nominations must be received by February 1, and the 2019 IFT Class of Fellows will be recognized at the IFT19 Awards Celebration in New Orleans.

Short course covers food laws and regulations
Among the in-person short courses IFT will hold during 2019 is “Food Laws & Regulations,” which will take place on March 27–28. The course provides participants with a road map of the food regulatory landscape, including hands-on, activity-based learning exercises that will help identify key resources.

Expert practitioners in legal requirements and policy expectations will explore and discuss policy through carefully chosen case studies, emphasizing the real-world implications of policy. The instructors will help participants pinpoint best practices, including discussing techniques to leverage rules for new opportunities and innovation. The course will be capped with a digital online tour of the agencies that impact food regulations and an interactive look at the resources that guide their application. Course content will cover a variety of food types relevant to many jobs and levels within the industry.

For more information, click here.

Feeding Tomorrow scholarships open
Applications are now being accepted for the 2019 Feeding Tomorrow Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarships. The scholarships are open to student members pursuing degrees in food science who meet certain eligibility requirements. Applications for Freshman Scholarships will open February 1 and close May 30. Applications for Under-graduate and Graduate Scholarships are already open and will close on February 28.

For more details and to apply, click here. For general or program assistance, email Jaime Gutshall ([email protected]). For help navigating the application site or completing an application, email [email protected].

Puerto Rico Chapter of IFTSA holds competition
The 13th New Product Development Competition, sponsored by the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) was recently held at the Mayagüez University Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, where students who were enrolled in Food Processing, Milk and Its Products, and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables courses competed for honors.

“The competition is created with the purpose of promoting innovative thinking and applying the concepts that are taught in the classes,” says Valerie Gonzalez Perez, president of the chapter. “Students develop a new, nutritious product to exhibit, and a panel of experienced judges from industry and academia evaluates them.”

The winning entry in the Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables category was Sweetnies, a biscuit made with peanut butter and mashed sweet potato puree and flavored with cinnamon, vanilla extract, and non-caloric sweetener. It was created by Francisco Negrón, Brian Arce, and Daiza Méndez.

Top honors in the Milk and Its Products category went to Tropigals, a piña colada-flavored popsicle made with frozen yogurt and activated charcoal. The tasty treat was created by Gabriela Adorno Mercado, Gloriáliz G. Santiago Pérez, and Zenaida María Ortiz Ortiz.

First place in the Food Processing category went to Luca’s Yuca Pizza, which was made from cassava flour, one of the foods consumed by the first inhabitants of the island Los Taínos. Nixzaliz Lamberty and Josseant Flores Cruz were the students who developed the concept and created the recipe.

Perez emphasizes the value the competition brings to students of food science. “This activity is an ideal platform for students to interact with people from industry and academia outside of what is in the classroom,” she says. “Let’s get out of that ‘comfort zone’ and put into practice what creativity is.”

Feb. 12: Suppliers Night. Orlando, Fla. Click here.

Puget Sound
Feb. 26: Suppliers’ Night and Symposium. Seattle, Wash. Click here.

South Eastern
Feb. 5: Suppliers’ Night. Atlanta, Ga. Click here.

Southern California
Jan. 16: Dinner Meeting. Los Angeles, Calif. Click here.

March 6: Suppliers’ Night. Anaheim, Calif. Click here.

In Memoriam
IFT notes the passing of the following member: Cameron Luther

Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email [email protected].