IFT WORLD

Two conferences will be held in conjunction with the 2007 IFT Annual Meeting & Food ExpoSM in Chicago, Ill.

Both will be held on August 1, 2007, and will provide attendees with the latest information on two important topics in the food industry: food defense and nanoscience.

• The Global Food Safety & Quality Conference will improve the understanding of how to evaluate public health consequences of product-agent scenarios associated with potential tampering and criminal, malicious, or terrorist activity. Attendees will participate in a demonstration of CARVER + Shock methodology, a tool to assess the vulnerability of the food system.

• The International Food Nanoscience Conference will present information about one of the most exciting research areas to emerge in recent decades. Speakers will discuss how the science is being applied in the design of high-performance packaging materials with lower oxygen and water permeability and higher mechanical strengths; creation of rapid detection methods and single-molecule sensors that detect changes in food quality and maintain food safety; development of processing technologies used in the production of nanoscalar sensors, packaging materials, and food ingredients; and more. Also, the potential risks associated with the application of nanotechnology in food will be addressed.

For more information and to register, visit www.ift.org/amfe.

Carver elected VP of RCA

Janet Carver was recently elected Vice President of the Research Chefs Association for the 2007–08 term.

Carver, Culinary Group Leader for National Starch Food Innovation, has also been appointed chair of the IFT/RCA Culinology® Demonstration Pavilion for the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, July 28–August 1, in Chicago, Ill.

Her responsibilities at RCA have included serving on the Education Committee as a Continuing Education Instructor and teaching basic carbohydrate science to chefs and teach-assisting basic culinary classes to food scientists.

She is a Member of IFT.

IFT hosts Webcasts

IFT’s Knowledge & Learning Center will host an educational Webcast, "Botanicals in Energy-fueling Foods: A View into the Science Behind the Claims," on May 23, 2007, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Central Time.

The Webcast will discuss the use of botanicals as functional foods, especially in so-called energy-fueling foods, and the science that supports these claims. Participants will learn about the Food and Drug Administration’s perspective; the need to fulfill the consumer’s desire to have products available to help them live a healthy lifestyle; and the current research in botanical authentication.

Another Webcast, entitled "The Quest to Define and Develop Gluten Free," will be held on June 28, 2007.

For more information about these sessions and to register, visit www.ift.org/knowledge.

Larkin receives Tung Award

John Larkin has won the 2007 Marvin A. Tung Achievement Award from the Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists. The award recognizes "academic, regulatory, or industrial achievement in the areas of preservation and packaging of foods."

Larkin, Branch Chief, Food and Drug Administration, is a Professional Member of IFT.