Kemin Industries announced the addition of IFT member Daiki Murayama to the technical team for Kemin Food Technologies - Americas. Murayama joins the business unit as associate scientist, with responsibility for investigating the fundamental mechanisms of ingredient action and supporting the integration of newly identified technologies.
In addition to identifying new ingredient blends, Murayama will use his findings to optimize new production conditions within Kemin’s line of food ingredients. He will also be responsible for leading the development of new emulsifiers and enzyme blends within the tortilla industry, to meet the growing demand for clean label alternatives.
Murayama earned a PhD in food science from the University of Wisconsin and a PhD in agriculture from Japan’s Iwate University. He received his master’s degree in agriculture and his bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry, both from Japan’s Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
Pete Mattson, founder of the Silicon Valley–based food and beverage innovation firm Mattson, died at the age of 82.
Since 1977, when his product development firm was first launched, Mattson used an outside-in approach to drive innovation with companies such as Kraft, Nestlé, and Starbucks. In addition, he served as a mentor to many food and beverage professionals and also helped startup companies, such as Jamba Juice and Popchips, get their business off the ground, using a path that combined strategy, concept, and product development.
During his long career, Mattson served as a director on multiple boards, including the University of California, Davis’s Food Science and Technology Leadership Board. A frequent guest lecturer, he taught a class on innovation and was honored by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as a Friend of the College in 2016.