CHICAGO – September 28, 2022 – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) today announced it has partnered with the first IFT section in Latin America, Mexico Section IFT, to further support connection among the global food system communities and promote the science of food and its applications. The Mexico Section is the fourth international section of IFT, joining the U.K., British Columbia and Japan.
“We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Mexico Section IFT and reaffirm our commitment toward advancing the science of food through innovation,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean. "The Mexico Section not only supports our efforts to diversify and expand the expertise of our membership but also brings unique perspectives to the greater IFT organization as we work to build a safe, sustainable and nutritious global food supply for all.”
Mexico Section IFT provides an opportunity for members to collaborate and strengthen connections with those at the core of the third largest food processing sector in the Americas. Currently, 9.3 million people in Mexico are involved with the generation and transformation of agricultural and fish products along with more than 800,000 workers employed by the food processing industry. The partnership with Mexico Section IFT will expand IFT’s resources and networking opportunities to one of the world’s largest food processing industries.
“We’re proud to represent IFT in our country and carry out our unified mission to promote food science and technology throughout all stages of food production,” said Mexico Section IFT President Mario Roberto Monroy. “We look forward to inspiring a new generation of Spanish-speaking food technologists while reconnecting old colleagues to cultivate a vibrant network of professionals in Mexico and across the globe.”
The Mexico Section IFT was originally formed in 1956 and saw varying periods of activity over the years. Through sheer determination, Monroy and an executive committee comprised of local science of food professionals were instrumental in making the revitalization of the Mexico Section a reality. Members of this committee include Vice President Juan Vilches of Food Innovation Studio, Secretary Cristina Chuck-Hernández with Tecnológico de Monterrey, Treasurer Antonio Araiza Bricaire of AMTEX CORP, and Marketing Leader Katya de la Fuente of MasterSense.
Mexico Section IFT is currently onsite at The Food Tech Summit & Expo and can be found at Booth 922. For more information on future events and about how science of food professionals can join this dynamic community, visit the Mexico Section IFT website.
About Institute of Food Technologists
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a global organization of approximately 12,000 individual members from more than 100 countries committed to advancing the science of food. Since 1939, IFT has brought together the brightest minds in food science, technology and related professions from academia, government, and industry to solve the world's greatest food challenges. Our organization works to ensure that our members have the resources they need to learn, grow, and advance the science of food as the population and the world evolve. We believe that science is essential to ensuring a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. For more information, please visit ift.org.
This study analyzed the taste patterns and volatile aroma compounds (VACs) of pig intestinal byproducts, specifically those of the heart, kidney, spleen, liver, and lungs, which were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. Chemosensory property analysis was performed using an electronic tongue (E-tongue) for taste patterns and an electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O) for volatile patterns. E-tongue analysis indicated that the samples treated with alcalase were associated with saltiness, sweetness, and bitterness, whereas the samples treated with pepsin were associated with sourness and umami. E-nose analysis detected 34 VACs and GC–MS analysis revealed 48 VACs. Additionally, the GC–O analysis revealed five odor-active compounds. The E-nose, GC–MS, and GC–O results identified hexanal as having the highest peak area, making it the main VAC in the intestinal byproducts of pigs. Multivariate analysis revealed a correlation between taste patterns and VACs in pig intestinal byproduct samples. The results revealed a higher correlation with taste patterns than that with VACs, suggesting that sample processing by the enzyme used was more significant than the type of pig intestinal byproduct.
Ganoderma mushrooms are popularly used as dietary supplements to promote health around the world. However, their potential applications for the prevention and treatment of obesity needs to be further investigated. In this study, we isolated a novel triterpenoid from Ganoderma resinaceum, Resinacein S (Res S), and determined its absolute configuration. We reported that Res S treatment significantly inhibited the high-fat HF diet-induced body weight gain though increased thermogenesis and energy metabolism. Specifically, treatment with Res S promoted brown adipose tissue activation and browning of inguinal white adipose tissue, improving whole-body glucose and lipid homeostasis. Mechanistically, Res S treatment induced the expression of thermogenic genes and related protein, for example, uncoupling protein 1 and mitochondrial biogenesis in a cell-autonomous manner by activating the AMPK-PGC1α signaling pathway. These findings identify Res S as a potential therapeutic alternative for obesity in the setting of its increasingly high prevalence.
Solid-state fermentation is an efficient and economically viable biotechnological approach for converting low-cost substrates into high-value fermented bioproducts. This study used the filamentous fungus Mortierella alpina to directly enrich wheat bran substrate with a myriad of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and natural antioxidants, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. These PUFAs, with long carbon chains containing two or more unsaturated double bonds, are highly susceptible to oxidation, which can deteriorate the quality of the fermented bioproduct. Consequently, biochemical alterations during three distinct storage conditions were evaluated. Over 2 months of storage, the total fatty acid content decreased slightly. The inert nitrogen atmosphere showed a strong ability to preserve PUFAs, as only an 8% reduction in total fatty acid content was observed. Even the most valuable C20-PUFAs remained abundant after 2 months of storage. During the storage period, other organic compounds, specifically phenolic acids, accumulated, enhancing the thermo-oxidative stability of the fermented bioproducts, which were already enriched with various PUFAs. These findings were also confirmed by conducting differential scanning calorimetry.
Salmonella contamination in low-moisture foods remains a continuing food safety and public health problem. The World Health Organization ranked unprocessed red chili peppers as the spice with the highest risk of Salmonella contamination in a risk assessment-based report in 2022. Therefore, appropriate mitigation strategies are required to control Salmonella contamination in dried chilies. The objectives of this research were to investigate thermal inactivation of Salmonella on dried chili peppers at aw 0.33–0.97 and estimate thermal resistance parameters under isothermal and dynamic conditions. The dried chili peppers were inoculated with S. Montevideo and conditioned in a humidity-controlled chamber to achieve the aw of 0.33, 0.50, and 0.97. The samples were placed into 1-mm thick aluminum test cells and heated at 55, 60, 65, and 70°C to estimate the thermal inactivation parameters using the log-linear/modified-Bigelow model. The results showed that the aw played a key role in accurately describing Salmonella lethality on dried chili pepper. At 65°C, a 3-log reduction of S. Montevideo required 100 min at aw = 0.33, compared to only 20 min at aw = 0.50. The modified Bigelow model under dynamic conditions described inactivation significantly better (root mean squared error [RMSE] = 0.646 and corrected Akaike information criterion [AICc] = −120.97) than the modified Bigelow model under isothermal conditions (RMSE = 0.707 and AICc = −76.71). This study provides the food industry with valuable data to optimize thermal processing conditions and improve safety protocols for chili-based products, thereby reducing the risk of Salmonella contamination.
The category of dealcoholized wine is receiving mounting interest within the wine industry related to the ability to retain sensory characteristics similar to regular wine while reducing or completely removing the alcohol level. This option has led health-conscious consumers to seek a lower alcohol alternative without compromising the authentic wine experience. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the various dealcoholization techniques that are being used in the production of dealcoholized and partial dealcoholized wine, specifically examining reverse osmosis, osmotic distillation, vacuum distillation, spinning cone column, pervaporation, and diafiltration along with the effects of these methods on chemical and sensory characteristics of wine, involving flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, and finish. Various aspects of the impact of dealcoholization on wine stability were explored, including chemical, microbial, oxidative, and color stability. Furthermore, the market analysis of dealcoholized wine products including present and future growth in different regions is reported. Understanding these factors is of utmost importance for dealcoholized wine's growing advancement and market success, as it endeavors to accommodate various customer demands and preferences in a swiftly changing beverage environment.
A look at how Domino’s focuses its product development on permanent menu additions versus limited-time offerings.
Trend experts share their insights on how consumer behavior will drive food and beverage category developments in the year ahead.
Food Technology contributing editor Linda Ohr reports on highlights from the 2024 SupplySide West trade show.
IFT divisions announce winners of the oral competition research paper competitions, hackathons, and infographic competitions.