IFT Announces 2013 Innovation Award Winners

CHICAGOGlanbia Nutritionals, NIZO food research, PerkinElmer and Tate & Lyle were recipients of the 2013 IFT Food Expo Innovations Award that were announced at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo®.

Glanbia Nutritionals won for its Optisol 3000 egg replacement system, which is comprised of whey protein concentrate (WPC) and milled flaxseed. The WPC contains a unique protein profile to provide additional functional benefits, while the flaxseed component was developed to maximize the gum and fiber contributions from the flax. It can be used as a 100% egg replacer in baked products, such as muffins, cookies and cornbread. Sensory trials have shown no significant difference in appearance, taste and texture.

NIZO food research was honored for its new sensory technology, acoustic tribology. The technology records and analyzes the sound of rubbing of the tongue against the food, and can be used to predict the sensory effects of food innovations. Creaminess or astringency of new foods or prototypes can now be determined by measuring the sound generated by the food interacting with the tongue during consumption. Acoustic tribology has been demonstrated in a range of dairy systems; however, it can be applied to any food.

PerkinElmer won for its AxION DSA/TOF mass spectrometry system, which eliminates time-consuming sample preparation steps and front-end gas or liquid chromatography. The technology allows for the direct analysis of food samples in a few seconds. It can be used for rapid measurement of food adulteration, contamination, and characterization with minimal sample preparation and no chromatography. Examples of food characterization with DSA/TOF include caffeine in beverages, capsaicin in peppers and hot sauces, vanillin in vanilla extracts, and curcumins in turmeric powder.

Tate & Lyle was honored for its SODA-LO salt microspheres, which can reduce salt content by 25% to 50% in a variety of foods without sacrificing taste. The ingredient is created with patent-pending technology that turns standard salt crystals into free-flowing hollow crystalline microspheres. These smaller, lower-density crystals efficiently deliver salty taste by maximizing surface area relative to volume. Successful applications to date include bread, peanuts, microwave popcorn, crackers, chips, French fries and seasoned meat.