Gorny joins FDA; Getting to know CJ Hoye
IFT WORLD
Minnesota Section recognizes Boor with Macy Award
The Minnesota Section of IFT selected Kathryn Boor of Cornell University as the recipient of the Harold Macy Food Science and Technology Award. Established in 1981, the award is given annually to recognize an outstanding example of food technology transfer or cooperation between scientists in academia, government, and private industry. The award honors Harold Macy, former dean emeritus of the University of Minnesota, and a founding member of IFT.
Boor is the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Previously she served as professor and chair of the Cornell Dept. of Food Science (2007–2010). She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, the International Academy of Food Science and Technology, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Boor received an honorary doctorate from Harper Adams University in England and serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, for which she chairs the Committee on Scientific Review, and on the board of the International Life Sciences Institute–North America.
Purdue honors Nielsen
Suzanne Nielsen, professor of food science and global faculty fellow, has been named a 150th Anniversary Professor by Purdue University’s Office of the Provost in recognition of her exceptional teaching and mentorship. Faculty who receive the distinction, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of Purdue, also receive an annual discretionary allocation of $25,000.
An IFT member, Nielsen has been teaching food science at Purdue for over 30 years and is a 10-time recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award in the Department of Food Science. In addition to the 150th Anniversary Professor Award, Nielsen has also received the National Excellence in College and University Teaching Award for Food and Agricultural Sciences from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Carl Fellers Award, William V. Cruess Award from the Institute of Food Technologists for excellence in food science teaching, the Helen B. Schleman Gold Medallion Award, and the Murphy Award from Purdue.
Gorny joins FDA
Stepping into a newly created position at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Jim Gorny has assumed the role of senior science advisor for produce safety at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Gorny will work alongside a dedicated team of produce safety experts on the implementation of new science and risk-based requirements created to help prevent illnesses caused by contaminated produce.
A longtime IFT member, Gorny is returning to the FDA after a five-year absence, during which time he was vice president of food safety and technology at the Produce Marketing Association, a trade organization representing the entire produce supply chain. Previously he served at the FDA as a food safety expert at a critical time in the agency’s efforts to enhance produce safety.
Gorny’s new responsibilities encompass outreach and engagement with stakeholders, investigations and recalls, research, and training activities. He will also help develop strategies to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
“I’ll be working closely with the Division of Produce Safety, which has been on the front lines of FSMA rulemaking and implementation, and FDA’s Produce Safety Network, [which] has stationed experts across the country to support farmers and state regulators,” he remarks. “I will be working with state regulatory partners and other government agencies at home and abroad to build support for implementation of the produce rule, as well as with industry to help further compliance. Most importantly, I’ll be working with the farming community.”
As a senior advisor to CFSAN director Susan Mayne, Gorny will also help to ensure that senior-level management and field staff are speaking the same language. He explains, “This level of coordination extends to stakeholders, and there are so many of them—growers of all types and sizes, packinghouse operations, state and federal regulators, consumers, cooperative extension agents, and others. We’ve all got to be pushing in the same direction. It’s all about building bridges, both within and outside of the agency.”
IFT Section Membership Challenge
With the aim of increasing overall section membership and attendance, the Section Membership Challenge has been launched for a second year. The challenge is designed to encourage section leaders in their recruitment and retention efforts. The top three eligible sections with the highest percentage membership increase and the top three with the highest renewal rate as of May 31, 2018, will receive $500 grants. Winners will be identified in June.
Last year’s challenge recognized the following sections for their winning efforts: Bonneville, Lewis & Clark, and Long Island sections for membership retention, and the British, Florida, and San Joaquin sections for membership growth. Each received a $500 grant to use toward a scholarship program, speaker, or event. Congratulations to these sections and their volunteer leaders!
Explore IFT Short Courses
Stay abreast of food regulatory issues and learn about hot topics in food labeling with two upcoming short courses offered by IFT.
Food Laws & Regulations: A Practical Road Map, will take place March 22-23. The newly redesigned course provides a road map to essential U.S. food regulatory resources, offering attendees the tools they need to meet their specific challenges. Included are hands-on, activity-based explorations of the complete regulatory landscape.
Take a deep dive into special issues and hot topics in food labeling with One Intensive Day with Food Labels, which will take place April 20, 2018. The unique, one-day intensive course, designed for participants who already have a foundation in the basics of FDA food label requirements, will focus on identifying and resolving complex labeling issues such as organic, natural, healthy, non-GMO, and others.
Smuckers announces appointment
As part of the company’s reorganization of its executive leadership, J.M. Smucker announced that IFT member Joseph Stanziano will assume the role of senior vice president and general manager, Coffee.
A 21-year employee of J.M. Smucker, Stanziano most recently served as senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Foods. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business at Cleveland State University and an MBA from Kent State University.
Getting to know CJ Hoye
Each month, we meet one of IFT’s valued volunteers.
Working for the largest potato manufacturer in the country has its share of perks, according to CJ Hoye, who manages technical development in Lamb Weston’s Discovery group. “I literally get to each French fries every day!” he says. “The thing I love about my job is that it is intellectually challenging, and the challenges we face every day are different. Our team has radical trust and transparency, which makes it possible for us to translate our wild ideas into inventions.”
Hoye’s interest in food science and his involvement with IFT began when he was a college student. “IFT jump-started my studies at the University of Idaho through scholarships and helped to solidify my interest in food science through the student section at Washington State (Go Cougs!),” he says.
Volunteering came about through his desire to give back to IFT. “Through my giving back I have received even more,” he says. “Volunteering in the Lewis and Clark Section has built my network, sharpened my public speaking and leadership skills, and has helped me to feel like I’m part of the local community of food scientists rather than siloed in each of our independent organizations. The broad network that I have built through IFT has helped me to achieve more in my job and at a more rapid pace because I know exactly who to contact for X ingredient or Y technology.”
Of his affiliation with the Lewis and Clark Section, Hoye says, “I was initially recruited by Jeremy Higley to be the program chair. After two years of event planning, I was hooked.” Since then, Hoye has served as secretary, president-elect, president, and, currently, past president. “I have seen the impact IFT can have, and it is exciting to think that I can share my passion by encouraging future leaders to step up into leadership roles and thus continue the momentum behind ‘advancing the science of food and the people who practice it.’”
Although it can seem daunting to cross the threshold into volunteering, Hoye encourages members who are interested in getting involved to begin with their local section. “Check out the website, go to an event, and reach out to the board members of the section (we really do love to talk to people …. especially about volunteering),” he says. “There are a bunch of ways you can get into volunteering locally. You can serve on the board, write a newsletter, be the social media guru, host a small local event, or manage the website. We value everyone’s input. We are in the business of connecting people, and we especially want to create a community of food peeps in our own neighborhood.”
In his free time, Hoye enjoys wake-boarding and spending time in the kitchen perfecting his own food creations. “I love to cook, and I love the community and conversation that happens over food. So I guess I’m either on the water, in the kitchen, or at the table.”
Section Meetings
Cactus
April 17: Suppliers’ Night. Phoenix, Ariz. Click here.
Central New Jersey
May 7: Golf Outing. Princeton Junction, N.J. Click here.
Chicago
March 12: Student Night. Northbrook, Ill. Click here.
Great Lakes
May 2: Suppliers’ Exhibit. Battle Creek, Mich. Click here.
New York
May 8: Suppliers’ Day and Mini Career Fair. Secaucus, N.J. Click here.
Ohio Valley
April 26: Suppliers’ Night. West Chester, Ohio. Click here.
Southern California
March 7: Suppliers’ Night Expo. Anaheim, Calif. Click here.
St. Louis
April 17: Suppliers’ Night. St. Charles, Mo. Click here.
Western New York
March 27: Food Industry Expo. Rochester, N.Y. Click here.
Save the date: IFT18
Registration is now open for IFT18, where the most creative minds in the science of food will come together to share the latest research, discuss innovative solutions, and delve into forward-thinking topics in food science and technology. Learn what trends are on the horizon in food ingredients, equipment, processing, and packaging, while interacting with the companies who are at the forefront of food science and technology. At IFT18 you can share and be challenged, question and taste, break boundaries, and help redefine the future of food.
More than 100 best-in-class education sessions will be offered, reflecting the latest research, global trends, and developments. In addition, you can attend pre-event short courses on July 14–15 that cover a range of industry topics. For more information on the courses listed below, click here.
• Low Moisture Foods from Ingredients to Finished Products: Food Materials Science Fundamentals, Challenges, and Opportunities
• Certified Food Scientist (CFS) Prep Course
• Clean Label Product Development: Balancing Consumer, Regulatory, and Science
• Flavor Interactions in Foods
• Food Science for the Non-Food Scientist
• Product Development through the Eyes of the Consumer: Applying Sensory and Consumer Insight Tools for Development Success
• Formulating for Function: Winning Nutrition and Consumer Preference on Food Product Development Using Dietary Fiber, Hydrocolloid, and Starch
• Labeling Requirements and Implications for Food Marketed in the U.S.
• Improvise This: The Power of Collaboration (with Second City Works)
• Seeing the Opportunity in Change (with Second City Works)
• IFTNEXT: Launching a Food and Beverage Business (with The Hatchery)
In Memoriam
IFT notes the passing of the following members: Clayton Huber and Otmar Silberstein.
Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email [email protected].