ASTM honors Beckley; Getting to know Andrea Wong

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

As senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade association representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry, Andrea Wong exemplifies many of the tenets implicit in IFT’s strategic promise of Advocate.

“I enjoy the multi-faceted nature of my work, which includes advocating for science-based nutrition policy, responding to emerging regulatory issues, developing proactive self-regulatory initiatives, and evaluating and promoting scientific research on the benefits and safety of dietary supplements,” she says. Of particular importance to Wong is the help she provides when it comes to communicating the role of dietary supplements and functional food in promoting good nutrition and health.

Prior to joining CRN, Wong served as senior scientific and regulatory consultant at Intertek, where she prepared safety assessments and international regulatory submissions for food and dietary supplement companies. Her background, which includes a PhD in toxicology from the University of Toronto, served her well when she began her involvement with IFT as a volunteer on the planning committee for Food Policy Impact, an annual conference held in Washington, DC, hosted by IFT’s DC Section. Elected to the board of the DC Section in 2017 as a member-at-large, Wong most recently served as president for the 2019–2020 term.

Of all the volunteer activities she has been involved in, Wong finds the opportunities offered by the DC Section to give back to the local community to be particularly rewarding. “We have volunteered twice for Together We Bake,” she explains, “a workforce training program in Alexandria, Va., for women in need of a second chance. Participants in their training program learn technical skills, including food production, food safety, and business administration, as well as self-empowerment and life skills. We helped to label packages for cookies, granola, and other delicious snacks. We are honored to support this organization and others in our community.”

Reflecting on the changes wrought by the pandemic and the opportunities that lie ahead, Wong believes that supply chain challenges, from ingredients to packaging, will be at the forefront. “These issues affect industry but also impact consumer access to food,” she says. “Proactively mitigating the risk of shortages in the future will be important.”

Longtime IFT member Rudolph J. (Rudy) Krukar recently passed away at the age of 91. Krukar joined IFT in 1964 and was active in the New York Section throughout his career and retirement. He served as chairman of IFTNY in 1972–1973.

A graduate of Seton Hall University, with a BS in chemistry, and New York University, with an MS in biochemistry, Krukar began his career in the vitamin division of Hoffman LaRoche, where he held a variety of positions. He joined The Nestlé Company (FIDCO division) in 1966, transitioning from a technical role to a more commercial one, and was instrumental in helping the company build its hydrolyzed vegetable protein business in North America. He also authored a number of papers on hydrolyzed vegetable proteins over the years.

In 1972, his career took him into the flavor industry when he joined Givaudan as director of international marketing. Building on his experience in hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, he later assumed roles with increasing responsibility at The Stange Company and McCormick and Company before joining Champlain Industries as vice president of sales/marketing, a role he held until his retirement in 1996.

In addition to being a member of IFT for more than 45 years, Krukar was also an active member of the Society of Flavor Chemists. 

IFT also notes the passing of the following members: Jim Devault, Dennis Lee Grubel, and Charles Varsel.