At sunday's morning keynote session on Sunday, July 18, IFT Incoming  President Bob Gravani and IFT President-Elect Roger Clemens announced and presented four recipients with the 2010 IFT Food Expo Innovation Awards. Handary SA and other three winners were finally selected to receive these special recognitions for their novelties, out of 56 qualified entries submitted in 2010 IFT Food Expo in Chicago.  

Handary SA (www.handary.com) garnered the 2010 IFT Food Innovation Award for the development of the first and presently only 100% vegetal-sourced Nisin A. Handary’s patented NisinA is a natural antimicrobial agent, its importance is due to its wide spectrum of activity against most of Gram-positive bacteria, thereby significantly improving food safety and extending food shelf-life. Keen to get away from traditional animal-sourced Nisin A production using strains of Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis growing in milk-batches, Handary technology enables, for the first time ever, the production of high-purity Nisin A and its derivatives exclusively from renewable, non-GMO vegetal sources.

The 2010 IFT Food Expo Innovation Awards program—which was inaugurated in 2007—is designed to honor outstanding innovation in products, ingredients, applications, instruments, equipment, technology, and services. The program was only open to companies exhibiting at the 2010 IFT Food Expo in Chicago. To be eligible, the product, technology, ingredient, instrumentation, equipment, or service must have been commercially introduced since January 1, 2009. New applications of existing products/services that were commercially introduced since then were also eligible. The entry period ran from February through April 2010.

A panel of nine jurors from industry and government with expertise in ingredients, product development, processing and packaging technology, microbiology, and food safety reviewed all entries. Judging criteria included degree of innovation, solves a problem relevant to food science and technology, technical advancement, benefits to food manufacturers, benefits to consumers, and scientific merit. 

Following are judges’ comments on Handary’s innovative product of NisinA®:

● Being the only nisin made from 100% vegetable origin, this improvement is important for broad application across the food supply, and for broad consumer acceptance. With increased focus on food safety and refrigerated food products, NisinA provides benefit to a large scope of applications as a versatile, heat stable natural antimicrobial.

● This vegetarian source of nisin will expand application for what is a very natural way of preserving foods. A first of its kind.

About Institute of Food Technologists

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) exists to advance the science of food. Its long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply contributing to healthier people everywhere. Founded in 1939, IFT is a nonprofit scientific society with members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT champions the use of sound science across the food value chain through knowledge sharing, education, and advocacy, encouraging the exchange of information, providing both formal and informal educational opportunities, and furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. For additional information, please visit www.ift.org