Award for Camire; Tarté joins Iowa State
IFT WORLD
The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) honored IFT President Mary Ellen Camire with a Senior Investigator Award and recognized her in a ceremony held during the ASN Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2015 in Boston on March 29.
Camire received the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition Innovation Award, which is sponsored by the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. The award is given annually to an investigator whose scientific contributions advance the understanding of the health benefits of whole grain. Eligible recipients are conducting mechanistic, epidemiological, clinical, translational, in vitro, and/or ex vivo research contributing to knowledge of the health benefits of cereal grains and grain components.
ASN award recipients represent the most prestigious and elite professionals in nutrition science, according to the society, and its president, Simin Nikbin Meydani, says the work of these researchers has made lasting and meaningful contributions to the field.
Reineccius to present Tanner Lecture
Gary Reineccius, professor of food science at the University of Minnesota, was chosen by the Chicago Section of IFT to present this year’s Tanner Lecture at the Cafe La Cave restaurant in Des Plaines, Ill., on May 18, 2015.
Reineccius has published more than 230 articles over 38 years covering issues of importance to the flavor industry. His current research focuses on flavor encapsulation, flavor emulsions, and flavoromics.
He has also taught several undergraduate and graduate classes on subjects that include food chemistry, food processing, and flavor chemistry. He is currently the primary instructor of four short courses on food flavor, and he has recently also taught short courses in Colombia and New Zealand.
The annual lecture—now in its 53rd year—honors Fred Wilbur Tanner, a food scientist and microbiologist who served in the founding of IFT.
Student members compete in TFF Challenge
Two student members of IFT competed in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of the 10 finalist Thought For Food (TFF) Challenge teams that presented innovative ideas addressing the challenge of how to feed 9 billion people.
Cornell University grad student Lee Cadesky and his teammates created C-fu, a high-protein tofu-like food product made solely from mealworms. The C comes from “cricket,” which the team first used in the product before discovering that mealworms made for a tastier “tofu.” The team hopes to continue the conversation about using insects as food in a way that will make it easier for consumers to stomach. “C-fu seeks to bridge the gap between product and production by abstracting the product from its source, in the same way that tofu is abstracted from soy, surimi from fish, poultry from chicken, cheese from cow, and beef from steer,” the team writes on its TFF page. “In doing so, we seek to create a new product language to describe insect based protein, paving the way for the creation of a new insect protein commodity market that will benefit consumers, processors, and producers globally.”
Texas A&M University student Juan Whiting and his team developed the Youth Ag-education Innovation Cooperative, which is designed to encourage youth involvement in agriculture and draw on their passion to support their communities and fight world hunger. “We identified three pressing problems, youth unemployment, a negative perception of agriculture, and food insecurity, all of which are not unique to Africa, but rather global issues,” the team writes. The co-op’s business model aims to generate the capital needed to sustain the program by creating and maintaining an aquaponics system as well as engaging in agritourism in order for students to put their newly developed skills to use.
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FONA hires Budin
John Budin joined FONA International as its product safety and quality director. He leads a team focused on maintaining the company’s quality and safety standards, including the facility’s SQF Level 3 certification status.
Budin, an IFT professional member and chair of the Chicago Section, brings nearly two decades of food industry experience to the position, including roles in manufacturing, testing, operations, and education. He is chair-elect of the Technical Division of Reference Materials for the Assoc. of Official Analytical Chemists, a member of the organizing committee for the North American Chemical Residue Workshop, and a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the University of Minnesota’s Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition. He earned his BS, MS, and PhD in food science from the University of Minnesota.
Tarté joins Iowa State
Rodrigo Tarté recently became assistant professor of processed meat science and technology in the Dept. of Animal Science at Iowa State University, where he received his PhD in food science and technology. In this position, he will teach and conduct research on processed meats and value-added product technology, with a strong focus on the development and application of technologies to enable product innovation and increase product value.
“Dr. Tarté brings over 20 years of meat industry research and development experience to Iowa State University to further enhance one of the premier academic meat processing programs in the United States,” says IFT professional member Joseph G. Sebranek, distinguished professor in agriculture and life sciences. “The addition of Dr. Tarté to the ISU Meat Science faculty will provide new insights, perspectives, and ideas on processed meat technology that will be invaluable for undergraduate and graduate meat science courses, graduate student research, and extension-industry training programs.”
Beginning in 2012, Tarté, a professional member of IFT, was director of research and development for the John Morrell Food Group. Previously, he served as R&D director for Creta Farms USA, senior R&D scientist for Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer, and R&D director for Rica Rondo.
NAS names Whitaker to committee
The National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council (NRC) appointed Bob Whitaker to its committee for a new study, “Genetically Engineered Crops: Past Experience and Future Prospects.” Whitaker, who serves as chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Assoc., joined 19 other scientists and thought leaders at a public meeting in Washington, D.C., on March 5; the committee is expected to issue a report on its findings in spring of 2016.
“In presenting its findings, the committee will indicate where there are uncertainties and information gaps about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, using comparable information from experiences with other types of production practices, crops, and foods, for perspective where appropriate,” according to the NRC. “The committee will produce a report directed at policymakers that will serve as the basis for derivative products designed for a lay audience.”
Whitaker, a member of IFT, was chosen for the committee because of his leadership experience within the DNA Plant Technology Corp., where he served as vice-president of vegetable research and development and vice-president of product development.
CFS Prep Course goes online
The IFT Certified Food Scientist (CFS) Preparatory Course is now available online. Through this mobile-friendly online course, test-takers can prepare for the CFS exam at their convenience, take onscreen notes while viewing video presentations, and interact with other course participants via the CFS Prep Course Online Community within IFT Connect. Course resources include 36 presentation videos, a series of 10 practice tests with questions representing the eight content domains covered on the exam, and recommended resources to help test-takers prepare. Visit bit.ly/CFS_prep_online for more information, including a virtual tour, and to purchase.
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IFT launches FSMA webpage
The Institute of Food Technologists has launched a webpage to help members stay up to date with information regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the first major piece of federal legislation addressing food safety since 1938. IFT’s FSMA page provides quick updates on FSMA activities and comprehensive information on FSMA rules and guidance. Members can also access IFT webcasts pertaining to FSMA and learn about upcoming IFT FSMA training and educational activities. Visit bit.ly/IFT_FSMA for more information.
Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email [email protected].
Section & Division meetings
Central New JerseyMay 11: Golf outing. West Windsor, N.J. Contact Gerri Cristantiello at 201-905-0090 or [email protected], or visit bit.ly/1yGwa3x.
Chicago
May 18: 53rd Annual Tanner Lecture. Des Plaines, Ill. Call 630-916-4960, email [email protected], or visit bit.ly/14q0VAN.
Lake Erie
May 19: Suppliers’ expo. Solon, Ohio. Contact Ariana Frangos at 440-264-6040 or [email protected].
Northeast
May 13–14: Suppliers’ night and golf outing. Worcester, Mass. Contact Shirley Barber at 207-839-3064 or [email protected], or visit bit.ly/14dNdQw.
Northern California
May 5: Suppliers’ night. Pleasanton, Calif. Contact Imelda Vasquez at 650-802-0888 or [email protected], or visit bit.ly/ZCUCqc.
In Memoriam
IFT notes the passing of the following member:W. James Harper
Save the Date: IFT15
Reserve your spot at IFT15, where more than 23,000 of the world’s top food science and technology professionals will gather in Chicago July 11–14 to learn about the latest trends and innovations in food production.
At the IFT Food Expo, the industry’s largest collection of food ingredient, equipment, processing, and packaging suppliers will showcase the latest in global food trends. Attendees will see, touch, and taste innovative products and cutting-edge techniques while interacting with the companies producing them—an experience that keeps two out of three participants returning year after year.
Nearly 100 Scientific & Applied Sessions developed by scientific experts reflect the latest thinking in both the science of food and its applications. Other activities include networking sessions and parties, scientific lectures, and general sessions. In addition, nearly a dozen pre-event short courses cover a range of industry topics. See available courses below and visit bit.ly/IFT15_short_courses for more information.
July 9–11
• Integrating Risk-Based Preventive Controls Into Your HACCP Program
July 10–11
• Certified Food Scientist Prep Course
• Soy: An Enhancer for Nutrition, Innovation, and Sustainability
• Flavor Interactions in Foods
• Food Science for the Non-Food Scientist
• Innovation with Healthier Oils & Grains: Solutions to Meet Changing Policies and Demands
• Labeling Requirements and Implications for Foods Marketed in the U.S.
• Leveraging Consumer Research for Product Claims Substantiation
July 11
• 出口美国食品安全 (presented in Mandarin Chinese)
• Profiting From Traceability
• Strategies to Reduce Sodium: A Collaborative Effort to Bring Together Stakeholders