Wiedmann receives research award
The Frozen Food Foundation, in conjunction with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), presented Martin Wiedmann, a distinguished professor in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University and a Fellow of IFT, with the 10th annual Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award. The award recognizes individuals or organizations whose research contributes to the continued enhancement of food quality and safety through freezing.
Wiedmann has conducted extensive research on the prevalence and control of Listeria in frozen foods. His recent research contributed to the creation of a novel computer model (EnABLe) that has the potential to pinpoint locations in food manufacturing facilities where Listeria might be present, grow, and be a source of cross contamination.
“The Frozen Food Foundation is honored to recognize Dr. Wiedmann’s innovative work that provides the frozen food industry with a better understanding of potential entry points for and growth of Listeria in frozen food facilities, which has resulted in the development of more robust food safety programs,” said Foundation President Alison Bodor, who also serves as president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI).
Wiedmann has a PhD in food science from Cornell University and a PhD equivalent degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Munich. As the recipient of the 2019 Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award, he received a $2,000 honorarium and a commemorative plaque.
FONA names Thompson COO
Jeremy Thompson has been named chief operating officer for FONA, developer and manufacturer of flavor solutions for the food and beverage industry. A member of IFT, Thompson has 20 years of experience in the food industry and previously served as executive vice president of revenue generation at FONA. Since joining the company in 2018, he has led teams that achieved multiple revenue records.
“I’m so grateful to the incredible people in the FONA family,” said Thompson. “This is a group of driven and creative professionals. From the manufacturing floor to the lab to the front office, they find a new way to impress every single day.”
Kowalski joins C.W. Brabender
C.W. Brabender Instruments has introduced Ryan Kowalski as the company’s new food extrusion specialist for its Food Division. Kowalski will focus on driving the application development of single-screw and twin-screw extrusion and interacting with customers to assist in the formulation process of their products. He will also be a hands-on contributor to discussions on product development in the company’s milling and baking products.
Kowalski holds a BS in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and a PhD in food science from Washington State University. His previous experience includes serving as both an applications and processing scientist with extruded food products. He has published 14 research articles on food extrusion and presented research findings at multiple conferences, including as a member of IFT.
WFFC honors Brown
The Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce (WFFC) will honor Dana Brown, vice president, product development, Beachbody LLC, at the 37th WFFC Annual Gala on October 17.
Brown, a member of IFT, provides leadership for global nutritional product development, including new product innovation, continuous improvement, and international expansion. Her responsibilities include developing Beachbody Nutritional products on a global scale, as well as identifying innovation pipeline opportunities and driving the company’s nutritional growth strategy. The team she leads manages product development, from ideation to commercialization, for dietary supplement and food products, including Shakeology, Beachbody Performance, BEACHBAR, 3 Day Refresh, and Openfit.
UC Davis students place second in competition
A team of food science students from the University of California–Davis, including IFT Student Association members Olga Lawrence, Mary-Ann Chen, and Bryan Magaline, received second place honors in the 2019 Ocean Spray Product Development competition.
The winning product, Cranwich, was made with naturally flavored bite-sized cookies that were dyed pink with cranberry concentrate. Sandwiched between the cookies was a filling made from whole cranberries, chia seeds, and agave nectar.
Chen explained, “It is a healthy snack that provides kids with fiber, vitamin C, poly/monounsaturated fats, and antioxidants, and it can be easily enjoyed on the go or packed into kids’ lunches. Our goal was to develop a children’s snack that would appeal to kids and Millennial mothers through its nutritional profile, convenience, and taste; we originally were inspired by a type of jam-filled Indonesian pastry but then modified our recipe to reduce fat content, incorporate healthy ingredients that are popular with Millennials, and adopt a familiar shape and fun color that would appeal more to kids.”
Collins joins Motif
Janet Collins, past president of IFT, has joined Motif FoodWorks as head of regulatory, government, and industry affairs. She has over 30 years of experience in food and biotechnology regulation and brings with her a deep understanding of the U.S. meat and dairy industries, having previously led agricultural advocacy and regulatory affairs as executive vice president of CropLife America. In her new role, Collins will lead Motif’s regulatory efforts as the company introduces new animal-free ingredients to the market.
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