CHICAGO – June 26, 2024 – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, is pleased to announce that Harjinder Singh, PhD, Distinguished Professor at Massey University, has been awarded IFT’s Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of Nicolas Appert, which honors an individual who has demonstrated lifetime contributions to the science of food.
To be considered for this award, individuals’ careers must reflect cumulative, measurable contributions to the science of food. Singh will be honored at the Awards Ceremony & Reception at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, which is being held July 14-17, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Singh joined Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, in 1989, where he is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Riddet Institute, which serves as a national center for fundamental and strategic scientific research in food. His work focuses on the creation and advancement of multidisciplinary alliances, such as between food science and nutritional sciences. He has been awarded several prestigious awards throughout his career; notably, he received the Prime Minister’s Science Prize, the highest scientific award in New Zealand. In addition to his Lifetime Achievement award, Singh is also an IFT Fellow.
Singh received his undergraduate and master’s degrees, both in Biochemistry, from Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. He went on to earn his PhD in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Singh resides in Palmerston North.
View the winners of the 2024 IFT Achievement Awards.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a global organization of over 11,000 individual members from more than 90 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. IFT works to ensure that its members have the resources they need to learn, grow, and innovate to advance the science of food as the population and the world evolve. IFT believes that science and innovation is essential to ensuring a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. For more information, please visit ift.org.
Dennis Van Milligen
Director, Public and Media Relations
Institute of Food Technologists
630-853-3022
[email protected]
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is hosting a webinar on “Growing the Future: How New Farming Frontiers Are Transforming Protein” on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has published a new report on the state of food science education.
IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center, an internationally recognized leader in advancing end-to-end food traceability, has launched an open source tool to strengthen interoperability across the food value chain.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is hosting an interactive community conversation on the release of the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) strategy recommendations.
The Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) is proud to announce that Jana Schreuder from Stellenbosch University in South Africa has taken over as President of the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) effective September 1, 2025.
In this column, the author discusses sun drying as a technique for processing fruit, using tomatoes as an example.
A visually oriented overview of plant-based protein ingredient trends.
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich create egg proteins using precision fermentation.
This Food Science for Relief and Development article discusses the renewed attention that Bambara groundnut is receiving thanks to recent advances that have improved its potential to promote food security.
News items about the food system
Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the November 2025 episodes of the Omnivore podcast.
Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the October 2025 episodes of the Omnivore podcast.
Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the October 2025 episodes of the Omnivore podcast.
Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the October 2025 episodes of the Omnivore podcast.
Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the September 2025 episodes of the Omnivore podcast.