DIL attended IFT’s non-thermal processing workshop

The Institute of Food Technologists (www.ift.org) is the largest global community for food technologists. The DIL represented by Dr. Volker Heinz and Prof. Stefan Toepfl is involved in particular in the divisions Biotechnology, Muscle Foods and Non-thermal Processing (NPD; http://www.ift.org/divisions/nonthermal/). Stefan Toepfl in his function as member of the NPD’s steering committee took part in this year’s workshop in Montreal, Canada. The NPD is focusing on the development of processes ranging from high pressure treatment and pulsed electrical fields to other innovative processing technologies.

During the workshop (www.montreal-npd-workshop-2010.com), about 150 participants from the food industry and mechanical engineering sector were informed about the current developments in food processing technology. Key topics of the event were the application of novel technologies for the modification of food structure and the preservation of food. “Beef meat tenderization by electrohydraulic shockwaves generated by underwater discharge and exploding wire” was the subject of a lecture provided by the DIL that contributed to the success of the event. During the workshop contact was made with American companies and cooperations initiated.

The next NPD workshop will be organized by the DIL. It is scheduled to take place 12-15 October 2011 in Osnabrück, Germany. This event will focus on advanced processing techniques, energy efficiency and sustainability as well as on innovation management.