Newswise — A team of researchers with members from North Carolina State University, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), South Atlantic Area Research Unit, and Industrial Microwave Systems L.L.C., is the winner of the 2009 Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit international society with 20,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions.
The Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award is given yearly to honor a company or organization for an outstanding development which represents a significant advancement in the application of food science and technology to food production. The award will be presented at IFT's Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Anaheim, CA on June 6th 2009.
The team is being recognized for their development of a process for continuous flow microwave sterilization of low-acid foods and biomaterials. This collaboration of university, government, and industry researchers resulted in an innovative processing technique to address the shortcomings of conventional methods of food preservation for low-acid, shelf-stable foods.
Through the use of continuous-flow microwave sterilization, processors are able to provide high throughput of aseptically processed shelf-stable low-acid foods. These foods have minimal loss in quality and nutritional value as compared to that by conventional thermal processing methods.
The first commercial process to adopt this innovative technology involved aseptic processing and packaging of sweet potato puree and the process filing received a letter of no-objection from the FDA. Development work has also been completed at the university to enable the preservation of berry purees, low-acid vegetable purees, and multiphase products such as soups and sauces.
IFT recognizes the many accomplishments that individuals and organizations have made to advance the food science industry and to help ensure safe, affordable, and nutritious foods to the world. To honor these individuals and organizations, the IFT Awards Program was created. This program grants awards, fellowships, and prizes for outstanding accomplishments in all areas of food science and technology, administering 14 Achievement Awards, the Marcel Loncin Research Prize, and the IFT Fellows program. A complete list of Award Winners can be found on the IFT Web site at http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1001772.
About IFT
Founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists is a nonprofit scientific society with more than 20,000 individual members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT serves as a conduit for multidisciplinary science thought leadership, championing the use of sound science through knowledge sharing, education, and advocacy. For more information, visit www.IFT.org.
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