IFT - Babcock-Hart Award

Organization: Institute of Food Technologists

This award is given to honor an IFT member who has attained distinction by contributions to food technology which result in improved public health through nutrition or more nutritious food. The nominee must have made practical technological contributions resulting in improved public health, as distinguished from contributions to clinical nutrition or purely scientific research, unless it has led directly to technological developments. The technological contributions, or the technological development resulting from scientific research, must be in actual, large-scale production leading to better consumer nutrition. Such contribution could be made in the area of food production, food processing, or food packaging, storage, or distribution. An example of a contribution in processing might be the development of equipment that would process food in a way to conserve nutrients or prevent wastage; another might be the development of a process which would inhibit or prevent bacterial spoilage, oxidation, desiccation, or enzymatic deterioration of food, providing such contribution eventually influences the nutritive well-being of the consumer. An example of a contribution in food production might be genetic studies to develop improved strains of cereal, fruits, or vegetables which would provide greater yield or increased nutritive content; another might be studies on animal nutrition which improve efficiency of production, or studies on animal diseases which result in decreased losses. Contributions could also be made in packaging, storage, or distribution conditions which would eventually affect nutritive value.