IFT Awards focus on food safety and technology

Of the 11 award winners, seven merited an award for their contribution to food safety through innovation in the food technology or processing sectors.

Award winners​

Arun Bhunia, professor of food microbiology, Perdue University, Indiana, received the Research and Development Award for his contribution to the early detection of food borne pathogens to cut the risk of disease outbreaks. Bhunia and his colleagues developed biosensor tools for on-site testing of foods.

Anna Resurreccion, professor Georgia University, won the Bor S Luh International Award after co-ordinating the work of academics, government officials and industry representatives to improve peanut processing technologies in Southeast Asia. Her team developed a process to eliminate the potent carcinogen aflatoxin from peanut products which was used in the Philippines and Thailand. The research was also used to develop and commercialise products such as vitamin A-fortified peanut butter to remedy severe nutrient deficiencies of people living in the Philippines.

Manuel Castillo, assistant research professor at the Kentucky University, landed the Samuel Cate Prescott Award. This was after developing novel sensors and measuring devices that help food manufacturers to improve the process control, production efficiency and quality control of their products. Castillo also developed a lab-scale milk coagulation tester that is able to accurately measure the milk clotting of rennet to International Dairy Federation standards.

George Flick, university distinguished professor at Virginia Tech, won the Myron Solberg Award for research on seafood pasteurisation. His work led to the development of a process used worldwide that allows seafood to be safely stored for several years.

The South Atlantic Area Food Science Research Unit of North Carolina State University received the Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award. This was in recognition of the process it developed for continuous flow microwave sterilisation of low acid food and biomaterials.

Rakesh Singh, professor and head of food the Food Science department at Georgia University won the Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award. His research revealed the role of reaction kinetics in predicting the quality of processed foods. This has helped in the development of aseptically produced products such as banana puree, orange juice and soymilk.

Daryl Lund, emeritus professor Wisconsin University, received the Nicholas Appert Award for his work on the fouling of food contact services and microwavable food processing.

Meanwhile, Kathryn Kotula, senior investigative food scientist, Investigative Food Services, won the Carl R Fellers Award for her work advising companies involved in litigation and arbitration cases concerning outbreaks of food-borne illnesses and product spoilage.