Macy Award Winner 2019

Macy Award Committee

The award, established in 1981, is given annually to recognize an outstanding example of food technology transfer or cooperation between scientists in academic, government, and private industry. The award honors Harold Macy, former Dean Emeritus of the University of Minnesota and a Founding Member of IFT. The award consists of a plaque, $2500 honorarium and travel expenses. The awardee was invited to address the Minnesota Section at the annual Macy Award meeting held April 11, 2019 in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The 2019 Harold Macy Food Science and Technology award recipient is Gary Reineccius of University of Minnesota. As many know, Dr. Reineccius has an active research program in flavoring. Of late, his research interest has been in the flavoring of high protein foods. Flavoring foods that have substantial amounts protein is challenging because of the inherent off flavors associated with various protein isolates and then the chemical reactions that occur during processing or storage between flavorings and the protein.

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About Macy Award

The Harold Macy Food Science and Technology Award was established by the MN Section of the Institute of Food Technologists in 1981. In the words of the bylaw adopted to formally establish the Award, its purpose "shall be to advance the profession and practice of food technology and to honor Dean Emeritus Harold Macy by the selection each year of an outstanding example of food technology transfer or cooperation between scientists or technologists in any two of the following settings:

  • Academic
  • Government
  • Private industry

by the preparation of appropriate descriptive material describing the accomplishments involved, and inviting of the individual awardee or awardees to address the annual Award meeting of the Section."

Harold Macy, emeritus charter professional member of IFT and former dean of the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota, died in 1986 at the age of 91. Dean Harold Macy, "Jo" to those who knew him, had a long and illustrious career in the food industry. His first and most extensive association focused on interests in dairy science, and his professional activity in dairy husbandry, processing and bacteriology, and later in food technology, spanned over 50 years. Jo Macy was involved in formulations and writing of some of the first public health regulations for milk and other dairy products, to assure their safety and wholesomeness. Among his most notable achievements in technology transfer was the establishment in 1936 of the Dairy Quality Control Institute (DQCI). For many years, DQCI oversaw on a cooperative basis, the quality of milk marketed in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and included an analytical laboratory that was highly respected on a national basis. He was also involved in the original founding of the American Dairy Association and the Dairy Council, which was in Macy's words "one of the dairy industry's most precious accomplishments."

Macy's academic career began in 1919 as an assistant professor of dairy bacteriology at the University of Minnesota. In the succeeding 44 years, he moved up through the ranks and completed his campus tenure as dean of what was then the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics. It is thus entirely fitting that a Minnesota IFT Section award emphasizing technology transfer among academia, government, and private industry should honor the name of Harold Macy.

Past Macy Award Recipients

2018 - Kathryn J. Boor

2017 - Dennis Heldman

2016 - Tara McHugh

2015 - Martin Wiedmann

2014 - Ken Lee

2013 - Theodore P. Labuza

2012 - Award Not Given

2011 - Jae W. Park

2010 - Kevin M. Keener

2009 - Richard W. Hartel

2008 - Donald Kramer

2007 - John Surak

2006 - Gary List

2005 - David B. Min

2004 - Richard Linton

2003 - Robert J. Price

2002 - Stephen L. Taylor

2001 - Jozef Kokini

2000 - Keith Ito

1999 - W. James Harper

1998 - Richard Lechowich

1997 - Daniel Y.C. Fung

1996 - Elaine R. Wedral

1995 - James N. BeMiller

1994 - Kenneth R. Swartzel

1993 - George E. Inglett

1992 - Peter Barton Hutt

1991 - John J. Powers

1990 - Arnold E. Denton

1989 - Rose Marie Pangborn

1988 - Philip E. Nelson

1987 - Howard E. Bauman

1986 - Norman F. Olson

1985 - Joseph C. Olson, Jr.

1984 - Robert Pearl

1983 - Gary H. Richardson

1982 - E.M. "Mike" Foster

1981 - Harold Macy