Philip K. Bates
Encyclopedia
Philip K. Bates was an American
food scientist
who was involved in the development of food
freezing
, dehydration
, and concentration
both in academia
and in industry
.
, Bates earned his S.B. in biology
and public health
in 1924 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). He would later earn his Ph.D in bacteriology
from MIT in December 1928. While pursuing his PhD, Bates worked at MIT, Boston University
's School of Medicine, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
, and Tufts University School of Medicine
.
in Dayton, Ohio
in their research laboratory where he studied freezing's effect on bacteria
in foods. He would return to Boston, Massachusetts to work for United Drug Company, later Rexall
, becoming head of its laboratories and then chair of its pharmaceutical subsidiary, Riker Laboratories.
Bates worked for Carnation
(now part of Nestle
) in Van Nuys, California from 1952 until his 1966. During his time at Carnation, he would deal with product development and nutrition
studies of new products. Bates also developed drying and concentration of liquid foods and aseptic packaging. He even worked on pesticide
residual studies in dairy
products prior to his 1966 retirement.
Service with the Institute of Food Technologists
A charter member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) when it was founded in 1939, Bates would serve as IFT Treasurer and later became President in 1954-55. He also was named an IFT Fellow in 1974.
Service with the American Chemical Society
Bates was also active in the American Chemical Society (ACS), serving as Editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
from 1965 to 1982. and was active in ACS's Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division.
on December 21, 1993. The Southern California section of IFT established a scholarship in his honor in 1994. He was survived by three sons, Charles
(1930-2006), Philip, Jr.; and Brad. Charles would be elected to the IFT Presidency in 1985-6, making them the only father-son combination to ever serve as Presidents of the IFT.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
food scientist
Food science
Food science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork"...
who was involved in the development of food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
freezing
Freezing
Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....
, dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
, and concentration
Concentration
In chemistry, concentration is defined as the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Four types can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration...
both in academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
and in industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
.
Early life
A native of MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Bates earned his S.B. in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
in 1924 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT). He would later earn his Ph.D in bacteriology
Bacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
from MIT in December 1928. While pursuing his PhD, Bates worked at MIT, Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
's School of Medicine, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine is a private dental school and one of the eight schools that comprise Tufts University. Located in downtown Boston in the Chinatown district, it is one of three dental schools in the Boston area. The building is adjacent to Tufts Medical Center...
, and Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
The Tufts University School of Medicine is one of the eight schools that constitute Tufts University. Located on the university's health sciences campus in the Chinatown district of Boston, Massachusetts, the medical school has clinical affiliations with thousands of doctors and researchers in the...
.
Career
After earning his PhD, Bates worked for FrigidaireFrigidaire
Frigidaire is a brand of consumer and commercial appliances. Frigidaire was founded as the Guardian Frigerator Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and developed the first self-contained refrigerator in 1916. In 1918, William C...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
in their research laboratory where he studied freezing's effect on bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
in foods. He would return to Boston, Massachusetts to work for United Drug Company, later Rexall
Rexall
Rexall was a chain of North American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1902, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across the United States from 1920 to 1977...
, becoming head of its laboratories and then chair of its pharmaceutical subsidiary, Riker Laboratories.
Bates worked for Carnation
Carnation (trademark)
Carnation is a brand of food products. The brand was especially known for its evaporated milk product created in 1899, then called Carnation Sterilized Cream and later called Carnation Evaporated Milk...
(now part of Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
) in Van Nuys, California from 1952 until his 1966. During his time at Carnation, he would deal with product development and nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
studies of new products. Bates also developed drying and concentration of liquid foods and aseptic packaging. He even worked on pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
residual studies in dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
products prior to his 1966 retirement.
Service with the Institute of Food TechnologistsInstitute of Food TechnologistsThe Institute of Food Technologists or IFT is an international, non-profit professional organization for the advancement of food science and technology. It is the largest of food science organizations in the world, encompassing 22,000 members worldwide as of 2006. It is referred to as "THE Society...
A charter member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) when it was founded in 1939, Bates would serve as IFT Treasurer and later became President in 1954-55. He also was named an IFT Fellow in 1974.Service with the American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
Bates was also active in the American Chemical Society (ACS), serving as Editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Food ChemistryJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, published since 1950 by the American Chemical Society. It is currently indexed in: Chemical Abstracts Service , Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed, CABI, Ovid, Web of Science, and SwetsWise.The current Editor-in-Chief is...
from 1965 to 1982. and was active in ACS's Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division.
Death and legacy
Bates died in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on December 21, 1993. The Southern California section of IFT established a scholarship in his honor in 1994. He was survived by three sons, Charles
Charles J. Bates
Charles J. Bates was an American food scientist who was involved in the development of baking formulas for angel food and devil's food cake, then later developed high fructose corn syrup sweetener for Coca-Cola...
(1930-2006), Philip, Jr.; and Brad. Charles would be elected to the IFT Presidency in 1985-6, making them the only father-son combination to ever serve as Presidents of the IFT.
Selected works
- McFarlan, R.L., P.K. Bates, and E.C. Merrill. "Spectrographic Characteristics of Vitamin A Materials." Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 1940(1):645-7.
- Prescott, S.C., P.K. Bates, and M.E. Highlands. (1932). "Numbers of Bacteria in Frozen Food Stored at Several Temperatures." Journal of the American Public Health Association. 22(3):257-62.