Washington, D.C. – The National Cheese Institute named David M. Barbano, Ph.D., a professor of food science at Cornell University, as the recipient of the 2018 NCI Laureate Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant and long-term contributions to the development and growth of the cheese industry.
NCI Chairman David Ahlem, who is president and CEO of Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc., presented the award to Dr. Barbano this week during a special ceremony at the International Dairy Foods Association's Dairy Forum 2018 in Palm Desert, Calif.
“The National Cheese Institute bestows its highest honor, the NCI Laureate Award, on an outstanding researcher, a prolific writer and a revered teacher,” Ahlem said, before introducing a brief video on Dr. Barbano and his achievements. The video is available here.
Through his research, Dr. Barbano has developed and introduced many industry advancements, including new cheese manufacturing processes that are cost effective and have helped to improve product safety. He also improved the functionality of mozzarella cheese and the sensory qualities of reduced and low-fat cheese.
Dr. Barbano has been affiliated with Cornell University for more than 50 years. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food science, he joined the department as a professor in 1980 to share his knowledge and inspire dairy students.
Throughout his work at Cornell, Dr. Barbano has significantly improved testing methods and procedures for all dairy products, and his research on the chemistry and processing of dairy foods helped to develop many innovative solutions. He has published more than 85 peer-reviewed articles related to the cheese industry and trained more than 60 graduate students, including many who are now making their own contributions to the industry.
Other cheese industry pioneers who have won the NCI Laureate Award include Kathy Glass, Gary Vanic, Fritz Leeman, Bob Bush, Larry Jensen, Lou Gentine, Mark Johnson, Jerome Schuman, Larry Ferguson, John Jeter, Mark Davis, Wes Allen, Elmer Marth, Max Gonzenbach, Rudy Nef, Betsy Holden, Don Storhoff, Lester Kielsmeier, Hans Epprecht, Norm Olson, Dave Nusbaum, John Nelson, Harold Steinke, Raymond Goldbach, Jack Budahn and Vince Zehren.
NCI will issue a call for nominations for the 2019 NCI Laureate Award this summer.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which employs nearly 1 million skilled individuals, generates more than $39 billion in direct wages and has an overall economic impact of more than $200 billion. IDFA is the umbrella organization for the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA).
Our members range from large multinational organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Our diverse membership includes numerous food retailers, suppliers and companies that offer infant formula and a wide variety of milk ingredients. Visit IDFA at www.idfa.org.
Source: The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)