U.S. Food Scientist to Receive World's
Highest Food Honor
WASHINGTON, June 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Philip E. Nelson, president of the
Institute of Food Technologists in 2002
and food science professor at Purdue University,
will be recognized today as the 2007 recipient
of the World Food Prize in an announcement
here at the U.S. Department of State.
Nelson has been selected for the world's
highest honor in food for his achievements
in the development of bulk aseptic packaging
and storage which allows highly perishable
foods like fruits and vegetables to be
distributed globally in a sterile environment
without refrigeration and without significant
loss of nutrients.
Today's announcement will include Nobel
Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug,
chairman of the World Food Prize selection
committee, World Food Prize President
Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, and be presided
over by Daniel Sullivan, the acting undersecretary
of state for economic, business and agricultural
affairs.
"Dr. Nelson's pioneering work has
made it possible to produce ultra-large
scale quantities of high quality food,"
says Ambassador Quinn. "The food
can be stored for long periods of time
and transported anywhere in the world
without losing nutritional value or taste."
This has proven to
be a critical advancement in times of
food crisis, according to Quinn.
With the aid of aseptic food technology
potable water and emergency food aid was
distributed to survivors of the 2004 tsunami
in Southeast Asia and to the U.S. victims
of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as well
as to other crisis situations worldwide.
Nelson's innovative research led to the
development of preserving and transporting
perishable foods without refrigeration
in carbon steel tanks ranging in size
from delivery truck to ocean freighter.
By coating tanks with epoxy resin and
sterilizing valves and filters, food can
be stored and removed without introducing
contaminants.As
a result, enormous volumes of food are
safely stored and shipped around the globe
for final processing, packaging and distribution.
"Bulk aseptic
processing and packaging is recognized
among the world's greatest food innovations"
during the past 70 years, according to
Al Clausi, former IFT president and current
member of the World Food Prize Council
of Advisors that includes former U.S.
Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W.
Bush and former Philippine president Corazon
Aquino, among others.
"This modern advancement in food
science and technology compares with Clarence
Birdseye's frozen foods, the microwave
oven, and concentrated frozen juices"
developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture
research labs, says Clausi.
Nelson is the first food scientist and
second IFT member to receive this highest
honor.
In 1991, Nevin S. Scrimshaw was recognized
for his lifetime achievements in identifying
and fortifying local food sources to reduce
diseases associated with malnutrition
in developing nations around the world.
Among his other many achievements, Scrimshaw
also founded the Department of Nutrition,
Food Science and Technology at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in 1961.
Nelson has been involved in the storage
and packaging of food since childhood.
In his early years working on his family's
tomato farm and canning factory in Morristown,
Ind., he earned the crown of "Tomato
King" at the Indiana State Fair.
The 2007 World Food Prize and its $250,000
award will be formally presented to Nelson
on October 18 during ceremonies at the
Iowa State Capitol, part of the World
Food Prize's Norman E. Borlaug International
Symposium. Further information about the
World Food Prize and the Laureate Award
Ceremony and Symposium can be found at
http://www.worldfoodprize.org.
The U.S. Department of State is located
at 2201 C Street NW.
Founded in 1939, and
with world headquarters in Chicago, Illinois,
USA, the Institute of Food Technologists
is a not-for-profit international scientific
society with 22,000 members working in
food science, technology and related professions
in academia, government and industry.
As the society for food science and technology,
IFT brings sound science to the public
discussion of food issues. For more on
IFT, see http://www.ift.org.