FONA announces promotions; Getting to know Kumar Mallikarjunan

News about IFT members and events

Margaret Malochleb

Food Technology Magazine

FONA announces promotions

FONA International, developer and manufacturer of complete flavor solutions, has announced the promotion of four employees, all of whom are IFT members.

Rebecca Wagner has been appointed vice president of growth platforms. A FONA employee since 2006, she will continue to build customer loyalty, leading tolling and driving growth for the company’s high tech solutions such as TrueTaste.

John Fishel has been appointed vice president of beverage. Fishel, an employee since 2008, will have direct responsibility for the company’s Beverage Solutions Manager as well as the beverage flavor creation and marketing teams.

Additionally, Jason Mittelheuser has been promoted to solutions manager for the Beverage Business Unit, where he will lead the applications team. Julie Laughter has been promoted to senior market manager and will collaborate closely with business unit leaders and focus on business strategy, sales enablement and effectiveness, and marketing and pricing.

Sadowsky launches new venture

IFT member Maggie Sadowsky recently launched 8 Track Foods, an organic canned bean company offering classic black beans, blonde chickpeas, and dark red kidney beans. Sadowsky previously founded The Culinary Architects, a firm specializing in food product design. A Certified Food Scientist with a BS in food science from The Ohio State University, Sadowsky has had a hand in many successful product launches during her 20 years in the food industry.

Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email mmalochleb@ift.org.

Getting to Know Kumar Mallikarjunan

Each month, we meet one of IFT’s valued volunteers.

“It is critical that we provide an open-ended platform for graduate and undergraduate students to question the status quo and investigate the science of food in a healthy research environment,” reflects Kumar Mallikarjunan, professor in the Food Science and Nutrition department at the University of Minnesota.

A recipient of the Bor S. Luh International Award from IFT, Mallikarjunan currently serves as president of IFT’s Minnesota Section, an experience he describes as “rich and unique.” During his career, which spans more than 25 years, he has contributed significantly to the field of food science and technology through research, teaching, and volunteer efforts with IFT. As the former chair of the Food Engineering Division and the Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Division, he says his role afforded him “many meaningful and impactful experiences, especially in planning sessions, symposiums, and workshops that were appreciated by the members.”

Volunteering is one of the best ways to create a sense of community, and Mallikarjunan’s efforts on IFT’s behalf have reinforced the value of a community approach to problem-solving. “Without the food science community (and all the members), the field would not have progressed to the stage we are in today,” he says. “I feel that being part of this community has made me realize the potential for collaborative work in addressing the need to feed the world through the science of food. I have had the opportunity to work with food chemists, sensory scientists, food microbiologists, and technologists in solving food security, and I dedicate all my awards and recognitions to the IFT community that I belong to.”

One of the major issues currently on the minds of those in the science of food community is the importance of food safety, especially in light of the pandemic. “The food industry has arisen to the occasion in meeting the demands of food supply and adjusting to the needs of social distancing required,” observes Mallikarjunan. “I feel confident that these changes have strengthened the food industry’s resolve for a safer product and safety for workers in the food plants.”

In the longer term, he sees the ramifications arising from COVID-19 affecting the movement of goods through the food value chain, “especially in the foodservice industry and local retail markets, and subsequently to the food industry,” he notes. “With gradual flattening of the curve through social distancing measures, discovery of vaccines and treatments, I hope we will rebound in the near future. In addition, this crisis may also introduce opportunities for functional foods and bioactive compounds that boost immune systems and help alleviate the symptoms from the respiratory virus infections.”