Aaron L. Brody

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Aaron L. Brody
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 26, 2021(2021-07-26) (aged 90)
EducationMassachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S., Food Technology, 1951; Ph.D., Food Technology, 1957)
OccupationFood scientist
Known forFood packaging
Spouse
Carolyn Goldstein
(m. 1953; died 2021)
Children3

Aaron Leo Brody (August 23, 1930 – July 26, 2021) was an American

fish sticks in the 1950s. Later, Brody served as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia.[1]

Biography

Early years

Aaron Leo Brody was born in

Boston English School
in 1947.

Brody entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology (

where he was a newspaper correspondent reporting on the personal stories of wounded soldiers returning from the War.

After completing his military commitment, he entered the graduate program of the Food Packaging Department at MIT where he earned a

Ph.D. in 1957. Brody studied under Bernard E. Proctor, an American food scientist involved in early research of food irradiation, and the MIT Food Technology Department Chair. Brody's "Masticatory Properties of Foods by the Strain Gage Denture Tenderometer",[2][3] was one of the many contributions he made to the world of food technology. The invention was featured in Life (magazine) on October 29, 1956, and included a full page of pictures of the machine which was shown chewing a piece of mozzarella cheese.[4] The device is on display at the MIT Museum.[5] The mechanism allowed food manufacturers to control qualities in process and design future food products with specific properties. He later earned an M.B.A. from Northeastern University
in 1970.

Career

Brody started his career, while in school, in food technology with the Birdseye Fisheries Lab Division of General Foods in 1951 as a team member in the development of the first frozen precooked foods including fish sticks. While a graduate student, he worked part-time for Raytheon Manufacturing Company where he was a member of a team that developed the first microwave oven, leading to microwave cooking, heating, and browning of foods. After he earned his graduate degree, Brody worked for the Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He led the development of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), invented an odor control system for refrigerators, a thermoelectric refrigerator/freezer, the Total Environmental Control “Tectrol” controlled atmosphere process for food preservation,[6] a progenitor of MAP fresh-cut vegetables, and radiation pasteurization of foods. While at Whirlpool, he invented and patented an apparatus and method of storing perishable animal and plant materials, as well as non-food materials.[7]

He developed commercial confectionery products including Starburst and Pop Rocks while employed at M&M Candies Division of Mars, Inc. At Mead Packaging, he invented the Crosscheck Aseptic Packaging System for high acid fluid food products used commercially for juices and sauces, receiving patents US4,152,464, US4,391,080, US4,409,775.[8][9][10] At Container Corporation of America, he led the development of the Versaform insert injection molding system, and he was Marketing Development Manager, which was his last position in corporate America.

By the mid 1980s, Brody transitioned into an independent consultant and college professor. He has taught undergraduate and graduate food packaging and food product development and marketing courses at The University of Georgia, MBA strategic marketing and product development courses at Saint Joseph's University, and packaging courses at Michigan State University.[1] Brody authored numerous articles and ten textbooks in food packaging and food technology, marketing, and packaging.[11] He authored The Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology[12][1] that covers technologies used to package consumer and industrial products across industries from food to automobiles, soft drinks to pharmaceuticals.[13][14] He also authored Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables[15] that covers modern MAP technologies for fresh-cut fruits.[16]

Family

Aaron Brody married Carolyn Goldstein on April 11, 1953, and stayed married until her death in April 2021.

Congestive Heart Failure.[1]

Honors

In 1964, Brody was awarded the Industrial Achievement Award by the Institute of Food Technologists and the Leadership Award by the Packaging Institute. He was named Packaging Man of the Year in 1985 by the National Association of Packaging, Handling, and Logistics Engineers. The Institute of Food Technologists' Food Packaging Division gave Brody the highest industry award, the Riester-Davis Award for Lifetime Achievement in Food Packaging, in 1988.[17] He was the first recipient of the Institute of Food Technologists' Industrial Scientist Award[18] in 1994 for scientists who made technical contributions to advancing the food industry.[1]

In 1995, Brody was inducted into the Packaging Hall of Fame.

Nicholas Appert Award[21] by the Institute of Food Technologists in recognition of his lifetime contributions.[1]

The Michigan State School of Packaging established the Annual Aaron Brody Distinguished Lecture In Food Packaging in perpetuity. This is an endowment that was created by family and friends of Aaron L. Brody and Carolyn Brody in recognition of Aaron's lifelong achievements in Food Packaging. The Food Packaging Division of the Institute of Food Technologist renamed the Riester-Davis Award to include Aaron Brody's name in 2015 and now called the Riester-Davis-Brody Award.[22][1]

He has been quoted in The New York Times,[23] and featured on National Public Radio and CNN news. One of his NPR interviews was titled, The Weird, Underappreciated World Of Plastic Packaging where he explains that plastic packaging has become an ingrained part of the food system.[24] On CNN,[25] he described how new plastics may keep soft drinks from falling flat.

Books

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Legacy.com July 28, 2021 profile of Brody. - accessed July 29, 2021
  2. .
  3. ^ Davidov, Victor. "Denture Tenderometer". Perpetual Useless. Retrieved January 11, 2013 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ "Invention by MFT Faculty Member is Part of Food Technology History - UGA Online - Online Degrees, Certificates and Courses". Online.uga.edu. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  5. ^ "Strain Gage Denture Tenderometer, Aaron Brody, 1956 | The MIT 150 Exhibition". Museum.mit.edu. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "Apparatus and method of preserving animal and plant materials". Google.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "United States Patent: 4152464 - Method for the aseptic packaging of high acid food". Patft.uspto.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  8. ^ "United States Patent: 4409775 - Apparatus for the aseptic packing of high acid food". Patft.uspto.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  9. ^ "United States Patent: 4391080 - Method for providing an inert sterile atmosphere in an aseptic packaging machine". Patft.uspto.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  10. ^ Brody, Aaron. "Publications". WorldCat.org. WorldCat Identities. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  11. .
  12. ^ "The Wiley encyclopedia of packaging technology : Book, Regular Print Book : Toronto Public Library". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  13. ^ "The Wiley encyclopedia of packaging technology". Bepl.ent.sirsi.net. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  14. ^ "Wiley: Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables - Aaron L. Brody, Hong Zhuang, Jung H. Han". Wiley.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  15. ^ "Brief Book Reviews - Postharvest Technology Center - UC Davis". Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  16. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "Past Award Winners - IFT.org". Ift.org. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  18. ^ "Gateway - PMMI". Pmmi.org. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  19. ^ "Gateway - PMMI". Pmmi.org. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  20. ^ "Nicolas Appert Award". Ift.org. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  21. ^ "Reister-Davis-Brody Award". Archived from the original on November 23, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  22. ^ "A Packager's View of Recycling". The New York Times. June 6, 1993. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  23. ^ Singh, Maanvi (July 24, 2014). "The Weird, Underappreciated World Of Plastic Packaging". Npr.org. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  24. ^ "CNN - Today/Tomorrow - New plastics may keep soft drinks from falling flat". Cnn.com. Retrieved September 10, 2016.