MILWAUKEE – Third Wave Bioactives, a maker of ingredients employing novel microbial solutions, was given a Food Expo Innovation Award by the Institute of Food Technologists for its reFRESH ingredient technology. The ingredients utilize whole food inputs like onion juice and converts it into shelf life extenders with clean label attributes and the ability to improve perishable product food safety.

“We are thrilled to deliver this new technology to the industry,” said Matt Hundt, president of Third Wave Bioactives. “It’s the only technology of its kind on the market and we were pleased that the IFT jury recognized that.”

A panel of jurors selected the innovation from qualified entries during ShIFT20, a virtual event produced by the Institute of Food Technologists, Chicago. The group’s live Annual Meeting and Food Expo was canceled because of COVID-19.

The Innovation Award is the only product-related award IFT gives on an annual basis. It is awarded for innovations that represent a major technical or scientific advancement that provides new benefits to consumers or manufacturers, according to IFT.

“IFT’s Annual Event is about celebrating innovation and innovators in the science of food, from around the world,” said Christie Tarantino-Dean, chief executive officer of IFT. “reFRESH 386 is a great example of innovation fulfilling a need for clean label preservatives that customers want, while protecting the quality of the product — which is precisely why it was selected by our jury as the 2020 IFT Food Expo Innovation Award winner.”