Gi's a job

Serving up graduates

Food industry and engineering—Quo vadis?

Technology offers sustainable nutrition solutions

From the Chief Executive and <scp>IFST</scp> News

Introduction to the IFT 2011 Resource Guide for Approval and Re‐Approval of Undergraduate Food Science Programs

Careers case studies

by Philip E. Nelson, 2007 World Food Prize Laureate; Professor Emeritus, Food Science Dept., Purdue Univ. Just as society has evolved over time, our food system has also evolved over centuries into a global system of immense size and complexity. The commitment of food science and technology professionals to advancing the science of food, ensuring a safe and abundant food supply, and contributing to healthier people everywhere is integral to that evolution. Food scientists and technologists are versatile, interdisciplinary, and collaborative practitioners in a profession at the crossroads of scientific and technological developments. As the food system has drastically changed, from one centered around family food production on individual farms and home food preservation to the modern system of today, most people are not connected to their food nor are they familiar with agricultural production and food manufacturing designed for better food safety and quality. The Institute of Food Technologists-a nonprofit scientific society of individual members engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government-has the mission to advance the science of food and the long-range vision to ensure a safe and abundant food supply contributing to healthier people everywhere. IFT convened a task force and called on contributing authors to develop this scientific review to inform the general public about the importance and benefits of food science and technology in IFT's efforts to feed a growing world. The main objective of this review is to serve as a foundational resource for public outreach and education and to address misperceptions and misinformation about processed foods. The intended audience includes those who desire to know more about the application of science and technology to meet society's food needs and those involved in public education and outreach. It is IFT's hope that the reader will gain a better understanding of the goals or purposes for various applications of science and technology in the food system, and an appreciation for the complexity of the modern food supply. Abstract: This Institute of Food Technologists scientific review describes the scientific and technological achievements that made possible the modern production-to-consumption food system capable of feeding nearly 7 billion people, and it also discusses the promising potential of ongoing technological advancements to enhance the food supply even further and to increase the health and wellness of the growing global population. This review begins with a historical perspective that summarizes the parallel developments of agriculture and food technology, from the beginnings of modern society to the present. A section on food manufacturing explains why food is processed and details various food processing methods that ensure food safety and preserve the quality of products. A section about potential solutions to future challenges briefly discusses ways in which scientists, the food industry, and policy makers are striving to improve the food supply for a healthier population and feed the future. Applications of science and technology within the food system have allowed production of foods in adequate quantities to meet the needs of society, as it has evolved. Today, our production-to-consumption food system is complex, and our food is largely safe, tasty, nutritious, abundant, diverse, convenient, and less costly and more readily accessible than ever before. Scientific and technological advancements must be accelerated and applied in developed and developing nations alike, if we are to feed a growing world population.

Why not become a STEM ambassador?

"The second edition of the book Food Science and Technology: Glossary of Preeminence contains essential acronyms and a comprehensive glossary of terms spanning all letters of the alphabet, as well as supplementary materials. This book covers nearly every significant concept in the fields of food processing, post-harvest technology, food science and technology, food engineering, food packaging, food biochemistry and applied nutrition, food and industrial microbiology, snack food processing, bakery and confectionary, cereal crops, beverages, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish, food biotechnology, food additives, food enzymes, waste management, food toxicants, fermentation technology, health foods and nutraceuticals, food quality systems, and analytical techniques for quality control, among others. Each term in the glossary has been thoroughly explained with examples for enhanced comprehension. This glossary has been developed according to the ICAR syllabus for undergraduate and postgraduate students. As far as we know, there is no other book available that offers a comprehensive glossary of terminology related to Food Science and Technology. This book will be incredibly beneficial to both undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing courses in Postharvest Technology, Food Technology, Food Science and Technology, as well as professionals in the food processing industry. "

Handbook of food science, technology, and engineering

: Food Science and Technology presents an integrated, research-level treatment of food as a complex, multiscale system shaped by physical, chemical, biological, and socio-economic processes. Beginning with molecular and microstructural foundations, the book explains how interactions among water, macronutrients, and colloidal matrices determine stability, texture, and flavour. It then examines the full spectrum of food processing technologies, from thermal operations to emerging non-thermal and digitally augmented processes, emphasising their implications for quality, safety, and resource efficiency. The volume situates food safety and quality assurance within contemporary regulatory and governance frameworks, highlighting the co-production of public health through science, standards, and digital surveillance. Nutritional perspectives are developed through a detailed analysis of composition, functional foods, gut microbiota, and personalised nutrition, linking technological innovation to global health challenges. Finally, the book adopts a systems lens on sustainability, addressing environmental footprints, alternative proteins, circular bioeconomy strategies, and climate-resilient supply chains, while foregrounding issues of ethics, equity, and inclusive innovation. Across its chapters, the book combines theoretical rigour with real-world applications and current research trends, providing a foundation for advanced study and policy-relevant analysis. It is intended for graduate students, researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers seeking a comprehensive and critical understanding of contemporary food science and technology. Keywords food science, food technology, food processing, food safety, nutrition, functional foods, sustainability, circular bioeconomy, alternative proteins, personalised nutrition.

Abstract: The current generation of students coming into food science and engineering programs is very visually oriented from their early experiences. To increase their interest in learning, new and visually appealing teaching materials need to be developed. Two diverse groups of students may be identified based on their math skills. Food science students tend to find it difficult to use mathematics as a problem‐solving tool for food engineering problems. Food engineering students, on the other hand, should be challenged to use emerging mathematical tools to develop their problem‐solving skills. Therefore, the approach of this project involved the development of a curriculum to train undergraduate food engineers in the effective use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to solve food engineering problems by engaging them in the creation of food engineering teaching tools. These CFD outputs were then used as innovative teaching tools for the food science students. In this paper, this concept will be illustrated by unsteady‐state heat transfer and fluid flow problems. To evaluate the efficiency of the teaching materials developed, a student focus group was asked to answer the same quiz following a conventional and CFD output aided teaching session. The assessment result showed an improved understanding of the subject after the CFD teaching session. These visual aids were excellent tools to illustrate the validity of the formulas presented in class. In addition, the new visual materials enabled a better understanding of the relationships among different process parameters. In general, this helped the food science students better appreciate the food engineering concepts that govern food processing operations.

A step forward in food science, technology and industry using artificial intelligence

This introductory chapter considers a range of elementary issues important for those interested in food science and food technology, including significance, basic definitions and history of the subject. The chapter is divided into five sections. 1. Introduction, food technology and food science, definitions for food, history of food technology and processing. 2. Origins of food science and food technology,starting with 18th and 19th centuries, food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering and processing, food analysis. 3. Entering the twentieth century, the interdisciplinary years, advances in technology and quality from 1960–1970s, progress from 1980s to 2000s, computerization and the internet, food consumer trends for the twenty-first century. 4. Food technology and society, the media and food literacy, food safety, nutrition- food and well-being, food and public health, food agro-businesses and development, food security. 5. Food science education outcomes – IFT certified programs, characteristics of food science programs, other food related programs, careers in food science. With greater than 100 references and 4 appendices.

Attending scientific lectures in food science and technology or reading scientific and technological articles reveals contradictions between scientists, sometimes using different words for the same object and even changing words in their own talks or articles; such contradictions can even be observed within the same research institution or within the same team. In French, food generates a perception called “gout”, which is the result of many stimuli plus some brain processing. When flavours reminiscent of other food or non-food items are distinguished during consumption, the word “flavours” would be more appropriate than aromas, because indeed, what is recognized is the synthetic perception, and not only an odour. Regarding flavour, part of the difficulty lies in the fact that the sensory scientific community is not the same as the chemist’s one.