IFT’s highest award is the Appert medal, first given by the Chicago Section in 1942. Writing in this magazine in 1952, Milton Parker suggested the impetus for the award came from Avrill Bitting, who, along with his wife, Katherine, was deeply involved in the development of the canning industry in early twentieth century America. While canning is commonplace today, for that generation of food technologists it was a paradigmatic example of the power of science to change food for the better. …
Former NIH researcher Kevin Hall argues that debates about ultra-processed foods are still missing the deeper mechanisms at play—and explains why asking better questions matters more than chasing tidy definitions.
In this column, the author discusses sun drying as a technique for processing fruit, using tomatoes as an example.
IFT calls for science-based definitions that focus on nutritional quality, not the degree of processing, to guide future food policy.
The authors detail the role of reusable packaging in relation to “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” describe how regulations encourage the use of reusable packaging, and define challenges associated with consumer-facing reusable packaging
IFT President Peggy Poole reflects on sustainability initiatives and the circular food system, including research by Michigan State faculty member Eva Almenar and work by the Global Food Traceability Center.