Summer is the perfect time for social gatherings, baseball games, and backyard barbeque. The Ad Council recently launched a new campaign to raise awareness of food safety precautions especially since this is a popular season for cookouts. Read this issue to find out what fried food was recently introduced at a county fair. Pucker up those lips for the best lemonade of the summer. Happy reading!
June 1, 2011
The Menu
A Grocery Revolution
Reduce, reuse and recycle! A family- owned company based in Austin, TX, plans to open the first zero-waste and package-free grocery store. In.gredients, established by brothers Christian, Joseph and Patrick Lane and family friend Christopher Pepe, is expected to launch by the end of the year. With a focus on products that are organic, natural and locally sourced, the grocery store will feature seasonal produce, meats, dairy, beer, and household cleaners. In lieu of plastic and paper grocery bags, customers will bring their own reusable containers. In.gredients will also offer cooking classes, gardening activities, and events that focus on healthy eating.
Co-founder Christian Lane asserts this unique format of grocery shopping will help condense packaged foods, curb unnecessary shopping purchases, and promote seasonal eating.
"Our goal is to reduce waste and promote health by ditching packaged and overly processed food altogether-revolutionizing grocery shopping as we know it", says Lane. Waste not is definitely the motto at this grocery store.
Read more from the press release.
Safety First
Summer is the perfect season for backyard barbeques. However, when not handled or cooked properly, raw meat can be a potential culprit for foodborne illnesses. In order to raise awareness of food safety precautions, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has launched a new campaign that focuses on four important rules: Clean, Cook, Chill, and Separate. The campaign advertisements are featured in various social media channels and remind individuals to wash hands, clean cooking surfaces and utensils, separate raw meat from other foods, and cook meat to its proper temperature.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 48 million Americans become sick each year from contaminated food. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the new campaign is a "good reminder to make sure that in the rush of trying to get the meal on the table you don't forget these rules and put yourself at additional risk." Follow the USDA's new campaign to enjoy your next cookout.
Click here for additional information.
Fried Fun What fried food trend was introduced recently at the San Diego County Fair? Entrepreneur Charlie Boghosian pleased the crowd with deep-fried Kool-Aid ice cream balls. According to Boghosian, the fried treat "tastes just like the drink, only you are eating it." Perhaps, the Kool-Aid treat should be consumed after riding the Ferris wheel and bumper cars.
Click here to view what other types of fried-food fare are popular at county and state fairs.
The Specials
New Professionals in New Orleans
IFT’s New Professionals community provides new professionals with fun, engaging, and educational events as part of the IFT membership experience. A new professional is anyone who has recently graduated or has been in the workforce for fewer than 10 years.
Recently, at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo® in New Orleans, new professionals had the opportunity to network with each other at different events. Paulette Fox won an iPad for attending the most number of new professional events. Tracy Brenner and Jonathan Fong received complimentary registration to attend IFT12.
Does your IFT Section have a new professionals’ community? Are you interested in learning how to plan new professional events? If so, please contact Tom Nack or Mike Carson for further information.
Calling all Bookworms: Contribute to IFT’s ePerspective blog
Have you recently read a book on some aspect of the food industry? Did you agree or disagree with Michael Pollan’s Food Rules? What were your thoughts about Brian Wansink’s research presented in Mindless Eating?
The ePerspective is a great forum to present your thoughts about the food industry. View the opinions of industry experts by visiting the ePerspective.
Do you have a book in mind that you would like to review? Please send an email with your book selection to Kelly Hensel at khensel@ift.org.
Volunteers Needed
Have you updated your IFT membership directory listing to include your volunteer preferences? We use this information as a way of linking members with IFT volunteer opportunities. If you haven't shared this information with us, follow these easy steps:
- Go to ift.org (you will need your IFT username and password to login
- Click on "My Community"
- Click on "Edit Your Profile"
- Click on "My Interests"
- Click on "Volunteer Preferences"
- Let us know how you'd like to be involved in IFT
Please click here to have your username and password e-mailed to you.
IFT Leadership Call for Nominations
Do you know or work with a new professional that you feel would be a great addition to the IFT Board of Directors? The Nominations & Elections Committee is interested in leadership development and we encourage you to take the next step within IFT by nominating yourself or a colleague as a candidate for the Board of Directors or for President-Elect in the 2012 IFT Leadership Election. Nominees must be Professional Members of IFT to be considered for candidacy. Click here to find out more about Professional Membership.
It is easy to submit a nomination online. Click here to complete the Leadership Nomination Form or to download the sample nomination form. The deadline is Monday, October 3, 2011, submit your nomination today! If you have additional questions, please contact Erin Carter, staff coordinator for the Nominations and Elections Committee, by email at ecarter@ift.org or by phone at +1. 202.330.4983.
IFT and Disney Collaborate to Fuel Youth Interest in Food Science
As part of our ongoing activities with Disney Consumer Products (DCP) to raise the visibility of food science careers, we are excited to share a new video in IFT’s “Day in the Life of a Food Scientist” series. The video, which debuted during the keynote session at IFT11 and was created by DCP, is a snapshot into the behind-the-scenes operations of the DCP team as they develop products, brainstorm new ways to incorporate Disney characters into products, and taste-test foods so that healthy products are appealing for families. To view the video, click here.
New Professional Snapshot: Ilan Weiss
Snapshot of my life now
I work for the SunOpta Grains and Foods Group in Minnesota. Working for a smaller company allows me to utilize my educational background. I work on formulation, process development, and project financial analysis. Our company products are based on soy, sunflower, and corn. We also produce beverages, roasted snacks, and ingredients.
I live in Minneapolis. I love the Twin Cities! You can’t beat the quality of life. You have to embrace the outdoor lifestyle by taking advantage of the parks in the summer and winter. I like to run, bike, cross country ski, attend concerts, and dine out.
How did I become interested in food science?
In high school I was interested in chemistry. I also liked to cook. So my dad showed me some information on food science. I was the 1% of 1% that enters college with the same major they graduate with in the end. You could say it was my destiny.
How does my job impact the world?
We provide sustainable protein around the world in liquid and powdered soymilk. The rapidly growing world population will continue to drive demand for sustainable protein. Soybeans are the best vegetable (if not overall) source of protein and SunOpta’s Grains and Foods Group is a leader in the world market.
Three things you don’t know about me:
- I am a dual citizen of the USA and Israel.
- I like Bollywood movies.
- My first name translates to "young tree".
What is my favorite concession stand food at a baseball game?
A Kosher hotdog with mustard and sauerkraut.
The Side
College Bowl Trivia ...
The College Bowl is an annual food science quiz hosted by the IFT Student Association. The Ohio State University won the 26th Annual Intercollegiate College Bowl held at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. Congratulations!
Let’s see how well you will do…
Q1: How many rings are there in a cholesterol molecule?
Q2: What class of microorganisms is commonly used for making tempeh, soy sauce, and saki?
Q3: The macadamia nut originated from what continent?
Cheeseburgers and Convertibles
Do you have a road trip planned for this summer? Take a peek at the photo gallery here featuring America’s best drive-thrus. Enjoy the ride, and don’t forget to stash extra napkins in your vehicle.
Pucker Up
Summer is the pitcher-perfect time for refreshing lemonade. Visit here to determine which lemonade was voted the favorite brand among the Serious Eats staff. If you prefer to make homemade lemonade, the gadget listed here will help you do the trick.
The Cork Tree
How many miles has the cork in your wine bottle traveled? Portugal and Spain are home to most of the world’s cork oak forests. Harvested every nine years, the bark on this oak tree is essential in the production process of wine corks. Click here for more information.
Answers to college bowl trivia:
A1: Four
A2: Fungi
A3: Australia
Thank you to all of the participants who supported the 11th Annual IFT
Student Association/Feeding Tomorrow Fun Run & Walk.
Click here to view final 5K running scores.