It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Al Saldarini on July 16, 2016.
Al was a past president of The Society of Flavor Chemists and, for many years, the Society’s photographer. Many of the photos in the archive were taken by Al. There are only a few where he is in front of the lens.
Al’s career included being an organic chemist, flavor chemist, and technical director at Norda where he was a mentor to several flavorists. Al was also a founding member of what would become the Chemical Sources Association, chairing the Flavor Chemical Committee of the SFC. Al was instrumental in developing carbohydrate encapsulation of difficult compounds like acetaldehyde. Al enhanced both the technical and social arenas of our industry.
Al was an aerial photographer with the Air Force in WWII. Many of his combat photos in Italy and North Africa can be found on the internet, including the official page of the 450th Bomb Group Memorial Association’s page for their 1st Combat Camera Unit.
Here is an interview with him about flavor creation in Mother Jones from 1979.
Thanks to Jerome Lombardo for information.
