The FEMA Excellence in Flavor Science Award is not an annual award; rather, it is bestowed only when a deserving individual has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the advancement of flavor science through original research and publication in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, a FEMA Excellence in Science Award winner must be a globally recognized researcher and a highly-acclaimed leader in the field.

2026 Excellence in Flavor Science Award Honoree

Dr. Imre Blank is the Founder of IBK Food & Beverage Consulting, providing scientific and strategic advice to food and flavor companies worldwide. He studied Food Chemistry in Germany and received his PhD in Flavor Chemistry from the Technical University of Munich. Dr. Blank has worked in Nestlé Research for 28 years leading food and flavor science and technology. In 2015, he was appointed the first Nestlé Fellow, in recognition of his expertise in food chemistry and flavor generation. He retired in 2019 as Head of Nestlé’s Global R&D Networks. Afterwards, he held Chief Scientific Officer positions in Europe and Asia while providing consulting services to food and flavor companies worldwide.

Over his dual industrial and academic career, Dr. Blank has made important contributions to flavor chemistry and food science, particularly in aroma and taste, molecule-triggered perception, Maillard reactions, lipid oxidation, flavor-generation mechanisms, and the formation and mitigation of food-process contaminants. His work has been applied across numerous product categories. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications and patents. Since 2010, Dr. Blank has been teaching as a visiting professor at universities in Europe and Asia and currently serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. His career reflects a longstanding commitment to connecting industrial and academic flavor research.

FEMA is honored to award Dr. Blank the 2026 FEMA Excellence in Flavor Science Award.

Past Award Winners

  • 2025: Dr. T.V. John, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Ixora Scientific
  • 2024: Dr. Gerhard E. Krammer, Senior Vice President, Symrise AG
  • 2023: Dr. Eric Frérot, Science & Research, dsm-firmenich
  • 2022: Michael C. Qian, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Technology, Oregon State University
  • 2021: Keith Cadwallader, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
  • 2020: Dr. Peter Winterhalter, Institute of Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig
  • 2019: Dr. Holger Zorn, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
  • 2018: Thomas Hofmann, Ph.D., Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology, Technical University of Munich
  • 2017: Gregory L. Yep, Ph.D., International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.
  • 2016: Veronika Somoza, Ph.D., University of Vienna
  • 2015: Devin G. Peterson, Ph.D., Flavor Research and Education Center, The University of Minnesota
  • 2014: Wolfgang Meyerhof, Ph.D., German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, University of Potsdam
  • 2013: Bob Eilerman, Ph.D., Givaudan | Video
  • 2012: Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D., Rutgers University | Video
  • 2011: Terry E. Acree, Ph.D., Cornell University | Video
  • 2009: Gary Beauchamp, Ph.D., Monell Chemical Senses Center
  • 2008: Professor Peter Schieberle, Ph.D., Technical University of Munich
  • 2007: Regula Naef, Firmenich, Switzerland
  • 2006: Gary Reineccius, Ph.D., The University of Minnesota