Chef Hunter: Bringing Flavor to the Masses; Salt in Vegetable Fermentation; Meet John Bridges

Andrew Hunter: Bringing Flavor to the Masses
In this new series—Culinary Point of View—Food Technology Senior Digital Editor Kelly Hensel interviews a different chef every month. This month, Hensel talked with Andrew Hunter, Research & Development Chef, who has worked with Wolfgang Puck developing menu items and currently stars on Lifetime television’s new reality cooking show. As an R&D chef, Hunter thrives on the challenge of translating high-end culinary dishes and concepts into affordable food for the masses. His mantra: “Flavor doesn’t have to be expensive.” Check out the synopsis of the interview in this issue, and the full interview online today.

Salt in Vegetable Fermentation
NaCl is a widely used chemical in food processing which affects sensory characteristics and safety; in fact, its presence is frequently essential for the proper preservation of the products. Because the intake of high contents of sodium is linked to adverse effects on human health, consumers demand foods with low-sodium content. However, prior to any food reformulation, there is a need for exhaustive research before its application at industrial level. Salt reduction may lead to an increased risk in the survival/growth of pathogens and may also alter food flavor and cause economic losses. A review published in the Journal of Food Science examines the technological, microbiological, sensorial, and health aspects of the potential low-salt and salt-substituted vegetable products and how this important segment of the food industry is responding to consumer demand.

Face-to-Face: Meet John Bridges
In this month’s Face-to-Face series, we will be introducing you to John Bridges, Senior Sensory Scientist at Tate & Lyle. Beginning his career in QC at Frito-Lay, today Bridges conducts sensory panels for products at Tate & Lyle. This job requires lots of problem solving and data analysis, both of which Bridges loves. The hardest part? Communicating all that great, valuable data to teammates in a non-technical manner. Read the Face-to- Face interview with John Bridges to find out which sensory evaluation methods he prefers and where he sees the global industry headed.

Storytelling for scientists
During its 2013 Annual Meeting & Food Expo, IFT kicked off the Lead360 program, a global leadership development experience created for emerging food science professionals. One of the themes that emerged from the conversations was the need for effective communication, sharing with others what food scientists do and how they can contribute to society. Seth Kahan, Executive Strategy Consultant, took part in the program and in the new ePerspective post explains how storytelling can be a communication solution. Kahan shares five lessons on how to use storytelling to effectively communicate. Everyone can certainly learn from Kahan’s storytelling tips, but especially food industry professionals who are tasked with communicating more openly with a public audience that has become critical of it. What do you think of Kahan’s suggestions? Do you have any other ideas on how to best communicate about food science? Share your thoughts by commenting on Kahan’s ePerspective post.

Kelly Hensel
Senior Digital Editor
[email protected]