IFT NEWS
MFPC—A sweet success in Chicago
November 9, 2004, marked the 23rd annual Midwest Food Processing Conference, “Good Nutrition: How Sweet it is!”. The conference, sponsored by the Minnesota, Chicago, Iowa, and Wisconsin Sections of IFT, was held in conjunction with the Chicago Section Supplier’s Night.
The conference began with an introduction from MFPC Chairman, Bob Freemore of Northwestern Foods, who explained the general theme of the conference: how certain ingredients and food processing technologies can improve the nutritional aspects of food products.
Kurt Stiles, Caribou Coffee’s Manager of Research and Development, kicked off the morning session with a dynamic presentation discussing not only the direction Caribou Coffee was headed, but also the future of the coffee industry in general. He stressed that his company’s, as well as other coffee houses’ main goal is to improve the customer’s experience each and every time they enter the shop by offering new and innovative coffee and dessert products.
Daryl Lund of the North Central Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, discussed the exciting things happening in the world of food engineering and processing. He focused primarily on stabilization processes, specifically the new technologies that will help to improve shelf-life of processed food products.
Mary Higgins and Melissa Joy Buoscio, both with the Midwest Dairy Association, explored the many innovations offered by the dairy industry. They emphasized dairy’s abundant health benefits, especially recent studies showing that three to four servings of dairy products may help people to lose weight.
Michigan State University’s School of Packaging Director, Sara Risch, concluded the morning session with her speech on encapsulation. She targeted several methods, such as spray drying, extrusion, coacervation, and fluidized bed coating. In addition, Risch discussed external encapsulation and the protection/ barriers associated with food packaging.
The afternoon session began with a panel discussion focusing on the emerging opportunities related to grains. Len Marquart, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, stressed the importance of whole grains to the overall health of humans. He also discussed the ways in which food processors could add whole grains to certain food products.
The remainder of the afternoon featured the 2nd Annual Culinology™ Challenge moderated by John Matchuk, a chef at T. Hasegawa. Each of the culinary teams, composed of one research chef and one food technologist, talked about the new products that they developed the day before the conference at Chef Solutions, Mt. Prospect, Ill. The team members not only explained what they made and how they made it, they also shared information about the MFPC sponsors’ products that they incorporated into their creations.
The conference ended with a wonderful treat-the chance for attendees to meet the team members and taste the new products they created.
Registration kits coming with March Food Technology
Registration kits for IFT’s 65th Annual Meeting + Food Expo® will accompany the March 2005 issue of Food Technology. This year’s meeting and expo will take place July 16–20, 2005, in New Orleans.
In response to the 2004 survey of IFT Expo exhibitors and recommendations from the Exhibitor Advisory Committee, IFT has established a new three-day show format for the Food Expo. The exhibition will run from Sunday, July 17, though Tuesday, July 19. Show hours will be from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm. Additional improvements to the show floor include an International Food Safety & Quality Pavilion and Healthy Food Ingredients Pavilion.
The Annual Meeting will continue with its four-day format, offering technical sessions from July 17 through July 20. The last day of the meeting will feature a full-day International Food Safety & Quality Conference.
IFT staff is excited about implementing these enhancements. We look forward to seeing you at the 2005 IFT Annual Meeting + Food Expo in New Orleans. For more information, visit www.ift.org.
EDUCATION NEWS
Risch joins MSU faculty
Sara J. Risch has been named Director of the Michigan State University School of Packaging.
She is an industry expert and principal in the consulting firm Science by Design and has been widely published in packaging and food science proceedings. Additionally, she holds several patents in microwave food packaging, methods,
Risch was Director of Research and Development for Golden Valley Microwave Foods Inc. from 1988 to 1993. She earned her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in food science from the University of Minnesota and her M.S. degree in food science from the University of Georgia. She is a Professional Member of IFT.
Oblinger named Chancellor
James L. Oblinger was recently named Chancellor of North Carolina State University.
He has served in various capacities at the university for more than 18 years, including his most recent position as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. He also served as the university’s Dean and Executive Director of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Oblinger, who has also worked as a professor of food science during his career, is an expert in the microbiology of red meats and poultry, decontamination techniques, and foodborne pathogens. He received his B.S. degree in bacteriology from DePauw University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in food technology from Iowa State University. He is a Professional Member of IFT.
Brehm-Stecher joins ISU faculty
Bryon Brehm-Stecher was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology at Iowa State University’s Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Previously, he served as Senior Scientist and Molecular Biologists for Applied Biosystems’ Advance Research & Technology Group, Bedford, Mass. He is a Member of IFT.
Rutgers honors food science alumni
Several Rutgers University alumni were honored during 2004 at two events. The alumni received recognition for their contributions to food science research or industry and dedication of their time and expertise to various professional associations.
During the Annual Rutgers University Food Science Alumni gathering, Robert DiMarco, former chair of the university’s food science department, and John W. Erdman, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Illinois, were recognized for their academic research in nutrition and biochemistry. Both are Professional Members of IFT.
Henry J. Izzo, Norman Singer, Richard Fleming Stier, Arnold Epstein, Lucy Sun Hwang, and Leslie Herzog received awards at the Rutgers University luncheon that commemorated their work in academia and research and development. All are Professional Members of IFT except Epstein, who is an Emeritus Member of IFT.
LETTERS
Should clarify ‘saturated’ when discussing fats
As a lipid scientist, I’m frustrated when I read in your publication about saturated fats. Saturated fats comprise three groups of fatty acids: short-, medium-, and long-chain. To use the term “saturated” without an adjective of which group you are discussing is totally incorrect. Each group has different physical, chemical, and biochemical/pharmacological affects. While unsaturated fats/acids are given more precise terms, this is not reflected in discussions of “saturated fats.”
Since Food Technology is read by so many in the industry, isn’t it time to be more correct when discussing saturated fats?
—Jon J. Kabara, Emeritus Professor, Michigan State University, and Director of R&D, Med-Chem Labs, Galena, Ill.
BOOKS RECEIVED
Nutrition and Diet Therapy Reference Dictionary. Rosalinda T. Lagua and Virginia S. Claudio. Blackwell Publishing Professional1. ISBN: 0-8138-1002-7.
Processing Fruits: Science and Technology. Diane M. Barrett, Laszlo Somogyi, and Hosahalli Ramaswamy, eds. CRC Press LLC2. ISBN: 0-8493-1478-X. 2005.
Reviews in Food and Nutrition Toxicity. Victor R. Preedy and Ronald R. Watson, eds. CRC Press LLC2. ISBN: 0-8493-2757-1.
The World Sugar Market. Sergey Gudoshnikov, Lindsay Jolly, and Donald Spence. Published in association with the International Sugar Organization. CRC Press LLC2. ISBN: 0-8493-3208-7.
1 Blackwell Publishing Professional. Call 800-862-6657 or 515-292-0155, or visit www.blackwellprofessional.com. 2CRC Press LLC. Call 800-272-7737 in U.S. or 561-994-0555 in Canada, or visit www.crcpress.com.
SECTION & DIVISION NEWS
Citrus Products Division co-hosts conferences
IFT’s Citrus Products Div., along with the University of Florida Food Science and Human Nutrition Dept., University of Florida Juice and Beverage Center, and the Florida Section of the Institute of Food Technologists, co-hosted the 44th Annual Citrus Processing Short Course held September 21-24 in Clearwater Beach, Fla.
The program included speakers from around the world who shared their knowledge of the citrus industry. Session topics included food safety, processing of juices, global beverage markets, and industry challenges.
As co-host of the event, the Citrus Products Div. selected the recipients of three awards presented during the meeting. April Elston, Student Member of IFT, received the $1,000 George Truitt Student Scholarship Award for her dissertation, “An Objective Flavor Measurement Tool for Orange Juice.”
Timothy Anglea, Director of Citrus Science for Coca-Cola NA/Minute Maid, Apopka, Fla., won the Outstanding Research Award for his 17-year commitment to research in the citrus industry. He is a Member of IFT.
Louis “Lou” E. Taylor won the Distinguished Service Award for research and development achievements in the citrus industry and service to IFT. He is an Emeritus Member of IFT.
Correction
• The IFT News item “New Name for International Award” (November 2004, p. 86) incorrectly stated that Bor S. Luh was a professor at the University of California at Berkeley and that the Bor S. Luh Food Lab is located at that university. Luh was a professor at the University of California at Davis. That is where the Bor S. Luh Food Lab is located. We apologize for the error.
by KAREN BANASIAK
Assistant Editor
[email protected]