Group News

A number of events are being set up by SCI's Regional and Technical Groups for Early Career Scientists. Keep an eye on our events calendar and make the most of support being offered to PhD students, postdocs, and those starting out in industry or academia.

Your chance to hear award-winning students speak on food science, food technology and human nutrition

SCI has assembled an impressive line-up of speakers in its free Public Evening Lecture series to discuss
food and fuel security, innovation in energy supply, and the provision of effective and affordable alternatives

Welcome to the September Newsletter of the SCI Food Commodities and Ingredients Group.

Your chance to really get involved at SCI

A full house squeezed into University College London's Ramsay Lecture Theatre on 10 January to hear Bob Rastall's fascinating talk on a modern controversy: functional foods

We look forward to putting our 2012-14 strategy into place, with the support of our members and partners. For more information on the SCI's priority objectives, see the About Us page below.

Getting too many e-mails from us? You may belong to too many technical groups. We'd recommend you limit your choice to just a couple, and one regional group.

SCI and Chemical Industries Association (CIA) members recently joined forces to share views on how to attract and retain talented, enthusiastic young people who will ensure a sustainable future for our sector.

The challenges associated with providing sufficient food in the near future are now high profile, but the nutritional quality of food is also an issue for huge numbers of people today

Please tell us what you think of SCI's services

As voted by Members at the 2011 Annual General Meeting, annual membership fees are now £90 for Standard Membership and £25 for Student Membership.

Following the death of Emeritus Professor Harry Nursten on 20 December 2011, aged 84, the former chair of the Thames and Kennet Group John Roddom writes

At the Board's annual planning day on 21 September 2011, we reviewed our strategic direction and rolling three-year plan, and realigned our priorities for the future.

Paul Skudder's Seligman Lecture delivered a fascinating selection of advances over the last 100 years covering all aspects of food processing. From raw ingredient preparation to final packaging, he captivated his audience, which included members of the Seligman family.

SCI's Board of Trustees has decided that SCI should undertake a thorough review of its awards programme. During 2012, we are therefore cutting back the distribution of awards to a minimum until the review is completed.

Seligman Fellow Swati Kadam has just completed a four month stay at the University of Birmingham investigating the rice cooking process, under the supervision of Dr Serafim Bakalis.

When your Board of Trustees last met on 16 November 2011, the key priority was to agree the rolling business plan for 2012-14 and the budget to implement this.

On 17 November at SCI HQ, Professor Subhash Anand, from the University of Bolton, presented a Public Evening Lecture on Nonwoven Fabrics in Healthcare and Medical Devices, where he reminded us that 'life often hangs by a thread'.

The past 100 years has seen a revolution in food process engineering. Substantial advances have been achieved in all aspects of food processing from raw ingredient preparation through to final packaging. Dr Paul Skudder will discuss this important subject in the Seligman Lecture on 24 Nov

From 2009-10, Dr Pramod Rai used his visit to the UK to investigate the respiration behaviour of mixed salad and the role of relative humidity in modified atmosphere packaging of fresh cut fruit and vegetables

A study published today in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture outlines a new, commercially viable method of measuring chemical compounds in cranberries, which are linked to the prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Water use to grow and process biomass feedstocks for fuels has recently emerged as an important controversy. In a world where several countries already face water stress – and where over 70% of global freshwater use takes place in the agricultural sector – bioenergy development might present considerable challenges, from the perspective of water quantity as well as water quality.

Read the Members' Code of Ethics, which is available online below.

EUREKA runs the Eurostars SME Programme to co-fund R&D and innovation projects in research-intensive SMEs, which have an ambition to develop ground-breaking new products, processes and services for the world market.

There have been a number of changes to tenancies at our London Belgrave Square headquarters recently.

Can you think of a fellow member worth their weight in gold? Nominate them to receive the Lampitt Medal or a Distinguished Service Award

Julian Perfect has kindly volunteered to take up the role of Hon Librarian. SCI will continue to seek additional volunteers to support Julian and to help us to ensure continuity.

On 17 November 2011, Prof Subhash Anand delivered an SCI Public Evening Lecture on 'Non-woven fabrics in healthcare and medical devices'

Dame Sue Ion has been a prominent figure in the UK nuclear industry for decades, and is internationally recognised as an expert in nuclear fuels.

We have definitive legal advice on the subject of sending 'unsolicited direct marketing emails' and a few suggestions on how to guard against breach of the legislation are also set out below.

Presenting my work at this conference also gave me the opportunity to promote a recent publication in the well-regarded journal Plant Physiology which included work relating to my PhD which formed part of a larger HortLink project (HL0182).

Distinguished Service Awards are presented annually at the Society's AGM. The awards celebrate the hard work and goodwill of longer-serving Members of all component parts of the Society

6-12 June 2011 sees the return of the Food Group's popular 'Ask A Food Scientist': your chance to ask an expert any food-related question!

Biofortified and Functional Food: A Healthy Future? 19 May 2011 Past Papers

Three top UK scientists were recognised at SCI's International Honours Presentation on 12 November 2009.

'Ask a Horticultural Scientist' ran from 15-22 May 2011, and was your chance to ask your questions on professional crop production and protection and other horticultural issues via the SCI forums.

Artem Pastukhov, a postgraduate student of the University of Refrigeration and Food Engineering, St Petersburg, Russia, was awarded the Seligman APV Fellowship in 2010 with the objective of investigating heat and mass transfer processes during the cooling of bakery products.

Is there a scientific basis for concern over human-induced climate change? This was the subject of the first Public Evening Lecture of 2011, entitled 'The challenge of climate change', given by Sir Brian Hoskins. A soundtrack of the lecture is now available

The College of Scholars was established to help current SCI scholars make the most of the opportunities the SCI scholarships provide

On 16 September 2010, SCI hosted a free Public Evening Lecture featuring Fred Pearce, who is currently the environment consultant of New Scientist magazine and a regular contributor to British newspapers.

Prof David Philips presented a lecture on the subject of light - from sun damage to photo-medicine as part of SCI's Public Lecture Series. The overheads can be downloaded here, and you can also listen to audio.

A profile of the newest members of SCI's governance: Dr Brian Iddon, Professor K Clive Thompson and Dr Roger Gilmour

GM Food was the subject of the third in the SCI's series of public lectures and took place on 2 December 2010.

Dr Geoff Fowler reports

In the six months since Joanne Lyall was appointed Executive Director of SCI, she has launched a new business plan for 2011-13.

Joanne Lyall joined SCI as Executive Director on 21 June 2010

On 9 November 2010, the Membership Advisory Committee held its annual Members' Forum, chaired by Dr Geoff Fowler

SCI members are not impressed with the BBC's coverage of science and think it is neither impartial nor accurate, according to a survey carried out in September 2010.

Feeding the world in 2020 will be a challenge – but the humble chicken could come to the rescue.

In this period of substantial public sector cuts the Chancellor has recognised the fundamental role science will play in economic recovery.

Winning entries examined the influence of background music on the sensory perception of coffee, and saliva on the sensory stickiness of food

Welcome to the December Newsletter of the SCI Food Commodities and Ingredients Group.

Horticulture, BioResources, and Food Commodities and Ingredients Groups have all recently launched Facebook Groups.

Andy Kerridge is director of quality assurance at Burger King, with specific responsibilities for new market entry and new product commercialisation.

Food scientists from the Food Commodities and Ingredients Group answer questions from SCI members and the general public on subjects ranging from cooking and nutrition, to vegetarianism and food safety.

Six young researchers won prizes for their presentations at BioResources Group’s recent Crop Productivity, Sustainability and Utility conference at the University of Reading. PhD students and post-docs from 14 universities and research institutes presented oral papers and posters at this multidisciplinary event.

PhD student Agata James is a member of the BioResources Group's committee. She has a keen interest in industrial biotechnology, innovation, and sustainable food production with a particular focus on developing enzymatic processes.

The 2009 Wesley Cocker Award was presented to Kevin Guiry for his paper 'Effect of 1-Deoxy-D-lactose upon the Crystallization of D-Lactose’. The prize of €500 was presented to him by Dr Nick Gathergood who is a former Chair of the SCI All-Ireland group.

90% of Brazil's cashew apple production is wasted every year due to lack of proper preservation methods

Pierre Akeli's work on the Mechanical Pressing of Fermented Cassava Paste During Attieke Processing

Seligman Fellow Eliana Fissore is currently in North Wales working on a project in the Centre for Water Soluble Polymers at Glyndwr University under the supervision of Prof Peter A Williams.

At this conference, in the division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (AGFD), I presented a poster entitled: Measurement of some physical and chemical properties of reconstituted skim milk powder at high temperatures using dialysis membranes.

The Congress was attended by more than 3,000 participants and was a joint event between the Portuguese Horticultural Association and the Spanish Society for Horticultural Sciences. The Congress was a very large event including colloquia, symposia, seminars, workshops, poster sessions and exhibitions addressing every issue and specialisation of horticultural science and industry.

I was accepted to give a talk on ‘Evaluation of factors affecting shelf-life and quality biomarkers of imported avocado fruit’ in the ‘Postharvest’ session, one of the 18 symposia present at the conference.

Educationalist Sir David Harrison, SCI member and former chairman of the Awards Committee, talks about his perception of science in education, the media and today’s quality of teaching

REACH is an EU-led initiative to test all chemical substances imported or manufactured in quantities of over one ton in the EU by 2018.

Diane Wood started out as an SCI Member and now works for the Society providing support and customer care.

The global financial crisis has reduced access to credit, combined with a sharp decline in demand for durable goods – both of which have impacted the chemical industry.

SCI, the society established nearly 140 years ago to link science with business in the application of scientific innovation, has recognised three top UK scientists in the International Honours announced on 12 November 2009.

In July 2009, SCI entered into a broader strategic alliance with the American Chemical Society (ACS) to advance chemistry-based knowledge and address global issues of mutual interest and benefit to our members.

SCI provided very valuable resources for my career, Dr Melling tells Members News

More than 50 SCI members attended the Members’ Forum held on Wednesday 25 November 2009

SCI and its publishing partner John Wiley and Sons are launching a new range of books.

Want to reduce ageing, improve cognitive function and manage your weight better? Perhaps you should consume more antioxidants. Are antioxidants just a marketing food fad or does the science behind the word hold value?

SCI’s website now features a poll on the homepage, where users can vote to express their opinions on a variety of issues.

It could be said that this waving, drowning or emerging figure represents the global chemical industry as delegates heard at the SCI Summit, since some companies are suffering badly while others are making the best they can, and others even seeing some improvement.

The Young Chemist in Industry symposium is an annual, one-day meeting, which represents a unique opportunity for younger chemists to showcase their industrial research to an external audience.

Stephanie Burns, CEO and Chairman of Dow Corning and new Honorary President of SCI, talks about her experience leading a corporation where innovation is paramount. She also discusses SCI's role in driving knowledge transference in the chemical industry, CSR initiatives and innovative ideas for the future of SCI involving community engagement and mentoring of young scientists.

Food Events from the Institute of Food Science and Technology

Have you ever read a news story based on science that concerns you?

Sue talks about her experiences with teaching science to boys and girls, and particularly about her efforts to encourage girls into the field.

An alliance between SCI, the Society of Dyers and Colourists and the Oil and Colour Chemists’ Association will deliver reciprocal benefits to members of all three organisations

SCI is always happy to welcome new volunteers and members to the Society.

On Thursday 11 and Friday 12 September 2008, SCI ran two ‘workshop and best practice sharing’ events, open to all Treasurers, Secretaries and Chairs of Regional Interest (RIG) and Technical Interest Groups (TIG).

The main aim of SCI is to bring members together and an online forum can help us do this through the web.

The third SCI Members' Forum 2009 took place on 25 November at SCI HQ, London.

On Monday, 28 September 2009, SCI will be hosting a one-day ‘Volunteer Workshop and Best Practice’ day for the Honorary Chairmen, Secretaries and Treasurers of all its UK-based Interest Groups.

Carol Wilson, won the SCI Northern Ireland Human Nutrition Prize for the best student in the final year of the BSc (Hons) human nutrition with diploma in industrial studies.

A J Banks travel bursar Thiruchelvam Thanaraj reports from Antalya

A J Banks travel bursar Maria Smyrniotaki reports from Antalya

Good packaging means safe and effective product delivery, as well as enhancing consumer appeal.

The Food Commodities and Ingredients Group is publishing the results of its 'Ask a Food Scientist' campaign to mark Food Safety Week held in June 2009

Palm oil is the world’s most widely produced and traded vegetable oil and a feedstock for biodiesel. Indonesia and Malaysia dominate production and have done much to make the oil so important, but have also come under criticism for the destruction of tropical rainforest.

Do the slogans 'from plough to plate' or even, 'from field to forecourt' mean anything to you? If so, there are around a thousand SCI members who share your interests in agriculture, food, feed, fuel or fibre.

A J Banks travel bursar Jordi Giné Bordonaba reports from Antalya

Around a third of shopping piled into trolleys ends up in the bin, as consumers buy too much, or are too generous when it comes to dishing up meals

While the US is the fattest nation on earth, the UK is just ten years behind the US, and the increase in obesity is rising at almost exactly the same rate as in the US.

The Food Commodities and Ingredients Group would like to congratulate Yannan Jin, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading for being awarded first place in the ‘Antioxidants in Food – from Science to Shelf’, poster competition.

A J Banks travel bursar Gemma Chope reports from Antalya

The World Health Organization has called obesity one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century.

On 29 January 2008, in conjunction with University College London’s Chemical and Physical Society, SCI’s London Regional Group held an event revealing the secrets behind the production – and consumption – of ice cream, from the perspective of Unilever, the worlds largest ice cream manufacturer.

SCI's BioResources Group is creating an Early Careers Network for, and run by, younger members studying or researching in universities and industry.

A J Banks travel bursar Katherine Downes reports from Antalya

Separation technology is fundamental to all chemical production processes. The separation techniques used are common to a range of industries and are continuously developing.

A J Banks travel bursar Manuela Donetti reports from Antalya

A J Banks travel bursar Nettra Somboonkaew reports from Antalya

In today’s commodities markets, sugar has started to peak as renewed enthusiasm in stock and commodities takes hold.

The Annual North of England Young Scientists Research Competition was held at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) on Tuesday 24 March 2009.

Ben Summers, Young Ambassador on SCI’s Food Commodities and Ingredients Committee wins ‘Best Food, Nutrition & Health Student’ Award

The Food Commodities and Ingredients Group originally ran its 'Ask A Food Scientist' initiative in 2005

Karen Masters and Andy Kerridge travelled to the delightful surroundings of Burton Manor in Cheshire, UK to attend the Young Scientists Meeting, and take part in the judging of the competition.

Dieters spent £47million last year on pills and diet aids; it’s no wonder that so many companies want a slice of this lucrative cake.

Speaker Dr Len Fisher from the University of Bristol (pictured, with apple) is one of very few scientists to have won an ‘Ig Nobel prize’ for work that could or should never be repeated. Dr Fisher won his prize for work done on the science behind dunking a biscuit. He is also credited with inventing flammable jelly and with deducing the optimum width of cheese in a sandwich.

Learning lessons is hard; making predictions difficult

A J Banks travel bursar Pamela Crespo tells us about her interest in science and gives us her take on whether gender impacts her career.