Judith Abbott of the USDA testing the texture of tomatoes (photo by Kieth Weller via link from USDA website)

Judith Abbott of the USDA testing the texture of tomatoes (photo by Kieth Weller via link from USDA website)

March brings us National Women’s History Month. Many science-focused organizations are celebrating the scientific achievements of women this month. In the world of texture analysis, we have some great examples of significant accomplishments by women. Did you know that Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) was developed by a woman? 

Dr. Alina Surmacka Szczesniak is a food scientist, past principal at General Foods, and a founding editor of Journal of Texture Studies. She developed the original TPA parameters as part of the sensory work she conducted in the early 1960s at General Foods’ Technical Center. Much of the texture analysis work that we do today is based upon Dr. Szczesniak’s pioneering work. Please read more about Dr. Szczesniak’s achievements in our Guide to Texture Profile Analysis.

There are many excellent examples of women’s contributions to the field of texture analysis. 

Ann Barrett (US Army Natick RD&E Lab), Judith Abbott (USDA-ARS-Beltsville), Dr. Zata Vickers (Univ MN), Brenda Lyon (USDA-ARS-Athens GA), and Kathryn McCarthy and Diane Barrett (both of UC Davis), to mention a few, represent the many women who have advanced the science of texture analysis.

In addition to the food industry, we work closely with the adhesives industry. Deborah Chrzanowski (Intertape Polymers) and Anne-Marie Baker-Medeiros (while at Kendall Polykan) have been highly influential in showing the adhesives industry just how richly adhesive behaviors can be measured.

We are indebted to these women and many more.

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Boine Johnson and Alian Szczesniak

Dr. Szczesniak and TTC founder Boine Johnson reviewing the TA.XTPlus Texture Analyzer's ability to capture and syncronize sound with force measurements at the IFT Annual Meeting in 2003.