CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 2, 2026--
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, is proud to announce that Gunnar Sigge, PhD, associate professor and head of the Department of Food Science at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, has assumed the role of IFT president succeeding Peggy Poole, PhD. He will serve in this role for one year.
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Sigge has been an active volunteer at IFT for many years, including serving on the IFT Board of Directors from 2021-2024. He also served on the Annual Meeting Scientific Program Advisory Panel (AMSPAP), Divisions Champions Team, the Inclusive Systems Review Task Team, as well as the International Division leadership team.
“We are facing incredibly complex and interconnected challenges across the global food system, and no one discipline, sector, or part of the world can address them alone,” said Sigge. “What excites me about taking on this role is the opportunity to build on IFT’s unique ability to connect people and perspectives from across the global food science community. There is so much we can learn from one another, and I believe IFT has an important role to play in creating those connections, equipping food science professionals with the knowledge and resources they need, and bringing credible science to the conversations shaping the future of food.”
Sigge has been an active leader in the South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST) since 1997, and he has also been involved with several other scientific organizations including the International Water Association (IWA), the Institute of Packaging South Africa (IPSA), the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA), and the South African Society for Dairy Technology (SASDT). His research interests include food processing, food processing wastewater treatment, sustainable water-use in the food industry, food safety, and novel disinfection systems for food and irrigation water. He was also integral to the establishment of Stellenbosch University's master's program in food and nutrition security.
As a student at Stellenbosch University, Sigge earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in food science. And since 2009, he has served as Chair of the Department of Food Science where he has mentored and guided some of South Africa’s top food science students, including Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) Immediate Past President Jana Schreuder.
“Gunnar brings a valuable global perspective, deep scientific expertise, and a strong understanding of the opportunities ahead for IFT and the food science community,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean. “Our Board plays an important role in shaping IFT’s strategic direction, and we are fortunate to have leaders who are deeply committed to our mission and generous with their time and expertise. I look forward to partnering with Gunnar and the Board as we continue to strengthen IFT and position the organization for the future.”
Jeffrey Varcoe, PhD, senior vice president, science and technical excellence at The J.M. Smucker Company, takes over as president-elect and will begin his term as IFT president starting on September 1, 2027. Prior to joining J.M. Smucker, Varcoe spent 21 years at Schwan’s Company where he held a variety of technical leadership roles including vice president of food safety and quality, vice president of manufacturing technical services, director of research and development, director of food safety and microbiology, and manager of food safety.
Varcoe has been involved in many professional and community-oriented organizations, including the American Frozen Food Institute, Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Food Law & Policy Institute Advisory Committee, Advisory Council for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Southwest Minnesota Workforce Council, and the Canby (Minnesota) High School Blue & Gold Foundation.
Varcoe holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Southwest Missouri State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato, respectively. He earned his PhD in food science from the University of Minnesota.
“IFT and the people within this community have given a great deal to me throughout my career,” said Varcoe. “Some of my earliest connections to IFT came through mentors who showed me the value of being part of this community, and that has stayed with me. Serving as president-elect is an opportunity to give back to a profession that has given so much to me and to bring the perspective I’ve gained over 25 years in food manufacturing to help IFT continue to evolve and serve its members.”
For more information on IFT, go to www.ift.org.
About Institute of Food Technologists
Since 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the world’s greatest food challenges, guiding our community of more than 200,000. IFT convenes professionals from around the world – from producers and product developers to innovators and researchers across food, nutrition, and public health – with a shared mission to help create a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. IFT provides its growing community spanning academia, industry, and government with the resources, connections, and opportunities necessary to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving food system as IFT helps feed the minds that feed the world. For more information, please visit ift.org.
Gunnar Sigge, PhD, associate professor and head of the Department of Food Science at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, has assumed the role of president at the Institute of Food Technologists, one of the leading food science associations in the world.
STUART, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge and his driver's license was suspended for five years Wednesday following a March rollover crash in Florida, where he initially was accused of driving under the influence.
Woods, still one of golf's most influential figures and as recognizable as any athlete in the world, has had a remarkable fall since winning the 2019 Masters for his 15th major. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, his career has been derailed by multiple back and knee surgeries, car crashes and dependence on pain medication.
He was arrested in March after his SUV clipped a truck and rolled over on its side on a beachside residential road near his home on Jupiter Island. A sheriff’s report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment. He did a Breathalyzer test, which came out negative, but refused to take a urine test.
He pleaded not guilty to the original DUI charge.
Before the hearing in Florida’s Marin County on Wednesday, Woods, 50, sat at the defense table looking back at the mostly empty courtroom gallery. He said little as he agreed to the reduced charge and left the courthouse without addressing reporters.
He had arrived with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, President Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law. She sat behind him during the proceedings.
“Tiger is not absolved of accountability and he surrendered his license for the next five years,” Mark Steinberg, his longtime manager at Excel Sports told the AP. “He is continuing his treatment and prioritizing all aspects of his health.”
The prosecutor in the case said two toxicologists found there was insufficient proof of his impairment and determined Woods had built up a “pharmacological” tolerance after years of using pain pills.
Thomas Bakkedahl, a state attorney, defended his decision to accept the plea, saying, “I did what I think is right.”
Prosecutors obtained the golfer's pharmacy records that showed he had a lawful prescription, Bakkedahl said.
The deputy who arrested Woods after the crash found two white pills in his pocket that had markings identifying them as hydrocodone, according to the arrest report. Hydrocodone is an opioid that is prescribed for pain, but it can be addictive.
Woods told the deputy he takes a few prescription medications, according to the report, including “Vicodin” — a brand name painkiller that contains hydrocodone.
He has had numerous surgeries on his legs and back over the last two decades — some to treat cartilage and ligament damage, a ruptured tendon, arthritis, and damaged discs in his back.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Woods also pleaded no contest to refusing to submit to testing after the crash and was fined $1,500, according to court documents. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but means the accused will offer no defense. The plea is treated as a conviction in the criminal justice system.
Andrew Buda, a defense lawyer in Tampa who’s not involved in the case, said a positive drug result from a urine test would not have been strong evidence against Woods because prescription medications can stay in the body for extended periods.
“A reduced plea to reckless driving is a plausible and unremarkable outcome — not evidence of special treatment,” said Buda, a former prosecutor. “A defendant with a good attorney who took the same steps — disclosure, mitigation, treatment — could reasonably expect a similar outcome under the same facts.”
Woods' attorney has not responded to a message seeking comment.
Judge Darren Steele warned Woods that his driver’s license suspension didn’t include exceptions. “If you were to drive for any reason at all, you would immediately go back to jail,” the judge told Woods.
The prosecutor said he was confident that Woods would be spotted if he doesn’t heed the message. “Of all the people in the world who should not get behind the wheel of a car, it’s one of the most recognizable people on the planet,” Bakkedahl said.
But there’s one vehicle Woods still can drive, at least in Florida — a golf cart.
That because Florida law says as long you are at least 18, you can operate a golf cart without a license. And that applies to anyone, Bakkedahl said in an email, whether you’re on a golf course or public property.
Body camera footage shows Woods taking out his phone after the crash and telling a deputy, “I was just talking to the president.”
Woods can be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hangs up and the deputy approaches. It is not clear if Woods was referring to President Donald Trump.
The footage also shows the handcuffed Woods hiccupping, yawning and repeatedly appearing to nod off during the 15-minute ride.
Neither Woods nor the person in the other vehicle were injured in the crash, according to officials. Woods told a deputy that he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he hit the truck.
Woods has been involved in four crashes over the years. He took a leave from the golf tour after the 2009 crash and again after the latest crash and has yet to return to tournament play.
He left the United States to seek treatment at an inpatient treatment facility, according to court records.
Woods made his first public appearance since returning from treatment on June 23 when he introduced the PGA Tour’s plans to revamp its schedule for 2028. Woods remained as chair of the tour’s Future Competition Committee after his arrest.
Associated Press reporters Doug Ferguson in Jacksonville, Florida; Ed White in Detroit; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; contributed.
Golfer Tiger Woods arrives for a plea conference hearing in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida in March, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Stuart, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Tiger Woods appears in County Judge Darren Steele's courtroom for a plea hearing from an arrest in March, at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (Crystal Vander Weit/Treasure Coast Newspapers via AP, Pool)
Golfer Tiger Woods, right, leaves with Vanessa Trump, left, after Woods' plea conference hearing in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida in March, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Stuart, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Golfer Tiger Woods, right, leaves with Vanessa Trump, left, after Woods' plea conference hearing in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida in March, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Stuart, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Golfer Tiger Woods, right, leaves with Vanessa Trump, left, after Woods' plea conference hearing in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida in March, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Stuart, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Tiger Woods appears in County Judge Darren Steele's courtroom for a plea hearing from an arrest in March, at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (Crystal Vander Weit/Treasure Coast Newspapers via AP, Pool)
Golfer Tiger Woods, right, arrives with Vanessa Trump, left, for Woods' plea conference hearing in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida in March, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Stuart, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
