CFS course fosters employee engagement; Heldman receives Macy Award

CFS Prep Course creates engaged employees
Since the Certified Food Scientist (CFS) program was introduced in 2013, more than 1,800 food science professionals in 55 countries have earned the credential, which recognizes applied scientific knowledge and skills. To help potential applicants prepare for the rigorous exam, which covers eight content areas related to the science of food, IFT offers a two-day in-person CFS Prep Course at each year’s annual meeting. This year’s course will be held Friday and Saturday, June 24–25, in Las Vegas.  

This course’s primary aim is to help exam-takers prepare for their test by refreshing knowledge they may not have used for some time and introducing them to key concepts and vocabulary in content areas that may be new to them, as well as identify areas where further study may be required. It can also serve as a means for them to become more successful and engaged employees by revealing the synergies between all of the areas within the science of food, according to Amy Marie Lammert and Rob Kravets, two of the course’s instructors. Both professors at California Polytechnic State University, the two have co-taught the product development and processing areas of this course for the past four years, weaving the crucial bits and pieces of these subjects into a dynamic, high-energy session they’ve dubbed “The Rob and Amy Show.”  

By providing context for how decisions made in processing affect product development and vice versa, the two demonstrate just how linked the various parts of the industry are and hope to help attendees reconsider the way they think about the fundamentals of food science in their professional lives. While some attendees come to the course focused solely on passing the exam, Lammert and Kravets say that the majority appreciate the anecdotes and additional information the instructors provide because it helps give them real world context for the lessons they are learning. In addition, focusing on topics they may not normally encounter on the job helps set up attendees for better future interactions with colleagues and peers working in these areas, something Kravets says is also true of the credential itself. 

“The majority [of attendees] genuinely want to do better and understand that the better the understanding they have of the industry, the more effective and more useful they are in their career path, no matter what area they’re in,” says Kravets. “I think for those people, getting the CFS is a definite advantage. I think it helps them open up their eyes ... when you interact with people across the whole spectrum of the industry.”

The credential also “provides another means of formal justification that you have critical levels of knowledge” in the different areas of food science, adds Lammert.

In addition to the processing and product development sessions Kravets and Lammert teach, the course also covers topics that include food safety, engineering, chemistry, quality assurance, regulatory, and sensory. After the course ends, attendees have access to online resources through the end of the next testing window, which in this case is Aug. 27. Attendees have access to three practice tests and can connect with each other online in a special group in the IFT Connect community; the online group is also a place for sharing resources, asking questions, and viewing tips and frequently missed questions. IFT offers an online version of the course, which also includes practice tests and access to an online community. 

In addition to the CFS Prep Course, IFT will hold eight other pre-event short courses at this year’s annual meeting; check out the full list of available courses on the opposite page and visit iftevent.org/sessions/short-courses to register.

IFT also offers an online version of the course, which includes practice tests and access to an online community. Click here to learn more about the prep course options.

Register for IFT17 Short Courses
Attending IFT17? IFT is offering nine pre-event short courses that cover a range of industry topics. See available courses below and visit iftevent.org/sessions/short-courses for more information.

June 23–25
Preventive Controls for Human Food

June 24–25, 2017
Clean Label Product Innovation
Certified Food Scientist Prep Course
Flavor Interactions in Foods
Food Science for the Non-Food Scientist
Formulating for Function: Understanding the Application of Gums and Starches in Food
Fundamentals of Sensory Science
Labeling Requirements and Implications for Foods Marketed in the U.S.

June 25
Sparking Innovation and Creativity

Learn about CFS at IFT17
At IFT17, attendees interested in the Certified Food Scientist (CFS) program have several opportunities to learn how the credential can benefit their organization or career. Attendees can visit the CFS table at Career Center Live (Galileo 904–907, 1004–1007) on Monday, June 26, from noon to 5 p.m., or attend any of the CFS Info Sessions held throughout the show in the CFS Lounge (Marco Polo 806–807) or at the IFT booth. In addition, attendees may stop by the CFS Lounge any time during show hours to speak with Certified Food Scientists who have already been through the process and take away information about the credential. Click here for more information about CFS.

Heldman receives Macy Award
The Minnesota Section of IFT presented Dennis Heldman with the 2017 Harold Macy Food Science and Technology Award, which recognizes outstanding food technology transfer or cooperation between scientists. The award, which was established in 1981, honors Harold Macy, dean emeritus of the University of Minnesota and a founding member of IFT.

Heldman, the Dale Seiberling Endowed Chair in Dairy Food Engineering at The Ohio State University, presented “Sustainability of the Food Supply Chain” to section members and received an honorarium. During his talk, he discussed in part the types of waste within the farm-to-fork food supply chain and areas of its higher concentrations. Heldman’s research program works very closely with industry in the areas of food waste, process design, cleaning operations, frozen foods, and waste streams to improve the efficiencies of processes for transforming raw food materials and ingredients into high-quality and safe consumer food products.

Dairy course coming soon
IFT will soon offer a new online course about all things dairy, including milk processing, the chemical and physical properties of milk, quality and safety, and products created from milk, such as butter, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. The course should be available this summer.

This course is designed for professionals with minimal familiarity with dairy topics, such as management, sales and marketing, food engineers, dietitians and nutritionists, and scientists with backgrounds in other areas. After completing the course, attendees will understand the basic components of dairy science, identify trends in the dairy industry, and understand how dairy science impacts other areas of food science.

Getting to Know Nitin Joshi
Each month, we meet one of IFT’s valued volunteers.

Nitin Joshi’s volunteer experiences with IFT have certainly been well-rounded. He has served as chair of the Philadelphia Section, as committee chair for the Longhorn Section, and as an IFT Student Assoc. chapter vice-president. He has also helped IFT by reviewing studies for the Journal of Food Science, serving on awards juries, organizing technical sessions, judging college bowl competitions, and encouraging members to pursue the Certified Food Scientist credential.

“I enjoy encouraging other members, specifically the emerging professionals,” says Joshi. “It is very important to connect with the newer generation to demonstrate the value of giving back to society and the community.”

And in light of Joshi’s role as vice-president of product development within the Global Innovation Partnerships group of Dairy Management Inc., a nonprofit organization funded by America’s dairy farmers, it might make sense that he would be most intimately involved in the Dairy Foods Division. Among other efforts, he has served as chair, organized webcasts, planned social events, reviewed abstracts and judged competitions, and most recently, led the efforts in creating a brand-new online short course centered on dairy fundamentals. “Since I have a good amount of experience working in industry as well as in academia, I wanted to use my expertise to create a short course for the benefit of the people who are new to the dairy field,” he explains.

Joshi has been volunteering with various groups since childhood, and by prioritizing and managing his time well, adding these IFT activities has not affected his work-life balance negatively. He encourages fellow IFT members to do the same, both for the skills they will develop and the pleasure they will receive from giving back. “My involvement with IFT has helped expand my leadership skills and build a vast network of like-minded professionals,” he says.

Section Meetings
Central New Jersey
May 1: Golf outing. Princeton Junction, N.J. Click here.

Chicago
May 8: Dinner meeting and Tanner Lecture. Rosemont, Ill. Click here.

Great Lakes
May 9: Suppliers’ day. Battle Creek, Mich. Click here.

Northeast
May 17: Food industry expo. Worcester, Mass. Click here.

May 18: Golf outing. Charlton, Mass. Click here.

Northern California
May 2: Suppliers’ night. Pleasanton, Calif. Click here.

St. Louis
May 4: Suppliers’ night. St. Charles, Mo. Click here.

Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email [email protected].