IFT WORLD
Beverley J. Kroll presented the Chicago Section’s Tanner Lecture on May 8. The topic was "The Principles & Ethics of Sensory Research."
"Ours is a relatively young science, and maybe it is time to make a few course adjustments on where it is going," she said. "That is, we need to review the code of principles by which the science and the industry operated. Our purpose will be to start a dialogue on what principles should guide industry practices." Kroll is the active principal and CEO of Peryam & Kroll Research Corp., the country’s largest independent consumer testing company, which she co-founded in 1957.
A trained behavioral scientist with vast experience in marketing and sensory research, Kroll is recognized as a pioneer in the field of consumer sensory testing and created a science on which today’s food, beverage, flavor, personal care, and fragrance companies are dependent. She helped to develop and create the standards, parameters, and operational controls of sensory research in food products as we know them today.
During her professional career, she has worked to increase the rigor of controls in her field. For example, she developed clear and specific procedures for thresholds of testing standards that allow scientists to be able to calculate the required sample size based on a specific test, thereby negating the anticipated panelist guessing factor. Additionally, she has worked to extend sensory testing methodology so that it can be used when studying children’s preferences and to assess food preferences and consumption among the elderly.
Prior to co-founding Peryam & Kroll, she headed the sensory department of the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Food and Container Institute, one of the earliest organizations to study the preferences of individuals to extrapolate the major choices of market segments. She authored and co-authored numerous articles about sensory and market research and consumer product testing, and delivered many presentations on related technical subjects. She recently published the results of her study on sensory research with children.
The Fred W. Tanner Lectureship was established to advance the profession and practice of food technology by bringing to Chicago outstanding persons in this field or its related sciences to speak on advances in their fields of specialization. It is named in honor of the late Fred W. Tanner, a professor of bacteriology at the University of Illinois, world-renowned authority on food microbiology, founding member of IFT, and IFT President in 1945–46.
Farkas earns honors
Brian Farkas, Associate Professor of Food Engineering at North Carolina State University, has been promoted to Associate Head of the Dept. of Food Science. As the leader of the overall departmental teaching function, he will be responsible for long-term planning and assessment and leading the efforts for curriculum integration and coordination.
He is also the recipient of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Emerging Food Engineering Award for 2006, and was elected to NCSU’s Academy of Outstanding Teachers. He is a Professional Member of IFT.
Jaykus wins IAFP award
Lee-Ann Jaykus has won the 2006 Educator Award from the International Association for Food Protection, which recognizes an active IAFP member for dedicated and exceptional contributions to the profession. Jaykus, Associate Professor in the Dept. of Food Science at North Carolina State University, is a Professional Member of IFT.
Section & Division meetings
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