DouxMatok announces appointments; Getting to know Tatiana Koutchma

News about IFT members and events

Margaret Malochleb

Food Technology Magazine

DouxMatok announces appointments

DouxMatok, a global food-tech company offering sugar-based sugar-reduction solutions, recently announced the appointment of IFT members Lorraine Niba as vice president of sales, North America, and Jim Schulok as vice president of applications.

Niba brings over a decade of experience in scaling new, specialty ingredients. Her most recent role was at Ingredion, where she led business strategy and product portfolio for the company’s Global Nutrition Platform and headed a specialty sales development team focused on commercialization of new innovation products. Niba holds a PhD in food science from the University of Maryland and an MBA in marketing and finance from the La Salle University School of Business, Philadelphia.

Schulok brings nearly 25 years of executive leadership experience in product development and R&D with Mondelēz and Kraft Foods, across a variety of categories and technologies, including chocolate, beverages, coffee, and snacking and biscuits. He has also led multiple projects with brands such as Oreo, Cadbury, Ritz, belVita, Milka, and Capri Sun. Schulok holds a BS in food science from Penn State University and an MS in food science from Rutgers University.

The two new leaders have joined DouxMatok as it readies to introduce Incredo Sugar, a sugar-reduction solution based on real cane sugar. “I’m thrilled to join the DouxMatok team at such a pivotal moment for the company as it expands its footprint into a priority market here in the United States,” Schulok stated in a press release.

Food Technology seeks contributors

Food Technology is looking for editorial contributors with direct domain expertise in a variety of food processing topics and subject areas. We’re seeking qualified authors, as well as experts who can simply be available to comment, advise, and/or refer our writers to other experts on the following topics:

High Pressure Processing
Augmented & Virtual Reality in Processing
Sous Vide
Water Conservation in Processing
Upcycling/Waste Reduction
Processing 4.0—Data Analytics, Automation, AI
Cheesemaking
Processing Plant-Based Milks
Cold Chain Management
Freeze-Concentration Technology for Food Processing
Foreign Material/Contaminant Detection
Fermentation
Edible Insect Processing
Processing Hemp and/or Cannabis

For more information and to apply, visit www6.ift.org/Ecommerce/Volunteer/VolunteerPreferences.

Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email mmalochleb@ift.org.

Getting to know Tatiana Koutchma

Each month, we meet one of IFT’s valued volunteers.

As a scientist working in novel food processing technologies at Agri-Food Canada, Tatiana Koutchma spends her days doing what she loves most—putting science and research into practice. “I enjoy working with industry and helping to find solutions for products,” she says. “Working in food engineering, I love using its principles to make complex things logical and show the beauty of science and engineering.”

Being an advocate for science-based regulations is also important for Koutchma, who says that “harmonization of international approaches has a lot of meaning for me. I felt proud when I could contribute to positive regulatory decisions and share my knowledge—that is what moves novel food processing technologies forward.”

Currently the past chair of the Nonthermal Processing Division (NPD), Koutchma began her volunteer involvement with IFT as a member at large. As she assumed more responsibility in the division, she focused on “bringing in more women with international backgrounds that can impact the future of the NPD.”

One aspect of IFT that has spurred Koutchma’s volunteerism is the core value of Passion, which is demonstrated, she says, by the efforts of IFT’s volunteers “to unite and share knowledge and experience in food technologies. This is a unique international organization, and diversity of backgrounds moves us forward. IFT is a place where academic professors and students, industry professionals, and government scientists from all continents can bring their perspectives.”

Of the many IFT activities Koutchma has been involved in, she points to her role as a leader working on the food engineering and processing track on last year’s Annual Meeting Scientific Program Advisory Panel (AMSPAP) as particularly rewarding. “Being involved in AMSPAP helped me to learn and contribute to the IFT annual meeting planning and make new connections. It is amazing how productive collective minds can be when people devote their time as volunteers and with less restrictions,” she recalls.

Ruminating on the many ways the food industry has changed during the past year, she cites the “huge amount of information that was generated,” particularly in the area of novel processing technologies, as an important development, cautioning that “we need to learn how to use this big data better in order to move forward with fewer resources. The path to successful process commercialization should become shorter and with fewer hurdles.”

Living in a virtual world is another change that will continue to affect those in the food science community, both personally and professionally. “Many of us will continue working from the home space,” she predicts. “IFT can become an essential platform for professional communication, new ideas, and products that can help us adapt to a new reality, independent of the location. Together with IFT, we should find ways to better use the opportunities [afforded by] virtual space.”