COLUMBUS — V.M. “Bala” Balasubramaniam, a professor of food engineering in the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences departments of Food Science and Technology and Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, is the 2021 recipient of the Research and Development Award from the Institute of Food Technologists.
The institute is an international, nonprofit scientific society of professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related areas in academia, government, and industry.
Known internationally for his research on high-pressure and other types of nonthermal processing, or safely processing food using significantly less heat, Balasubramaniam has won numerous national and international awards and authored or co-authored some 115 journal papers, 22 book chapters, two books, five webinars and four invention disclosures.
High-pressure pasteurization was originally introduced for the preservation of guacamole in the United States in 1997, said Balasubramaniam.
Today, high-pressure pasteurization is a commercially viable process worldwide. Deli meats, guacamole, ready-to-eat meals, juices, fruit and vegetable products, salads, and seafood are examples of pressure-treated, value-added, clean-label products available on the market.
Award winners were presented with a $3,000 honorarium and a crystal award from the institute. Balasubramaniam was previously a recipient of the IFT Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service Award.
