Institute of Food Technologists Announces 2017 IFTSA Competition Winners

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will equip food and beverage leaders with the knowledge to create game-changing products and solutions when it provides indispensable consumer insights at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo.

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has released two educational resources to aid food and beverage professionals in sugar reduction strategies.

The Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) has announced the finalists for three of its product development competitions: the 35th Annual IFTSA and Mars Wrigley Product Development Competition, the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Product Development Competition, and the Smart Snacks for Kids Product Development Competition.

The Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA), a student-governed community of members of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), has elected its Board of Directors for its 2025 – 2026 cycle, which starts on September 1, 2025.

Seeding The Future Foundation and the Institute of Food Technologists are proud to announce the Grand Prize and Growth Grant semifinalists as well as the Seed Grant finalists for the 2024 Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge.

Fermented foods with extended shelf life, free from synthetic preservatives, offer significant commercial and health advantages. With increasing consumer demand for plant-based alternatives, soy yogurt has gained substantial market interest. However, improving its shelf-life at ambient temperature without compromising quality remains challenging. This study investigates the application of Leuconostoc mesenteroides SB1075, a promising probiotic strain isolated from yellow-cultivar soybean seeds of Manipur (India), as a biopreservative starter culture for soy yogurt fermentation. Unlike conventional dairy-origin lactic acid bacteria, L. mesenteroides SB1075 demonstrated superior adaptability to soy fermentation. The resulting soy yogurt exhibited an impressive shelf-life of 40 days at room temperature (25°C), significantly outperforming the control (spontaneous fermentation without starter, <5 days) while maintaining its organoleptic and nutritional qualities. Sensory evaluation with a hedonic scale of 10 indicated that flavor, aroma, and taste consistently received a score >6, while color, firmness, consistency, syneresis, and overall acceptance were rated >7. Microscopic analysis, including atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, revealed that the flocculation behavior of L. mesenteroides SB1075 effectively inhibited spoilage microbes, thereby extending product stability. Genomic analysis highlighted its heterofermentative and biopreservative potential, while time-course metabolomics identified bioactive compounds, such as monobactam, organic acids, and neomycin, from the 5th day of storage.

Long-term and excess chronic inflammation is related to most chronic degenerative disorders in the body; however, particular lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermented foods with anti-inflammatory potential may reduce the risk of these chronic diseases. To develop anti-inflammatory LAB co-fermented cucumbers, a Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum NCHU–FC1 strain was isolated for preparing 5-day Lpb. plantarum NCHU–FC1 strain co-fermented cucumbers and 5-day spontaneously fermented cucumbers were selected to compare their immunomodulatory functions. Water extracts, ethanol extracts, and exopolysaccharides (EPS) from the fermented samples were isolated to treat RAW 264.7 macrophages without or with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to evaluate their anti-inflammatory potential. Proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) produced by treated RAW 264.7 macrophages were determined. The relationships between functional ingredients in ethanol extracts and anti-inflammatory effects were analyzed. The results showed that water and ethanol extracts in both spontaneously and Lpb. plantarum NCHU–FC1 strain co-fermented cucumbers decreased pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines secretion ratios by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, exhibiting their anti-inflammatory potential. However, EPS from Lpb. plantarum NCHU–FC1 strain co-fermented cucumbers (LEPS) demonstrated a better anti-inflammatory effect than those from spontaneously fermented cucumbers. Total polyphenol, flavonoid, and saponin contents in the ethanol extracts of spontaneously and Lpb. plantarum NCHU–FC1 strain co-fermented cucumbers were significantly and negatively correlated with IL-6 levels and IL-6/IL-10 secretion ratios by treated corresponding LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. Our results suggest that functional ingredients, including polyphenolic components and LEPS, significantly inhibit LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages. The novel LAB-fermented cucumbers using Lpb. plantarum NCHU–FC1 strain may have broader implications for developing anti-inflammatory functional foods.

This study investigated the effects of mill type, milling conditions, and wheat variety on the mean particle size, particle size distribution, and quality characteristics of whole wheat flour (WWFs). Three wheat varieties (Goso [GS], Hojoong [HJ], and Joongmo [JM]), representing varying protein contents, were milled using two types of mills: an ultra-centrifugal mill (UM) and a cutting mill (CM). The milling conditions were adjusted based on the sieve openings (0.5 and 1.0 mm) and rotor speeds (UM: 6000 and 14,000 rpm; CM: 2000 and 4000 rpm). The mean particle size and particle size distribution of the WWFs were significantly influenced by the mill type, milling conditions, and their interactions. UM and CM produced distinct particle size distributions, with CM yielding a broader range and a more pronounced bimodal distribution. Furthermore, the type of mill and milling conditions, along with their interactions, affected the damaged starch content, water and sodium carbonate solvent retention capacity, pasting properties, and antioxidant activity of the WWFs. The wheat variety influenced parameters such as moisture, ash, damaged starch content, sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation volume, rapid viscoanalyzer (RVA) pasting properties, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. Notably, selecting an appropriate mill type and milling conditions is critical for producing WWFs with high gluten strength from high-protein wheat varieties.

Osmotic dehydration (OD) process, as a pretreatment for drying, can be used to enrich mangoes with a solute of interest and improve the nutritional and sensory values of this dried fruit. The research aimed to obtain dried mangoes enriched with isomaltulose. The incorporation of isomaltulose in mango (Tommy Atkins) slices was performed by ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration (UAOD). Then, the treated mango was convectively dried (60°C and 1.5 m/s). The incorporation of isomaltulose at 20 min was maximum (≈ 5% solids gain) and did not differ from experiments with the longer time. Firmness, color, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity did not differ between the mangoes subjected to UAOD and the fresh ones. After drying, the treated samples presented lower water activity, higher firmness, volumetric shrinkage, and total color difference. Similar bioactive compound content was found among treated and untreated dried samples except for the carotenoids, which were lower in the treated samples. Thin-layer drying kinetics models demonstrated excellent fits to the experimental data (R ² ≥ 0.984, RMSE ≤ 0.0399, and χ ² ≤ 1.7 × 10⁻³), and the Page model, considered simple and widely used for the drying kinetics of fruits, was used to construct the curves. The sorption isotherms behavior evidenced that the incorporation of isomaltulose by ultrasound resulted in a less hygroscopic product.

Understanding the impact of processing factors on the pasting properties of flour is critical for optimizing its quality, functionality, and suitability for various food applications. This study investigated the effect of three processing factors: slice thickness, precooking time, and drying temperature on the pasting properties of poundo flour made from precooked tuber crops (sweet potato) using a 3 × 5 central composite rotatable design. Pasting properties, including peak viscosity (PV), final viscosity (FV), trough viscosity (TV), setback viscosity (SBV), breakdown viscosity (BDV), and pasting time (Pt), were analyzed. The measured values ranged as follows: PV (192.46–281.36 RVU$RVU$), FV (211.37–298.25 RVU$RVU$), TV (75.3–99.37 RVU$RVU$), BDV (114.03–195.99 RVU$RVU$), SBV (116.09–210.97 RVU$RVU$), and Pt (3.86–6.44 min${\mathrm{min}}$). The coefficients of determination of the PV, FV, TV, BDV, SBV, and Pt were 0.96, 0.94, 0.80, 0.95, 0.93, and 0.78, respectively. High coefficients of determination indicated strong correlations between processing factors and pasting properties. Optimization aimed to maximize viscosities while minimizing Pt. Predicted optimum values of 281.36 RVU$RVU$ (PV), 283.81 RVU$RVU$ (FV), 90.90 RVU$RVU$ (TV), 190.71 RVU$RVU$ (BDV), 193.16 RVU$RVU$ (SBV), and 4.54 min${\mathrm{min}}$ (Pt) were obtained at 2.51 mm${\mathrm{mm}}$ slice thickness, 21.38 min${\mathrm{min}}$ precooking time, and 64.79°C drying temperature. This was experimentally validated to give corresponding values of 282.36 RVU$RVU$, 282.21 RVU$RVU$, 91.04 RVU$RVU$, 190.22 RVU$RVU$, 193.59 RVU$RVU$, and 4.46 min${\mathrm{min}}$, respectively. The developed models could be used to select any combination of the processing parameters that will suit the pasting properties of poundo flour made from precooked sweet potato tubers.