Philip E. Nelson, a professor at Purdue University in Indiana, this week was awarded the World Food Prize. The award highlights the importance of the technologies developed by Nelson in reducing losses and maintaining the quality of their supplies.

"Bulk storage of food items that have a short shelf life at ambient temperatures has been possible due to efforts of Philip E. Nelson in development of huge carbon steel tanks coated with an epoxy resin," the award announcement stated.

Nelson started developing the aseptic bulk system about 25 years ago. His work in this area of food technology began with research into methods of processing tomatoes. He then moved on to other aspects, such as bulk storage research and the "bag-in-box" system.

Nelson bagged the award for his constant efforts in developing techniques, which ensure that nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is maintained intact during their process, transport and storage.

"He has come up with means and methods that lower post-harvest losses and spoilage and allow successful transport of vegetables and fruits throughout the year and even during time of crisis to any corner of the world," the World Food Prize Foundation said in handing out the award.

In particular he is credited with engineering aseptic techniques of food handling, processing, packaging and delivery that make sure that food-spoiling germs do not survive.

About 90 per cent of the 24 million tonnes of fresh tomatoes harvested globally each year are aseptically processed and packaged for year-round remanufacture into various food products, according to the World Food Prize Foundation.

NormanBorlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, established the World Food Prize in 1986.

Previous prize winners were responsible for such innovations as high-yielding rice hybrids, a vaccine for cattle plague, a technique to control food-damaging insect parasites and the concept of integrated pest management.

Nelson will receive his $250,000 award at an Oct. 18 World Food Prize ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa.

Nelson's interest in food preservation technology began in his high school years when he worked at his family's Morristown, Ind., tomato canning factory.

In addition to developing the coating of steel tanks with epoxy resin and sterilizing valves and filters, he also did research that led to "bag-in-box" aseptic technology for such products as tomato paste.

Nelson retired as head of Purdue's department of food science in 2003.