Note from our Chairs

Dear NYIFT and CNJIFT Members,

Although January is traditionally considered the start of a new year, for NYIFT and CNJIFT, September brings its own sense of excitement as we kick off a new year of programming curated for our section members. Whether it is the energy and inspiration that come from attending IFT FIRST or the infectious passion and camaraderie evident during our planning and transition meetings, I can enthusiastically say how happy and honored I am to serve as Chair of the Central New Jersey Subsection of New York IFT this year.

Before I share what we have in store, a few thanks and congratulations are in order. First, I want to thank all of our veteran Executive Committee members who have supported and mentored me throughout this transition, as well as welcome and congratulate our new CNJIFT Executive Committee members as they officially step into their roles: Greg Aloi, Treasurer; Joan Zhou, Director-at-Large; and Romit Bhaumik, Secretary.

A heartfelt thank-you and congratulations also go to our outgoing Treasurer, Ronnie McBurnie, on receiving the 2026 IFT Section Outstanding Service Award! This recognition is so well deserved, and we are grateful for all of the time and dedication Ronnie has given to CNJIFT.

Congratulations are also in order for our amazingly inspiring student members, who brought home 4th place in the IFT Student Association (IFTSA) National College Bowl and 2nd place in the IFTSA Smart Snacks for Kids product development competition this year! We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and excited to see what they do next.

We are kicking off CNJIFT’s programming year with a Trivia & Networking Night on Wednesday, September 16 at the Rutgers Club. This fun and relaxed evening will give us an opportunity to connect with colleagues, enjoy some friendly competition, show off our food trivia knowledge, and perhaps relive our glory days of participating in or supporting the IFTSA College Bowl!

October will bring a timely and thought-provoking discussion with Rutgers’ Dr. Byron Chaves, who will lead a session titled “Did Summer 2026 Stress-Test Our Food Safety System?” The program will explore how our food safety system responded to the pressures and pathogen concerns that emerged this summer. If you have been following the food safety landscape, this is sure to be an engaging discussion. Additional details about both of these events can be found in this newsletter.

There is certainly much more to come throughout the year, and we look forward to sharing additional programming as details are finalized.

No matter where you are on your IFT journey, thank you for being part of this amazing community and for helping make it the vibrant, engaging, and supportive community that it is. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events and to an exciting year ahead!

Akino Tomizawa
Chair, CNJIFT
Project Leader, Flavor Applications, Robertet Group

Dear NYIFT and CNJIFT Members,

By the time you read this message, I will have retired from my role at Ingredion, Inc., but not from my active involvement with IFT. As I approached my July 31st retirement date, after 42 years in the food industry—and transitioned from Chair of CNJIFT to Chair of NYIFT—I was filled with gratitude for the people, experiences, and organizations that have shaped my journey. Among them, two stood out as foundational to my career: the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and my Rutgers Food Science roots.

My introduction to IFT began as an undergraduate at Rutgers, where I was part of a small but close-knit cohort of Food Science students. Our advisor, Dr. Libby Stier, strongly encouraged us to join IFT and attend local section meetings. At the time, I could not fully appreciate how impactful that advice would be. Those early meetings exposed me to industry professionals, emerging topics, and the breadth of opportunities in Food Science. They made the profession real.

Through Rutgers, I also secured a product development internship at General Foods, an experience that confirmed my passion for the industry. In my senior year, I received a scholarship from the Central New Jersey IFT sub-section — support that was especially meaningful as I prepared to head to the University of Florida for my master’s degree.

Graduate school in Florida was academically rewarding, but I quickly realized what I missed: the vibrant IFT community I had taken for granted in New Jersey—and, of course, the 24-hour diners! When I returned to New Jersey after completing my degree, I stepped back into both, while beginning my career as a product development scientist at General Foods.

When General Foods closed its Cranbury, NJ technical center and offered me a relocation to Tarrytown, NY, I chose to stay in New Jersey. Once again, my Rutgers network proved invaluable. A former classmate connected me to a small company just minutes from my home—Food Sciences Corporation—where I spent the next 16 years. In that role, I was able to wear many hats: product development, quality control, technical service, and regulatory affairs, the area that ultimately became my true professional passion.

Throughout those years, I remained actively engaged with IFT, attending local meetings and especially Suppliers’ Day, where I could explore new ingredients and technologies that directly supported my work. IFT kept me connected, current, and inspired.

My next career moves also came through IFT—this time through a section of newsletter job posting—which led me to a regulatory affairs role at McNeil Nutritionals, a Johnson & Johnson company. Ten years later, when that chapter ended, it was once again my Rutgers connections that opened the next door. At a Rutgers Food Science event, I reconnected with a colleague whose upcoming retirement at Ingredion, Inc. led to a conversation—and ultimately a job opportunity. That was ten years ago, and I have since had the privilege of serving as Director of Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at Ingredion, Inc.

As an empty nester with time to give back, I became more deeply involved with IFT—starting with planning a technical symposium for Suppliers’ Day, and then to greater leadership roles and eventually the honor of serving as Chair.

Looking back, I never had a clearly defined 40-year plan. Instead, each role helped shape my vision for the next. If I think of my career as a formulation, my Rutgers Food Science education was the base, and IFT was the catalyst that accelerated my growth and expanded my opportunities. But no formulation succeeds without the right ingredients—the people. I have been fortunate to learn from exceptional mentors, managers, colleagues, and industry partners, and to have the unwavering support of my husband and children.

As I retire from my full-time career, I am not stepping away from the community that has given me so much. I look forward to continuing my engagement with both CNJIFT and NYIFT, as well as with Rutgers, and to giving back even more in the years ahead.

Thank you to all who have been part of this journey,

Debbie Levine
Chair, CNJIFT
Retired, Ingredion, Inc.