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R. P. SINGH, University of California-Davis

Several research studies have suggested a variety of methods to measure food properties, and the literature contains a large amount of data on food properties measured using published methods. But the reliability of these data is often questionable because the methods are not standardized, and slight variations in measurement procedures often lead to errors. Therefore, at the beginning of the 21st century, the food engineering community would be wise to agree on standardized methods of measurement for different food properties. The IFT Food Engineering Division may help steer this effort to develop standard procedures and calibration materials for property measurements, similar to the well-accepted AOAC and ASTM methods. Funding for such activity may be solicited from NC-136 (North Central Regional Cooperative Project) and USDA-NRI (National Research Initiative) programs that have identified research on food properties as key funding areas. The need for obtaining reliable food property data extends to the emerging areas of high-pressure, pulsed electric field, ohmic heating, and magnetic pulse processing. Unless standardized procedures are developed, more questionable data will likely be generated.