IUFoST partners with Hi Europe to present Lifetime Achievement and Young Scientist Excellence Awards

The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) presented the 2012 Lifetime Achievement and Young Scientist awards to David Lineback and Yapeng Fang respectively, in conjunction with the NuW Excellence Awards. These awards, in partnership with Hi Europe, were presented recently at the awards ceremony that also included recognition for industry innovation. Dr. David Lineback and Dr. Yapeng Fang received the IUFoST/NuW Excellence Awards to acknowledge their outstanding achievements.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honours an individual for pre-­‐eminence in and contributions to the field of food science and technology over his/her career. The individual will have made significant contributions to scientific knowledge with impact in areas such as the following: food safety; food quality; human nutrition; product, process, package innovation; food security (availability, accessibility, affordability); consumer acceptability; communication of food science and technology, regulations, combinations of above.

In being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Lineback was described by one nominator as “truly a giant in the world of food science and technology, and many of us have been fortunate and privileged to have stood on his shoulders.”

“His notable participation in CODEX, FAO, WHO and technical societies was greatly appreciated and assisted in advancing the profession through a career of more than 50 years. One of the more important contributions was his chairing the review activities around the acrylamide issue. Without David’s sure hand and even treatment the issue could have resulted in a real nightmare for the fried food industry. He was able to take a calming influence into the discussion and generate a final resolution that was acceptable to widely disparate parties. In all his years of service he was ever mindful of the importance of maintaining a balance between the developed and developing economies and the special needs of each category in the food arena.”

The Young Scientist Award recognizes an individual in the initial phases of her/his career for the potential to make outstanding scientific contributions to the field of food science and technology and the potential for future scientific leadership.

Dr. Yapeng Fang received the Young Scientist Award for his substantial advancements in fundamental knowledge of food hydrocolloids. These findings have benefited the food industry, especially with regards to food structure design and functional food development leading to higher quality food products. His work has garnered him an international reputation and he is a much sought after speaker.

Dr. Fang’s finding of binding ability of fatty acids by gum Arabic through hydrophobic interactions, using EPR (Electron paramagnetic resonance), is significant and will lead to the development of cholesterol reducing strategies, and promises to have untold global health benefits.

IUFoST congratulates Dr. David Lineback and Dr. Yapeng Fang on these outstanding achievements.