The Institute of Food Research, an institution of NARO, is pleased to announce that Dr. Kazutaka Yamamoto of the Hygiene Group, Department of Food Safety and Processing Research, has been elected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST). The selection was officially announced on April 13, 2026.
IAFoST, operating under the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), confers Fellowship status upon individuals who have demonstrated internationally recognized scientific excellence or outstanding leadership in the field of food science and technology across academia, industry, government, and related sectors. Each year, up to 30 Fellows are elected through a rigorous nomination and voting process conducted by existing Fellows, with careful attention to global diversity and representation.
Fellows serve not as representatives of specific organizations but as independent experts committed to advancing global food science and technology and contributing to societal well-being.
Dr. Kazutaka Yamamoto is internationally recognized in the field of food processing using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). He has also contributed to starch science and food safety. In addition to developing HHP-processed fruit compotes, he successfully commercialized Japan's first domestically produced HHP-processed juice in 2025. Furthermore, he has made significant international contributions to food safety. He served for many years as Japan's representative (2002-2025) and Vice-Chair (2009-2025) of the OECD Working Party for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds. He is also active in the IUFoST Food Safety Working Group (2022-) and the IUFoST Codex Committee Working Group (2022-). His contributions to food safety also include capacity building activities in developing countries, such as lectures in Malaysia, Algeria, and the Philippines. In addition, he has been engaged in education through programs such as the University of Tsukuba Cooperative Graduate School course "Food Safety" (since 2016), training programs by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2001-2008) as well as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (since 2010).
The formal induction ceremony for the 2026 Fellows will be held during the 23rd World Congress of Food Science and Technology, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong at the end of October 2026.
