The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) announced that Dr. Fidel Toldrá is the recipient of the 2014 AMSA Meat Processing Award. The award, established in 1977, is sponsored by Smithfield Foods. Dr. Toldrá will be honored at a special reception and awards banquet at the AMSA 67^th Reciprocal Meat Conference on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 in Madison, WI.

Fidel Toldrá was born in Barcelona (Spain) on March 21, 1958. He received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1980, M.S. in Food Technology in 1981 and Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1984. He joined the Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (CSIC) in Valencia (Spain) with permanent position as a research scientist in 1987 and has served as Head of the Group on Biochemistry, Technology and Innovation in Meat and Meat Products since 1995. In 2001, he was appointed to Research Professor.

Dr. Toldrá was a Fulbright postdoc scholar at Purdue University from 1985-86, a visiting scientist in 1991, an Honorary Fellow in 1995 at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and a visiting scientist in 1987 at the Institute of Food Research in Bristol, UK. He has led numerous research projects and has kept an intense international research portfolio by participating in European shared-cost projects (AIR and FAIR), collaborative grants with the USA (NATO and USDA) and as a member of the Management Committee of large European Concerted Actions like COST Action-96 from 1996-99 and COST Action 921 from 2002-05.

His research interests are mainly focused on the (bio)chemical and biotechnological mechanisms involved in the processing of meat and meat products and their relevance for quality, nutrition and safety; also involving the study of enzymatic mechanisms involved in flavor development during the processing of dry-cured meat products. Since 1993, Dr. Toldrá has served as the President of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Vaquero Foundation for R+D on Pork Meat, a non-profit organization located in Madrid, Spain.

Dr. Toldrá has organized several international Workshops, Symposia and Congresses, supported by international organizations like OECD and the European Commission. He is an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) where he has served in several Committees (Food Safety and Environment, Biochemistry, International Communications, Long Range Planning, Scientific Information and Research Needs). He also served on the Executive Committee (2002-09) of the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFOST) andin the Joint FAO/WHO group of experts on disinfectants used in the food production and food processing (2007-08). He served inthe Scientific Panel on food additives (2003-08), and since 2008 is serving on the Panel on Flavorings, enzymes, processing aids and materials in contact with foods of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EU agency in charge of food safety.

Dr. Toldrá was nominated by Dr. John Sofos, Colorado State University who stated that “Dr. Toldrá is more than deserving of this AMSA award his scientific training and communication skillset have given him the ability to represent his university and the industry in a variety of ways.”

Source: AMSA