"Food Science and Technology Expertise Vital in the fight against hunger"

By Pingfan Rao, IUFoST President

"World hunger, food security and food safety issues cannot be solved without food scientists and technologists. Governmental and international bodies working to improve conditions nationally and globally need the help of food scientists to reduce waste, improve nutrition and secure enough food for all. To ignore the importance of this scientific discipline is to reduce the effectiveness of current and prospective programs for food, health and wellness, food safety and food security."

That was the message that Professor Pingfan Rao, newly elected President of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), gave when he addressed the General Assembly at the recent World Congress 16 in Iguassu Falls, Brazil. The Congress brought together Shenggen Fan, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute), Philip Nelson (World Food Prize Laureate), representatives of some of the major food companies including Coca Cola, Almond Board of California and Cargill, International Council for Science (ICSU) Vice President, ILSI Europe Scientific Director and Brazilian Association of Food Industries President among others, to increase pressure on governmental bodies and other international organisations to include food scientists and technologists as an integral part of any team directed at reducing world hunger and increasing food safety, security, health and wellbeing. The gathering of the world community of food science and technology in Brazil featured experts from many disciplines and brought together industry, academia, government and international and non-governmental groups. Water and other environmental issues, political barriers, lack of knowledge of how to use and preserve available resources are all part of the IUFoST action plan going forward and the integral role food scientists and technologists have to play is top of the agenda.

Congress Landmarks:

The 16th World congress of Food Science and Technology held in Iguassu Falls, Brazil, broke attendance records and records for the number of abstracts presented. It was also the site of the first Industry Leaders Summit and the first time the World Congress has been held in Latin America. For an important retrospective on the congress, visit the congress blog (www.iufostbrazil2012.wordpress.com). The blog (already viewed in 50 countries) is the daily record of the congress from the opening "friendly" football match, through selected sessions, interviews and commentary, all of which covered individual achievements and global industry leaders' perspectives on the future and on what they see as their responsibilities. Jose Aguilera, Daryl Lund, Pingfan Rao, Geoffrey Campbell-Platt, Philip Nelson and Shenggen Fan and others all go on record. The Congress in pictures is also presented here: www.iufost.org.br/en/node/155184 . The work and dedication, under the leadership of Professors Glaucia Pastore and Delia Rodriguez-Amaya, of all the Brazilian Congress Organising Committee members, is gratefully acknowledged.

International Academy Fellows:

Twenty-three new Fellows were inducted into the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST). These Fellows exemplify the best minds of food science and technology internationally.

The Inductees were:

Jaime Amaya-Farfan (Brazil), Charles Aworh (Nigeria), Hongda Chen (USA), Roger Clemens (USA), Levente Diosady (Canada), Elisabeth Dumoulin (France), Shenggen Fan (USA), Anne Goldman (Canada), Ralf Greiner (Germany), Richard Hartel (USA), Jeya Henry (Singapore), Chen Jian (China), Michael Knowles (Belgium), Yun Bo Luo (China), Francis Malcata (Portugal), Donald Mercer (Canada), Dennis Miller (USA), Clare Mills (UK), Enrique Ortega-Rivas (Mexico), George Saravacos (Greece), Sudhir Sastry (USA), Da-Wen Sun (Ireland) and Martin Wiedmann (USA).

Distinguished Service Medals:

Five individuals who have distinguished themselves in service to IUFoST and its mission were recognised. They are: Daryl Lund (USA), Lim Chee Kian (Singapore), Pieter Van Twisk (South Africa), Walter Spiess (Germany) and David Lineback (USA).

Young Scientists:

Eight Young Scientists were chosen by an international jury to speak to the World Congress on their research findings.

They included: Donna-Maree Cawthorn (SAAFoST - South Africa), Lile He (IFT - USA), Yeting Liu (SIFST - Singapore), Nicolas Meneses (EFFoST - Belgium), Cornelia Rauh, (GEFFoST - Germany), Claudia Troeger (UKFFoST - UK), Chibuike Udenigwe (CIFST - Canada) and Fernanda Vanin (Brazil).

Global Food Industry Awards: The IUFoST Global Food Industry Awards were established to recognise global leadership in industry through product / process innovation, package innovation and in communicating science related knowledge.

The 2012 World Congress Winners of the Global Food Industry Awards are:

Product and/or Process Innovation Award:

• Campbell Company of Canada with 'Nourish'

• Beijing Hongluo Food Co. Ltd. with 'Tuckahoe Cake'

• Jumain Sataysfaction with 'Asli Microwaveable Tender Chicken Satay'

• Unilever Ltd with 'Knorr Cook in Bags' • VIFON with 'Instant Crab Meat Meals'

• Kikkoman Food Products Company with 'Shiboritate-nama Shoyu' Honourable Mention

• Baixiang Food Group with 'Baixiang Instant Noodles of Fine Stew Series'

• Yantai Shinho Enterprise Food Co with 'Cong Ban Lv Liu Xian Soybean Paste'

Package Innovation Awards:

• Forte Plastics with 'Microwaveable/Conventional Oven Self Venting, Crisping and Cooking Bag'

• Industri-Bag with 'Bag in a Tube'

• Unilever with 'Knorr Cook in Bags'

Communicating Science-related Knowledge Awards:

• Faire Cape Dairies with 'Rooiboost'

• Abbott Laboratories Pte Ltd. with 'Grow School'

The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) calls upon governments, industry, international bodies and others to join in the work towards food security and safety and the elimination of hunger for all. With a collective will it is possible and the more than 300,000 members of IUFoST have pledged themselves to this goal.

Join us. For more information about IUFoST and its work contact secretariat@iufost.org . For IUFoST's mission and vision, read the Cape Town Declaration. The 17th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, hosted by the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), will be held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Quebec, Canada on 17-21 August 2014, with the theme 'Research that Resonates.' Preliminary details and information can be found on the Congress 17 website: http://iufost2014.org/ . Congress 17 Chair is Professor Rickey Yada of the University of Guelph. Prof Yada is an Academy Fellow, and Chair of IUFoST’s Scientific