His wife, Dr Anna Halász, his family and his colleagues at the Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics announced that Radomir Lásztity left peacefully on 5 February 2018, in the 89th year of his life.
In his very active professional carrier, Professor Lásztity worked at the Department of Biochemistry and Food Technology (later Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science), Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He served as vice dean of the Faculty, later as vice rector of the University. Between 1972 and 1993 he led the Department. His decades of teaching activity contributed significantly to the generations of chemical and bioengineers. As Vice-Dean and Vice-Rector, he was one of the innovator of the modernization of education, such as introducing the computer science, molecular biochemistry, biotechnology and environmental sciences into the higher education of chemical and bioengineers. As professor emeritus he helped and supported his colleagues and students almost till the end of his life.
In addition to his initiative educational activities, Professor Lásztity was also excellence in research. His main focus of interest was the cereals sciences, with special emphases on food rheology. But he was active also in cereal biochemistry, nutrition, looking for relationships between structural and technological properties of cereals and related products. His most famous contribution of cereal science is his pioneering work in describing the molecular structure of the gluten complex, establishing the first linear structural model. Professor Lásztity became the doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (DSc) in 1968 and he took part in the work of The Committee of Food Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences till his last months. He is author or coauthor of more than 900 scientific publications and books translated and published in 13 languages. He was an internationally acknowledged scientist with world-wide reputation, one of the key players of his generation. Colin Wrigley introducing him, as chairman at one of his numerous appearances at international research forums, as the Hungarian Pomeranz. His activities have been rewarded by numerous domestic and international professional and social awards and prizes. Among others he received the Bailey Medal and the Schweitzer Medal of ICC, the Gold Medal of Czech Academy, the Award of Hungarian Academy of Sciences and some other national governmental honors. He worked for different international organizations like FAO, WHO, UNIDO, UNESCO and he was the head of FAO/WHO Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling FAO between 1973-1988.
Dr. Lásztity served the ICC almost from the beginnings. He was the President of ICC between 1980-1984, later he was elected to Honorary President. He took part continuously in the different scientific committees of the organization. ICC would like to express its condolences to his wife and his family, to his colleagues and friends at BME, in Hungary and all over the world, to everybody, who knew him. Rest in peace!
