Obituary: Éric Prieur and Jean Leteinturier

Eric Prieur and Jean Leteinturier, two great figures in the field of refrigeration in France, passed away in March 2019.

Éric Prieur, Director of cold chain sustainability at Carrier died tragically in the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing plane on March 10, killing all 157 people on board. He was travelling to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi where he was due to make a presentation on food loss and waste on behalf of the Global Food Cold Chain Council. Éric Prieur was appreciated for the energy and passion that he was showing in his activities. He actively participated in various events and projects and organised conferences on food losses and their impact on climate change jointly with the IIR. He also was one of our main correspondents in the Global Food Cold Chain Council.

Jean Leteinturier, a member of the French Academy of Agriculture, died on March 6, 2019. Holder of the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite and the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole medals, he was the Technical Director of the Interprofessional Technical Center for Fruits and Vegetables (CTIFL) and Secretary General of the French Association of Refrigeration. He has been very active in the IIR, notably by taking part in the design and animation in several African countries of the training course "Refrigeration and Fruit and Vegetable Preservation" with François Billiard, former Director of the IIR and Jean-Luc Dupont, Head of IIR's Scientific and Technical Information Department. His great competence in these areas and his humility were appreciated by all.

The IIR extends its sympathy to Éric Prieur and Jean Leteinturier’s families and relatives.