IFT NEWS
Call for 2000 Symposia Proposals . . . Electronic submission available . . . Proposals due September 30, 1999
A total of 42 symposia were accepted by the IFT Divisions and the Technical Presentations Subcommittee for the 1999 Annual Meeting. These symposia were well attended and are considered by attendees as a cornerstone of the technical program. Although most symposia are organized by IFT’s Technical Divisions, anyone can submit a symposium.
Symposia represent an important collection of current knowledge on a given subject. IFT’s criteria for these programs include: (1) the identified topic addresses a uniform theme on which all speakers focus; (2) the topic is timely and relevant to a large number of IFT members; and (3) proposed speakers are among the best qualified to present up-to-date information on the topics.
Electronic submission . . . IFT will accept 2000 Symposia Proposals via the Internet. By calling up IFT’s Web Page at www.ift.org and checking the Annual Meeting section, you can electronically submit your entire proposed program, and receive an instantaneous receipt. This system will save you time and eliminate the diskette and multiple paper copies required under the previous submission procedure (which is still available for those who cannot use the electronic system). For information about either method of submission, and about the entire procedure and deadlines for review, acceptance, or rejection, request a copy of the “2000 Guidelines for Symposia Organizers.” It is instantly available on the IFT e-XPRESS faxback service at 1-800-234-0270 (within the U.S. and Canada) or 1-913-495-2551 (rest of the world). Ask for Document 2210. This faxback document includes the names of the Division Chairs to whom symposia proposals should be addressed.
September 30 is deadline for all Symposium Proposals. Throughout September, Division organizers of preliminary symposium proposals must submit them to the Division Chairs. Their review includes acceptance or rejection, suggestions for modification, and ranking for final submission to the Technical Presentations Subcommittee (TPS) Chair by September 30, 1999. Planned co-sponsorship with other Divisions must be coordinated prior to the deadline.
Organizers of symposia not seeking Division sponsorship must submit them directly to the TPS Chair, Christine Bruhn, also by September 30, 1999. The role of the TPS is to coordinate the review of proposals to avoid duplication of symposia topics among the Divisions. The TPS Chair will notify the organizers of symposia proposals of acceptance, rejection, or suggested combination with another symposia on October 27, 1999.
The same point system for Divisions will be used again this year. Each Division is allotted a total of two points for symposia sponsorship, with an individual symposium counting as one point. Symposia co-sponsored with another IFT Division count as one-half point. Co-sponsorship with an outside organization, however, is counted as one full point. Divisions are not required to use their full two-point allotment, and TPS will consider and review symposia in excess of the two-point limit.
If you have questions, contact Christine Bruhn, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Center for Consumer Research, University of California, One Shields Ave., Bldg. 109, Davis, CA 95616-8598 (phone 530-752-2774; fax 530-752-3975; E-mail: [email protected]).
IFT Foundation to match student donations 3 to 1
The IFT Foundation kicked off its “every dollar counts” efforts when Foundation Board members Susan Harlander and William Baran met with members of the IFT Student Association Executive Committee at this year’s IFT Annual Meeting.
Harlander and Baran told the student Executive Committee members that because the IFT Foundation is about the future and students are the future, they were announcing the Foundation’s student matching-dollars campaign. For every dollar donated by a student, the Foundation has identified two donors who are willing to match that dollar 2 to 1. That means a $1 student contribution will result in $5 of support for scholarships, career guidance, and outreach activities sponsored by the Foundation.
Baran, Vice President of Sun Orchard, and Harlander, Vice President, Biotechnology Development and Agricultural Research at Pillsbury, emphasized that the Foundation continues to identify additional donors who are willing to match student contributions.
Harlander told students that she first became involved with IFT as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. She said that her involvement with IFT and the IFT Foundation has been one of the most enriching experiences of her professional career. According to Harlander, more than 20 IFT undergraduate and graduate scholarship winners have worked at Pillsbury in all areas, from product development, scientific and regulatory affairs, to international and Pillsbury North America.
Since 1980, the IFT Foundation has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships and fellowships. The Foundation has also supported the distribution of almost 50,000 copies of food science career and food safety videos; sponsored three Congressional Science Fellows; and provided funding for one-day training workshops for universities interested in conducting High School Science Teacher Workshops.
IFT and FMI announce partnership to exchange food safety/food marketing information
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have announced the formation of a partnership designed to enhance and promote food safety education programs throughout the retail food industry and to facilitate the exchange of information about food marketing.
The new partnership has four primary objectives:
• To enhance and promote food safety, wholesomeness, and quality for the retail food industry.
• To be an authoritative source of scientific and technical information.
• To use and improve channels for dissemination of scientific and other information about issues related to retail food safety and marketing.
• To provide a mechanism for the exchange of information and ideas related to food marketing and the retail food industry.
Dan Weber, IFT’s Executive Vice President, stated that the knowledge gained through shared resources can only benefit the membership of both organizations and, through them, consumers. These resources include representatives who are involved with food research and analysis from government, academia, and industry.
Food science journalism award winners announced
Four journalists were honored for excellence in food science reporting at IFT’s Annual Meeting Opening Event in Chicago, July 24, 1999.
One winning story from 1998 in each of three categories—newspaper, consumer magazine, and television—was selected by a panel of judges on the basis of compelling interest, sound science, effective communication, and good balance. Each judging panel was composed of two food scientists, a journalist, and a communications professional. The award for each of the three winning entries was $1,000, a crystal trophy, and travel expenses to Chicago to accept the award.
Martha Groves, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, won in the newspaper category with her story, “Less-Than-Glowing Image Hampers Food Irradiation,” published on March 15, 1998. She reported that public misinformation about irradiation, fostered by a few aggressive anti-irradiation activists, has precluded food processors from using this time-tested technology, which has the potential to enhance the safety of ground beef, fresh produce, and other raw products associated with foodborne outbreaks in recent years. “Scientists claim that irradiation can do for beef what pasteurization did for milk,” she wrote—prevent harmful microorganisms from sickening thousands of people.
John Wasik, special projects editor of Consumers Digest, won in the consumer magazine category. His story, “How Safe Is Your Produce?”published in the September/October 1998 issue of Consumers Digest, revealed after a six-month investigation that U.S. government inspection of produce at the border is practically nonexistent. Wasik noted that the Food and Drug Administration, which has only 113 inspectors for 309 ports, is unable to adequately inspect and regulate the conditions under which imported produce is grown and shipped. “Although a recent U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report found that ‘there is no evidence to suggest that imported produce is less safe than domestic produce,’ more than 98% of the imports are untested for pesticides and pathogens,” Wasik wrote, adding that consumers can reduce their risk of getting foodborne illness by washing and carefully handling produce.
Bob Gilmartin, Dateline NBC producer, and Lea Thompson, Consumer Interest Correspondent, won in the television category as a result of their investigative story, “Where’s the Beef?: Adulterated Ground Beef,” which aired on NBC on June 8, 1998. This report revealed that, when it comes to ground beef, what one sees on a label may not be what one gets. Twenty-nine out of 100 samples of laboratory-tested ground beef, labeled as 100% pure beef and randomly purchased at grocery stores in ten major U.S. cities, were contaminated with 12–29% of pork, lamb, and/or poultry. Thompson and Gilmartin reported that, while some stores broke the law by not sanitizing their meat grinders between uses with different animal products, other stores deliberately threw in pork, lamb, or poultry trimmings to try to save money. Not only is adulteration illegal, the story noted, but selling mixed meats can be a health hazard and, in some cases, deadly.
IFT Appert medalists made honorary members of Appert association
Events at this year’s IFT Annual Meeting commemorated the 250th anniversary of the birth, on November 17, 1749, of Nicolas Appert, long recognized as “The Father of Canning.” A symposium, “We Are All Appert’s Children,” was presented on Sunday morning, and a ceremony to honor the winners of IFT’s most prestigious award, the Nicholas Appert Award, was held on Sunday evening.
At the ceremony, Jean-Paul Barbier, president of the Association Intenationale Nicolas Appert, presented honorary membership certificates in the association to the13 Appert award winners attending. Certificates will be mailed to those who were unable to attend. The association, headquartered in Chalons en Champagne, France, is dedicated to propagating the memory of Nicolas Appert’s contributions to mankind.
Barbier also presented to IFT a bust of Nicolas Appert by the French sculptor Richard Bruyere. IFT President Bruce Stillings accepted the gift on behalf of IFT.
Sunday’s symposium opened with a representative of the French Embassy presenting greetings from the people of France. Symposium speakers then recapped Appert’s achievements and showed how he laid the groundwork for methods of thermally treating foods in use today. Guy Livingston summarized the life and work of Nicolas Appert: 1749–1841; J. Larousse reviewed canning from Appert to the present; Philip Nelson discussed aseptic processing; T.S. Martens discussed application of pasteurization techniques in extending the shelf life of refrigerated foods; and Marvin Tung discussed the future of thermal processing of foods.
The commemoration concluded with a presentation by Kenneth Marsh on “Fulfilling Appert’s Dream: Using Technology to Insure a Secure Food Supply for the World’s Population” during the ceremony on Sunday evening.
The commemoration was cosponsored by Association Internationale Nicolas Appert and IFT’s Food Engineering, Foodservice, International, and Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Divisions. Certificates of Appreciation were also given to the organizations and companies that are co-sponsoring the IFT Appert Commemoration and the publication of the Pioneers biography.
NZIFST publishes Good Manufacturing Practice Guide and Manual
One of IFT’s affiliated organizations, the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, in association with AgriQuality New Zealand, has published a second edition of Food Industry Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice, now available for purchase.
Good manufacturing practice is based on the knowledge and skills throughout the food system from primary production of raw materials through processing of the industrial ingredients, manufacturing of the consumer products, and distribution of the final retail products, to the cooking and eating of the final foods. Its objectives are to control changes in the food materials to develop desired product qualities, ensure the food is safe to eat, and slow down or stop food deterioration. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) means understanding, analyzing, and controlling the manufacturing process.
The Guide is divided into six sections: The Big Picture, an overview of Good Manufacturing Practices; HACCP and Food Safety Programs; an explanation of each of the Main GMP Components; Information on Food Preservation Methods; information on Specialized Requirements; and Quick Help: Organizations Serving the Food Industry. There are also appendices and a glossary of terms.
The GMP Guide Book (ISBN: 0-86476-053-1) is sold internationally for US$50. Orders may be faxed to the NZIFST office at +64-9-846-7034, or mailed to NZIFST, P.O. Box 44-264, Pt Chevalier, Auckland, New Zealand. Payment may be made by bank check made payable to NZIFST, or credit cards Visa, Mastercard, and Bankcard. For more information, please contact Catherine Pitts, NZIFST Executive Manager, at [email protected].
Clausi named Fellow of UK’s food science institute
A.S. Clausi, Emeritus Member and 1993–94 IFT President, was recently selected as a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (UK), the United Kingdom’s institute corresponding to IFT.
Clausi was honored for his accomplishments in the food industry and for his international interest in advancing the field of food technology. He retired in 1987 as Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer of General Foods Worldwide, having been instrumental in the development of Jell-O Instant Pudding and other food products such as Tang, Cool Whip, and Gainesburgers dog food. He holds 13 patents for his work.
He has always been active in international affairs, working with food industry organizations and university departments in China, Japan, Korea, and Eastern Europe. Such worldwide contributions won him IFT’s International Achievement Award for 1987. In 1986, he organized and helped establish the General Foods World Food Prize, the “Nobel Prize” of food science. He was chair of this committee until its 1991 transfer to the Ruan World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa.. Among his other activities, he played a key role in establishing IFT’s Office of Scientific Affairs (now called Science Communications) and chaired formation of the International Food Biotechnology Council.
Clausi has just completed three years’ service on the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Strategic Planning Task Force, which was charged to review all current agricultural research facilities constructed in whole or in part with federal funds. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman named the 15-member task force, including Clausi, in March 1997 from names submitted by the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension, and Economics Advisory Board. Over the three-year period, this task force investigated and evaluated the assignment and concluded that USDA needs a major overhaul, building stronger ties to the outside research community and focusing more sharply on fewer research priorities. The panel recommended that USDA build fewer new laboratories, shut down many existing research stations, and increase partnerships with academic and corporate laboratories. The draft report was finalized and submitted to Secretary Glickman in April 1999.
In Memoriam: John M. Jackson
John M. Jackson, Emeritus Charter Member and former IFT President (1962–63) , died in St. Joseph, Mich., on May 24, 1999. He was 90.
Jackson, who received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1932, spent the next 31 years in the Research Division of the American Can Company, Barrington, Ill. In 1963, he joined the Green Giant Company, Le Sueur, Minn., from which he retired as Director of Technical Relations in the early 1970s. His research interests were primarily in the field of thermal processing of canned foods, with emphasis on high-temperature, short-time processing and aseptic canning. His investigations also included the development of frozen-food packaging and pressurized (aerosol) packaging, and he was one of the organizers in 1968 of the IFT Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Division.
A Charter Member of IFT, he joined the Institute in 1940 and continued to give of his time and effort to the advancement of the Institute over the next four decades. In addition to serving as 1962–63 President, he was a member or chair of several achievement award juries, the Finance Committee, the Constitution and By-laws Committee, the Ad Hoc Committee on Fellows, the 1958 Annual Meeting Program Committee, and the 1967–68 Executive Committee. He also served a term on the Board of Editors of Food Technology.
Jackson was active in the Chicago, Minnesota, and Great Lakes Sections, and appointed as Treasurer of the Minnesota Section in 1964. He was named an IFT Fellow in 1970, the year that designation was instituted.
Regional Section and Division News
Mid-South
The Section recently awarded its annual graduate scholarships of $1,500 each to students from Mississippi State University and Louisiana State University. The award to Stephen McIngvale, who will enter Mississippi State’s Dept. of Food Science and Technology as an M.S. student this fall, marks the first time the Section’s scholarship has been awarded to a student not already in a graduate program. Active in the Student IFT Food Science Club, he plans to work on methods of detection of food pathogens as his research project.
Ipek Goktepe, a Ph.D. candidate at LSU, has several publications in her research area and is an active contributor to student IFT affairs. Her research involves evaluating the toxicity of neem-based pesticides in shellfish.
This is the 16th consecutive year that the Mid-South Section has been able to offer this scholarship, and the second year that a companion recognition award has been given to the departments of the winning scholars.
Minnesota
At its May meeting, the section awarded several scholarships and travel awards at Student Recognition Night. Three $2,000 scholarships went to Kimberly Bitz, North Dakota State University; and Anja Tamoschat and Craig Sherwin, both of the University of Minnesota. Six students, pictured below, received $300 travel awards to attend the IFT Annual Meeting in Chicago in July. These awards are presented each year to students enrolled in a food science program at a university within the Minnesota Section region. Selection is based on GPA, academic accomplishments, local and national IFT activities, and recommendations.
Quality Assurance Division
John K. McAnelly and John G. Surak were honored with the 1999 Distinguished Service Awards for their years of service to the division at this year’s annual QA Division breakfast/business meeting at the IFT Annual Meeting in July.
Both honorees have served as Division Chair; developed, sponsored, and moderated many symposia on subjects ranging from Total Quality to Food Allergens; and served as judges for the annual Junior/Senior IFT scholarships—an essential activity in the Division’s objective to encourage and support quality professionals in the food industry. In addition, they are the creators and instructors, along with Robert Gravani of Cornell University, of IFT’s popular annual short course on “Quality Management for the Food Industry,” given for the past six years at Cornell.
Surak, Professor of Food Science and Extension Food Scientist at Clemson University, Clemson, N.C., leads teaching, research, and extension programs in the area of quality and productivity improvement. McAnelly, who has 35 years of food industry experience in product quality and safety, regulatory affairs, product development, and basic research, retired in 1995 from the Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin at Madison. Prior to that, he was president of McAnelly & Associates, a food safety and quality management consulting firm; and Group Director, Corporate Quality Assurance, of Nabisco Brands, Inc.
by BETSY BAIRD
Assistant Editor