John Coupland addresses Chicago Section; Getting to know Lauren Shimek
IFT WORLD
Promoting pride in food scienceIFT President-Elect John Coupland took members on a journey through Chicago’s rich food industry heritage during his speech at the Chicago Section’s Sept. 21 dinner event, connecting the city’s past to the important role food scientists here—and throughout the world—continue to play to this day.
Beginning all the way back in the mid-1800s, Coupland discussed the reasons why Chicago was such a fertile place for industrial food to develop: accessibility to rivers, canals, and railroad lines made the early settlement a prime location for moving ingredients and finished products across the growing country. Chicago, Coupland said, collapsed the distance between where food was grown and where it ultimately ended up. In this way, the young city was able to feed the United States and feed it well.
However, as Coupland noted, the early food industry faced many of the same challenges remaining today: a public mistrust of industrial food. Coupland quoted from a book by Ogden Armour defending his meat production practices against the accusations made by Upton Sinclair in The Jungle, his scathing takedown of Chicago’s slaughterhouses. Though the book was written nearly a century ago, the messages in it resonate in the struggles food scientists still endure when it comes to the public’s perception of how safe their food really is.
In that vein, Coupland challenged today’s food scientists to defend their profession, to be proud of the safe, high-quality food that they create. “I think we’d have a better food system if people in this room were more willing to talk about what it is they do,” he said. “You do stuff to make food safer. You do stuff to make food more traceable. You do stuff to make sure customers are getting what they expect.”
Social media has collapsed the space between people the way Chicago collapsed the space between food and consumers, explained Coupland, and food scientists need to be leading the charge when it comes to informing the public about what’s in their food. “Be a voice in the conversation,” he said. “Talk about food.”
Nominations deadline for Achievement Awards
If you haven’t already done so, you still have time to nominate a colleague for a 2016 IFT Achievement Award. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 1, 2016. The awards, which are given annually, recognize members’ outstanding contributions in research, applications, and service.
“Being recognized at the same level as people that I consider giants in the profession was a lot to take on,” says Pablo Coronel, an IFT professional member and recipient of the 2015 Industrial Scientist Award. “I understand how important the award is, and just being nominated was a big recognition, let alone receiving it. Personally, it was a validation to all the effort I have put, as part of teams, into improving the way we produce food of high quality to feed the world.”
IFT will honor the winners with a ceremony held during IFT16 in Chicago. To nominate for an Achievement Award, click here. Email Erin O’Connell ([email protected]) or Kate Dockins ([email protected]) with any questions.
CIFST names Goldman fellow
The Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST) named Anne Goldman its 2015 Fellow of the Institute. Goldman, a member of the IFT Board of Directors, is principal and cofounder of ACCE International, a sensory-based consumer research company, where she is currently the vice-president of consumer research. Her career has spanned three continents, including positions in food industry research and product development in England, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as an assistant professorship in the Dept. of Consumer Studies at the University of Guelph.
“CIFST has been my professional home in Canada since I arrived in 1981 that provided me with a network of colleagues and leadership roles in the organization,” says Goldman. “I am truly honored to have been recognized by CIFST with this prestigious award.”
An IFT Fellow and Certified Food Scientist, Goldman is a past president of CIFST and past member of the governing council of IUFoST. She served as chair of IFT’s Sensory Evaluation Division 25th Anniversary Fundraising Committee, which established the IFT Sensory Evaluation Division Silver Celebration Graduate Fellowship, an annual $5,000 scholarship.
Award renamed to honor Brody
The Food Packaging Division renamed the Riester-Davis Award to honor Aaron Brody. The award, which is now called the Riester-Davis-Brody Award, recognizes lifetime achievement in food packaging technology. The new name celebrates Brody’s accomplishments in food packaging innovation, including leading development of technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging. Brody, an IFT professional member, is a Food Technology contributing editor and Certified Food Scientist. He won the award in 1988.
Beckley receives UC Davis award
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, presented Jacqueline Beckley with an Award of Distinction. This award recognizes alumni whose contributions and achievements have enhanced the college’s ability to provide cutting-edge research, teaching, and outreach.
“Jackie Beckley is a true champion of UC Davis—her support of our Food Science and Technology students and program is outstanding,” says Michael McCarthy, chair of the Dept. of Food Science and Technology.
Beckley is president and founder of The Understanding & Insight Group, which combines qualitative and quantitative knowledge to examine consumer behavior, and she created a proprietary system that identifies consumer motivators. An IFT professional member and Fellow, Beckley also chairs the committee of the Food Science Leadership Board.
--- PAGE BREAK ---
IFT16 website now live
Though it might feel like we only just gathered in Chicago for IFT15, IFT is already gearing up for another exciting show in 2016. The IFT16 website is now live and packed with information about next year’s show, including details about events and activities that will take place during the week. Visit am-fe.ift.org/cms to explore the site.
IFT16 will be held in Chicago July 16–19. Registration will open March 1.
Mallikarjunan receives Kishida Award
P. Kumar Mallikarjunan received the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ 2015 Kishida International Award. The award, which is endowed by the Shin-Norinsha Co. of Japan in honor of the firm’s founder, recognizes Mallikarjunan’s distinguished leadership contributions to engineering, mechanization, and technological programs in education, research, and technology transfer that have resulted in significant improvements to worldwide food safety and quality.
Mallikarjunan, a professional member of IFT, is a professor in the Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His development work spans a range of areas within food engineering, including novel frying techniques to reduce oil uptake from breaded fried foods and spectroscopy-based techniques for rapid detection of toxins, pathogens, and adulterants in food products. Internationally, Mallikarjunan has worked to develop appropriate scale postharvest technologies in sub-Saharan Africa, and he has collaborated with institutions around the world to further biological engineering curricula and research and education opportunities.
Aluko wins William J. Eva Award
The Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST) presented Rotimi Aluko with the 2015 William J. Eva Award, which honors a person who has contributed to Canadian food science and technology through outstanding research and service to the industry.
Aluko, an IFT professional member and Certified Food Scientist, is a professor in the Human Nutritional Sciences Dept. at the University of Manitoba. He was lead inventor for a patented production process involving the use of a bioactive pea protein hydrolysate as an antihypertensive agent, and he is also involved in an industry-funded project aimed at creating a commercially feasible technology to isolate iron-binding proteins from Canadian legume seeds.
Rotimi is a founding member and chair of the Science Review panel of the Canadian Food Innovators cluster, a group of Canadian food processing companies that operate different projects. He served as 2011–2012 CIFST president and is a past chair of IFT’s Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods Division.
Getting to Know Lauren Shimek
Each month, we meet one of IFT’s valued volunteers.
IFT’s vibrant and energetic Student Association was my first introduction as a volunteer,” says Lauren Shimek, explaining her initial involvement with IFT. “Both as a national IFTSA finance chair and a Western Area representative, I gained exposure to IFT, IFTSA, and our Northern California IFT Section,” she explains. “That early exposure to both the local level and national level was hugely influential in my career over the years.”
Since her early involvement with IFTSA, Shimek has continued to stay closely involved in IFT, serving as an industry adviser to IFTSA and on a task force to help launch the Certified Food Scientist program. She is currently a member of the Nominations & Elections Committee.
Shimek encourages all members to seek out a volunteer role that suits them. “Jump in with both feet!” she advises. “Volunteering for IFT is a wonderful experience and has so many benefits for you as a member but also for the profession and the broader organization. I would encourage everyone to find an area they are passionate about and get involved.”
Shimek, an IFT professional member, is a senior portfolio director at IDEO, where she uses human-centered design, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and technical expertise to create innovative food and beverage products. She says IFT can be a valuable tool for establishing more-personal-feeling relationships with other professionals.
“In a world of digital, virtual, and often impersonal connections, IFT has created a trustworthy and personal network of professionals who share a common enthusiasm and core belief for science in food and beverage,” says Shimek. “This network, the professional relationship, and lifelong friendships from it have been instrumental in my career.”
Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email [email protected].
In Memoriam
Amanda Minnaar passed away on Sept. 26. She had recently become president of the South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST). Minnaar first became involved with SAAFoST after receiving her BSc from the University of Pretoria in the mid-1980s, eventually serving as regional chairman, chair of a congress organizing committee, and council member. In 1987, she received the organization’s most prestigious education award, the Koeppen Memorial Scholarship for academic excellence. Minnaar began working at the University of Pretoria in 1986. She served as head of the Dept. of Food Science for 10 years and was a permanent member of the Faculty Appointments Selection Committee. Her research focused on using modern food processing technologies to improve the quality, safety, and shelf life of foods. She authored or coauthored many scientific papers and book chapters and contributed to a range of conferences and events.