Spotlight on Fereidoon Shahidi, recipient of the 2021 AOCS Award of Merit

The AOCS Award of Merit recognizes an AOCS Member who has displayed leadership in administrative activities, meritorious service on AOCS committees or performed an outstanding activity or service. We are delighted to announce that the 2021 AOCS Award of Merit will be awarded to Fereidoon Shahidi.

Plan to attend Dr. Shahidi's award presentation on April 27, 9:30-10:30 a.m. CDT (Chicago USA; UTC-5). You can join the livestream on our website, on FaceBook Live, or on YouTube Live. The abstract for his presentation is at the end of this blog post.

Dr. Shahidi is a research professor in the department of biochemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland.  His research interests are in nutraceuticals and functional foods with particular attention to lipids, proteins, polyphenols, natural antioxidants and oxidation control.

He has authored over 1,000 research papers and 10 patents. He has also written and edited 76 books including the 6th and 7th edition of Bailey’s Industrial Oil & Fat Products. He is one of the most highly cited scientists in the food science area and has been recognized by numerous awards including the AOCS Stephen S. Chang Award, Alton E. Bailey Award and the Supelco AOCS Research Award. 

His service is equally remarkable. He is currently the chair of the Scientific Council of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) and serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Food Bioactives and the journal of Food Production, Processing and Nutrition. He is also the principal founder of the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods.

Dr. Shahidi been part of the AOCS community since 1992 and has served in numerous committees including the INFORM editorial advisory committee. In leadership roles with both the Protein and Co-products Division and the Lipid Oxidation and Quality Division he has brought a level of excellence to AOCS programming.

His legacy extends to the training of some 100  students, and his mentorship of postdoctoral fellows and visiting professors. His former students are now in key positions in academia, industry and governments in over a dozen countries around the world.

Dr. Shahidi is recognized for his lifetime impact on lipid science and technology and on the AOCS through his contributions and achievements.

Award presentation abstract

Stability of Edible Oils: Examining the Role of Endogenous/Exogenous Antioxidants and Phenolipids

Oxidative stability of edible oils is dictated by their fatty acid composition and degree of unsaturation as well as their positional distribution in the triacylglycerol molecules, presence and profile as well as the concentration of minor components, and storage conditions.  This study examined the role of minor components on the stability of selected oils by stripping them from the samples.  While stripped oils were generally less stable than their unstripped counterparts under Schaal oven conditions, the reverse was true under fluorescent light. In addition, selected phenolipids were tested for their antioxidant efficacy.  Both the structural characteristics of the phenols as well as the nature of the acyl group determined their efficacy.  Finally, the phenol moieties of phenolipids were released, at least partially, upon simulated digestion and hence exerting their potential health effects.