U.S. Food Scientist to Receive World's Highest Food Honor

U.S. Food Scientist to Receive World's Highest Food Honor

June 19, 2007

    WASHINGTON, June 19 /Xinhua-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 .


    For more information, please contact: 

     Jim Klapthor
     Institute of Food Technologists,
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]