Hiperbaric hosts the second edition of the HPP Research Awards to disseminate the latest scientific advances on High Pressure Processing (HPP). A wide variety of candidacies has been received from those focused on a specific product or the inactivation of a particular pathogen to those analyzing functional applications of HPP or the combination with other technologies. The three finalists have been selected by a distinguished international jury. They will have the opportunity to present their research during the second day of the HPP Innovation Week 2024, June 19.
About HPP Research Awards
Hiperbaric actively contributes to disseminating the latest scientific advances on High Pressure Processing (HPP), providing the food industry with valuable insights that enable the adoption of HPP technology to develop highly nutritious and safe food products.
Aligned with this purpose, Hiperbaric hosts the second edition of the HPP Research Awards during HPP Innovation Week 2024 to acknowledge researchers for their contributions in the field.
The HPP Research Awards are open to graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and young professionals, with a graduation date between 2020 and 2024, that have published applied research on HPP. HPP Technology should play a central role in achieving the results, regardless of the specific topic. Different types of publications are valid to present a candidacy: peer-reviewed scientific journals, oral communications or posters presented in scientific conferences.
A distinguish international jury
An international jury with an extraordinary scientific background and recognition with many contributions such as journal publications, chapters, books…The three of them play an essential role as dynamic leaders in their institutions, contributing to the development of High Pressure technologies for the food and beverage industry.
Carole Tonello, Ph.D. – VP Business Development – Hiperbaric (Spain)
Carol Tonello Samson is Vice President of Business Development at Hiperbaric, the global leader in HPP technology.
With more than 30 years of experience in HPP, Carol has worked for R&D companies as an industrial researcher in HPP. In 2003 she started with Hiperbaric, she is part of the Board of Directors and in 2022 she became a member of the Management board. She is currently responsible for the scientific and technological support provided by Hiperbaric to HPP users. In her position, she leads the Applications and Business Development departments. She also coordinates the scientific and commercial R&D projects co-financed by the Spanish State and the European Commission.
Carole holds a degree in Food Technology and a PhD in Food Science and Technology. She is multilingual (French, Spanish, and English) and has authored numerous articles and book chapters on HPP applications. Additionally, she is actively involved in industry associations and has received awards for her contributions to the field.
Kai Knoerzer, Ph.D. – Principal Research Scientist – CSIRO (Australia)
Dr Kai Knoerzer has a background in process engineering (BSc), chemical engineering (MSc) and food process engineering (PhD, summa cum laude), all awarded from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany). In 2006, he commenced work with Food Science Australia as a Postdoctoral fellow. He has since become a Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Agriculture and Food. Currently, he is leading research and venture science activities across a number of innovative food processing technologies, including High Pressure Thermal Processing (HPTP). Kai’s work has shown both scientific impact, with more than 100 peer-reviewed journal publications, conference proceedings and book chapters, 7 patents/applications, 4 edited books and over 100 oral and 50 poster presentations at national and international conferences, as well as commercial impact in the food industry. His work has also been recognized with various international awards for research excellence. Kai has been an active member of IFT’s International Division in the leadership team for +10 years and is past chair of this division.
Ann Charles Vegdahl, Ph.D. – Extension Associate – Cornell University (USA)
Ann Charles Vegdahl is Food Microbiologist with Ph.D. in Microbial Biology (Rutgers, 2017). She is currently working as an Extension Associate with the Department of Food Science at Cornell University. She oversees two major extension programs, the Cornell Microbial Food Safety, Quality and Outreach Program, and the Cornell High Pressure Processing Validation Center at Cornell AgriTech. Dr. Charles Vegdahl and her team analyze over 500 products every year conducting microbial shelf life studies, and pathogen validation studies for food manufacturers. She works closely with other researchers, government regulators, food processors. She is involved Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in the department, campus wide, and in Geneva, NY.
The evaluation process
After receiving multiple candidacies from Asia, America and Europe, the jury reviewed each submission thoroughly to choose up to three finalists. The following scoring criteria have been considered by the jury:
o Scientific merit
o Relevancy to the food science industry
o Innovation
o Practical or potential application
o Quality of the abstract
HPP Research Awards – Finalists Announcement
On top of a cash prize (600 €, 300 €, 150 € respectively), each finalist will have the opportunity to present their research during the last sessions of the second day of HPP Innovation Week 2024, June 19. Each finalist will give a 15-minute presentation with 5 additional minutes for questions.
Right after presentations given by the three finalists, the jury will discuss and determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd position during the HPP Research Awards Ceremony on June 19.
The three finalists will be additionally rewarded with the opportunity to disseminate their research through Hiperbaric’s website and media pages.
Below we disclose the three finalists:
Thank you to all the participants who submitted their work. These diverse topics showcase the large potential of high pressure processing technology. HPP Innovation Week spotlights existing applications of this technology and makes room for the generation of novel ideas through the collaboration of different types of experts in the field.
On June 23, the winners will be announced during the last conference of the day. To learn more about HPP Research Awards and about the HPP technology and its applications, register for free for HPP Innovation Week 2024 and you can watch all the content whenever you want, on demand.
