WASHINGTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. scientist Philip Nelson of Purdue University was named winner of the 250,000 U.S. dollars World Food Prize for his innovative breakthrough food technologies.

Nelson was announced as the 2007 Laureate at a ceremony at the U.S. State Department on Monday. The food scientist pioneered breakthroughs in bulk aseptic storage, packaging and transportation of fruit and vegetable products, which have revolutionized the food industry.

"Dr. Nelson's pioneering work, which began with tomatoes and later included a variety of seasonal crops, has made it possible to produce ultra-large scale quantities of high quality food," said Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation. "This food can then be stored for long periods of time and transported to all corners of the world without losing nutritional value or taste."

Quinn stated that Dr. Nelson's food science research has significantly reduced post-harvest waste and spoilage and greatly increased the availability and accessibility of nutritious food worldwide, particularly in emergency situations.

The 2007 World Food Prize, called the Nobel Prize of the food and agricultural world, will be formally presented to Dr. Nelson at a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol on October 18 during the World Food Prize's Norman Borlaug International Symposium.