Reaching Out
The Institute of Food Technologists advances the science and technology of food through the exchange of knowledge.
This annual report covers the IFT fiscal year September 1, 1999 through August 31, 2000.
Dear IFT Member:
As a scientific society, IFT’s role is necessarily one of outreach: reaching toward our members with information, knowledge, and the ability to share that knowledge, and reaching outward toward the other stakeholders, including future food technologists, industries that use the knowledge of our members, and consumers who depend on the efforts of our members to insure a safe and secure food supply. It is within the area of outreach that IFT has enhanced its efforts this year, with some outstanding results:
Reports: Providing carefully thought-out information to legislators and regulators is a fairly new move for IFT. The report emanating from the Science and Technology Project, followed by the Biotechnology Report, provides a consensus of the scientific thought of the leading scientists of our day, who happen to be members. These reports provided a framework for those charged with developing public policy to be sure that sound science is represented in regulations and legislation. Science Communications also published the Scientific Status Summary on Probiotics this year. These documents are widely distributed, and heavily used by those who want an easily read report of the science of a subject, defined and complete.
Experts: The Food Science Communicators provide print and radio-television journalists with expertise about a wide variety of subjects relating to food. The Communicators have been interviewed by the Associated Press, Cable News Network, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, to name a few. Sound science is important, and making experts available helps to dispel myths about food and food science. This year, Communicators were busier than ever, as concerns about safety, biotechnology, organic products, and foodborne illness were in the news more than ever.
Members: The Annual Meeting is the high point of the information year for IFT members. But there is more diverse activity ongoing as well. Videoconferencing has become a standard operating procedure for IFT: last year the most popular videoconference yet took place ion November. The subject, Genetically Modified Organisms: Current Science and Global Issues” drew 500 scientists for the electronic meeting. This was followed by a conference on Nonthermal Processing Techniques in April, with 200 viewers at 18 sites. But lest we forget the big show, the Annual Meeting & Food Expo presented 1,358 papers by scientists outlining their discoveries and 793 companies displaying their new products and services.
Activity has increased on many fronts: International activity, including a new Web site cosponsored with the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), many Task Forces designed to enhance certain activities rapidly, and the 25th Anniversary of the Student Association, are some of the highlights of this year. Your association remains strong, active, and financially secure, and it continues to strive to be the voice of reason, promoting solid science as a basis for making regulatory, legislative, financial, and policy decisions.
by Charles H. Manley
President, 1999–2000
by Daniel E. Weber
Executive Vice President
Reaching Government
The Institute of Food Technologists reaches government regulators and lawmakers through a variety of means:
Washington, D.C., Office. IFT opened a satellite office in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2000, to enhance its abilities to communicate with lawmakers, regulatory groups, and the media. The office is located in the Blake Building, 1025 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036 (phone 202-466-5980, fax 202-466-5988, e-mail [email protected]). It is near the White House and convenient to Metro lines, and the decor is similar to that of IFT’s headquarters office in Chicago, Ill.
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The goals of IFT’s Washington presence are to increase visibility and recognition of IFT as the leading scientific and professional-based source of information for food science and technology-related government activities; advocate the scientific perspective on food policy issues; effectively capitalize on and expand opportunities for IFT to address government food-related issues; and expand opportunities to involve IFT members in an effective grass-roots network to enhance IFT’s role in government programs and policies related to food science and technology.
The new office is under the direction of Fred R. Shank, Vice President of Science, Communications, and Government Relations, and consists of three departments: Science and Communications (located in the Chicago office), Science and Government Relations, and Science and Technology Projects.
The new office—referred to as the Washington office, even though the Department of Science and Communications is located in Chicago—will (1) consolidate IFT’s scientific activities, (2) identify one or more major projects, such as the biotechnology report discussed below, each year to address scientific issues regarding public policy, and (3) be more proactive in advocating the scientific perspective regarding food issues.
Biotechnology Report. A major activity of IFT’s Washington office during the fiscal year was the preparation of an IFT Expert Report on Biotechnology. Three panels of experts completed a comprehensive scientific review of biotechnology during the fiscal year. The report was prepared for publication in Food Technology in four sections: Introduction (August issue), Human Food Safety Evaluation of rDNA Biotechnology-Derived Foods (September), Labeling of rDNA Biotechnology-Derived Foods (September), and Benefits and Concerns Associated with rDNA Biotechnology-Derived Foods (October). The report was reprinted as a 56-page booklet with the addition of a Preface for distribution in September 2000 to key Congressional and federal officials, appropriate committees at the National Academies and other organizations.
Department of Science and Communications. During the fiscal year, the Department of Science and Communications generated Backgrounders and other documents to accompany the IFT Expert Report on Biotechnology and made plans for a press conference for release of the report in September 2000. The staff also worked with the Washington office to coordinate the delivery of IFT comments at a Senate committee hearing on the subject. The department also published a Scientific Status Summary on “Probiotics.”
The department coordinated testimony at a research-related CSREES Stakeholder Meeting and at the Food and Drug Administration’s public meeting on “Biotechnology in Year 2000 and Beyond,” and submitted written comments to FDA regarding biotechnology.
Department of Science and Technology Projects. The department, under a five-year contract with the FDA, worked on three projects during the fiscal year. The report of the first project, “How to Quantify the Destruction Kinetics of Alternative Processing Technologies,” was submitted to the FDA in March and will be published as a supplement to the November–December 2000 issue of Journal of Food Science. A symposium on the report was held at the IFT Annual Meeting in June.
The department began work on the second project, “Processing Parameters Needed to Control Pathogens in Cold Smoked Fish,” in September 1999 and will submit a final report to FDA by the end of March 2001.
The department also began work on its third project, “Analysis and Evaluation of Preventive Control Measures for the Control and Reduction/Elimination of Microbial Hazards on Fresh and Fresh Cut Produce,” in September and will submit a final report to FDA by the end of June 2001.
IFT Congressional Science Fellowship. Joan R. Rothenberg, formerly Senior Manager, Equipment/Product Development at Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle, Wash., served as the 1999–2000 IFT Congressional Science Fellow, working as a staffer in the office of Representative Rush Holt. Her term began in September with a two-week orientation provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which coordinates the fellowship program. The IFT Congressional Science Fellowship, supported by the IFT Foundation, allows a qualified member to work for one year for a member of Congress or for a Congressional committee or organization. The fellow serves as a legislative staff member and has the opportunity to share scientific perspective on food and agricultural issues with Congressional members and staff directly responsible for science and food policy. Thomas M. Zinnen, biotechnology education specialist at the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center, Madison, was named the IFT Congressional Science Fellow for 2000–01.
Reaching the Public through the Media
IFT reaches the public through its own communications program and through alliances with other organizations.
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Food Science Communicators. IFT’s Department of Science and Communications has a program designed to provide scientific information to the media and thereby to the public. The Food Science Communicators program provides reporters direct access to authoritative sources of scientific information about food. The Food Science Communicators include food scientists and nutritionists, extension specialists, and others who share their knowledge about food with the public. Most have doctorates in food science, nutrition, or related fields and current appointments at accredited universities or colleges, or are retired from academia.
Two new Food Science Communicators were appointed during the fiscal year, bringing the total to 72. The Communicators provide the news media—news services, newspapers, networks, television and radio stations, and magazines—with scientific information on many subjects related to food science and technology. Highlights of the Communicators’ placements are reviewed in the Newsmakers column of Food Technology. During the fiscal year, Food Science Communicators were interviewed by such media as the Associated Press, New York Times, New York Daily News, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Men’s Health, Family Circle, Columbus Dispatch, Chicago Tribune, WTTW-TV, Cable News Network, Detroit News, Florida Times-Union, Discover, Gannett News Service, Country Living’s Healthy Living, BBC Online, Crain’s Chicago Business, Harper’s Magazine, New Scientist, Scripps Howard News Service, Prevention, Sun-Sentinel, and others.
The 4th edition of the IFT Guide to Food Science Communicators was distributed in July to about 2,500 journalists.
Alliances. The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, of which IFT is one of four member organizations, issued news releases and statements on diet and cancer prevention in the United States, the new dietary guidelines, and vitamin E.
IFT began discussions with the Food Marketing Institute regarding a joint venture to enhance and promote food safety education programs throughout the retail food industry and facilitate the exchange of information about food marketing.
The IFT Foodservice Division/National Restaurant Association Strategic Alliance presented a symposium on “Handwashing vs Glove Usage” during the NRA annual meeting in May and at the IFT Annual Meeting in June. The IFT/NRA Strategic Alliance also repeated the 1999 IFT Annual Meeting symposium, “Food Safety is Good Business: What’s Time and Temperature Got to Do with it?” at the Food Marketing Institute’s meeting in February.
Reaching Food Professionals
IFT has a variety of programs designed to keep food scientists and technologists abreast of new research, developments, and accomplishments in the food field.
IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. More than 17,500 people attended IFT’s 2000 Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Dallas, Tex., in June. The Technical Program featured 1,358 papers on all aspects of food science and technology and its related disciplines; 48 symposia; 24 technical oral sessions; 35 poster sessions (more than 58% of the papers were presented in poster sessions); 3 Hot Topic sessions; 13 Special Forums; and 2 New Products & Technologies sessions. Food Expo featured 793 companies exhibiting in 2,452 booths.
About 70 Chief Research Officers of companies and heads of university food science departments met during the third annual CROs meeting, titled “Partnership for Growth, Biotechnology and Our Food—Where Does the Future Lie?” during the Annual Meeting and got a first look at IFT’s expert report on biotechnology. At the meeting, Congressman Frank Lucas (R-Okla), noted that IFT serves a critically important role, providing information that can be trusted by legislators to be useful and truthful.
Fifteen IFT Achievement Awards were presented at the IFT Annual Meeting; 119 nominations had been received. The Bernard L. Oser Food Ingredient Safety Achievement Award, named in memory of IFT’s 29th President, was presented for the first time to honor an IFT member for his or her contribution to the scientific knowledge of food ingredient safety or for leadership in establishing principles for food ingredient safety evaluation or regulation. Richard L. Hall was the first recipient of the award.
Ten IFT members were elected IFT Fellow; 49 nominations had been received.
The Fellows Affairs Committee sponsored a forum at the Annual Meeting on the subject, “A Retrospective on the Future from the Perspective of Fellows’ Experience.”
Four journalists were honored for excellence in food science reporting in IFT’s annual science journalism competition.
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Videoconferences. IFT offered two new videoconferences during the fiscal year to IFT Sections, university food science departments, and other interested organizations. “Genetically Modified Organisms: Current Science and Global Issues” took place in November and was the most popular IFT videoconference ever, with more than 500 food scientists participating at 21 different sites in the U.S. and one in Canada. “Nonthermal Processing Techniques: Current Status,” took place in April, with more than 200 viewers at 18 sites in the U.S. and one in Mexico.
IFT Food Safety & Quality Conference. IFT completed plans for an IFT Food Safety & Quality Conference and Expo, scheduled to be held in Orlando, Fla., in November 2000. The event, a joint venture between IFT and ROC Exhibitions, Inc., is expected to have close to 600 attendees and 100 exhibit booths. This will be IFT’s first conference on a specific topic presented outside the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. The two-and-one-half-day conference program will include presentations on the IFT expert report on biotechnology, food safety research HACCP training, safety issues in the U.S. and Latin America, packaging issues, red meat and poultry safety, quality and safety issues associated with packaging meat and poultry, implementation of cooperative HACCP programs in the U.S. and Latin America, rapid testing methodologies, and new technologies to extend shelf life of foods.
Continuing Education. A total of 31 continuing education programs were presented during the fiscal year, many of them cosponsored by IFT Divisions, university food science departments, and other technical societies or organizations. Many of the programs are repeated annually or more often, as attendance demands.
Several programs presented during the fiscal year were recorded for distribution via CD-ROM. Labeling FDA Regulated Foods will be released in January 2001, and Sanitizers and Cleaning Agents in late spring.
Full programs and registration forms for IFT’s Continuing Education Programs were made available on IFT’s Web page.
Several new program topics, including Practical Cheese Manufacturing and Superior Sales & Marketing Strategies were developed for presentation in 2000–01.
Two surveys were conducted, one during the Annual Meeting and another via e-mail, to identify additional topics for continuing education programs. Results indicated that eight of the top 11 topic preferences were programs that IFT has offered.
The Continuing Education Committee decided to develop programs on “advanced” topics, per attendee requests—a reversal, since the majority during the past several years had requested “introductory” programs.
Journal of Food Science. Five Scientific Editors for sections of the Journal of Food Science were appointed in October. They report to the Scientific Editor, who oversees policy and direction at the journal. They will screen manuscripts, recommend potential referees, and determine manuscript acceptance.
A redesigned cover, section pages, and page layout for Journal of Food Science were completed, and the first issue with the redesign (January-February 2000) was sent to the printer electronically.
Most papers for JFS are being handled by electronic methods, and evaluation of an electronic manuscript handling system called ScholarOne was completed, with implementation to begin in September 2000.
JFS is now available online through the IFT Web site (www.ift.org). Access to the online version is restricted to subscribers of the paper version.
Food Technology. A Stratton study of Food Technology was completed in spring, with favorable responses on the format, layout, and graphics. The report outlined a number of recommendations that staff is currently studying and will implement in the next fiscal year.
Food Technology is also available online.
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A Century of Food Science, an 84-page book designed to highlight the achievements of food science and technology during the past 100 years, was distributed at the Annual Meeting. Developed by the IFT Research Report Task Force, the book described the products, companies, and research that played a role in the 20th century.
New Journals Planned. Plans are in progress to publish two new electronic journals, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science/Food Safety and Journal of Food Science Education, both to debut in 2001. They will be accessible via IFT’s Web site. The latter journal is being planned in conjunction with the IFT Education Division.
Reaching the International Audience
In line with IFT’s goal to become recognized as a global source of technical expertise and information related to food science, IFT presented nine continuing education programs in Egypt during the fiscal year. Sanitation and GMPs, Integrated Pest Management, and Food Microbiology were each presented twice in August; and Sanitation and GMPs, Integrated Pest Management, and An Introduction to Food Labeling Laws and Regulations in the U.S. were presented in May. Plans were being made to present programs on Integrated Pest Management, Labeling for U.S. and Europe, and Product Development in Egypt in 2000–01.
IFT presented a one-day seminar on Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the International Food Ingredients & Additives (IFIA) Exhibition held in Tokyo, Japan, in May. The exhibition was sponsored by Japan Food Chemical Newspapers and E.J. Krause Associates, Inc. Plans were made to provide speakers for international seminars in Japan and Spain in May 2001.
A program on Food Sanitation & GMP Compliance at the 2000 IFT Annual Meeting was offered with simultaneous translation into Spanish. The same program will be presented in Spanish in Mexico City in May 2001.
IFT worked with the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) to create an international information Web site called the World of Food Science (www.worldfoodscience.org), which will make timely and critical information available to food science professionals all over the world. IUFoST generates the content, and IFT hosts the site.
Thirteen IFT student members presented papers at IUFoST’s 11th World Congress in Sydney, Australia, in October under a new program funded by IFT. The students were all active in IFT’s Student Association or winners of competitions at the 1999 IFT Annual Meeting.
An IFT delegation attended ICOF ’99, the first International Conference on Oriental Foods, in Beijing, China, in October, immediately following IUFoST’s 11th World Congress. The conference, “Oriental Foods Gears to the 21st Century,” was cosponsored by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), IUFoST, IFT, the Chinese-American Food Society, and several other food science societies. The conference also featured a “Quality Oriental Food Show.”
IFT sponsored and provided speakers for an Ingredients seminar at the ANUGA world trade fair in Cologne, Germany, in April.
IFT began planning its activities for IUFoST’s 12th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, which IFT will host in Chicago, Ill., in July-August 2003, immediately following the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Chicago.
Three symposia and three forums at the Annual Meeting focused on global technologies, laws and regulations, and marketing. IFT’s Committee for Global Interests hosted two forums: “Global Requirements for Health Claims” and “Functional Foods Opportunities: Searching for Global Technologies.”
Fourteen percent of the attendees at the Annual Meeting were from countries outside the U.S.
The Latin American and Caribbean Association of Food Science and Technology (ALACCTA) helped IFT plan and endorsed IFT’s Food Safety & Quality Conference, scheduled for November 2000.
Through its Codex Committee and coordination by the Department of Science and Communications, IFT participated in Codex Alimentarius Committee meetings on Food Hygiene, Food Additives and Contaminants, Food Labeling, Pesticide Residues, Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems, Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, and General Principles committees, and in the meeting of the new Codex Task Force on Biotechnology.
The Department of Science and Communications also coordinated IFT’s participation in the International HACCP Alliance Board of Directors meeting in February.
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Reaching Future Food Technologists
IFT’s Student Association celebrated its 25th Anniversary during the IFT Annual Meeting. In the 25 years since full status was granted to students, these future food scientists and technologists have become a driving force within IFT. During the Annual meeting, the Student Association presented the Student Chapter of the Year Award; Distinguished Chapter Awards; and Student Achievement Awards. Student teams participated in the annual Food Technology College Bowl Competition and the annual Product Development Competition. The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign team won this year’s Product Development Competition for its development of Coffee Capps, a frozen dairy creamer that froths when coffee is added.
Students also participated in undergraduate and graduate paper competitions, as well as other paper competitions sponsored by the IFT Divisions.
IFT, through the IFT Foundation, awarded 146 scholarships and fellowships for the 2000–01 school year, with a total value of$203,000.
IFT, also with funding from the IFT Foundation, provided to teachers 6,445 free copies of the IFT videotape, “In Good Taste: Careers in Food Science,” and 7,839 free copies of the videotape, “The Great Food Fight” and collateral teaching guides during the fiscal year, as well as almost 5,000 general food science career pamphlets and 450 food science experiment books. The videotapes were targeted to students in grades 6–12. “In Good Taste” was seen by 2.7 million students during the year and “The Great Food Fight” by 3.2 million. More than 15 million students have seen “In Good Taste” since it was first distributed in 1994, and more than 9 million students have seen “The Great Food Fight” since it was first distributed in 1996.
Several members of the Career Guidance Committee and several Regional Section members attended the National Science Teachers Association regional and annual meetings to make educators more aware of IFT and food science as a career.
IFT, through its Career Guidance Committee, participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Detroit, Mich., in May, to encourage interest in food science and engineering among high school students. IFT provided judges and presented awards for the top food-related entries.
The Committee continues to seek ways to help IFT Regional Sections promote food science careers. By the end of the fiscal year, “Assistance Kits” (display board, narration slides, and videos) had been requested by 37 Sections. Availability of these kits was announced at the Annual Meeting and at the Leadership Conference in August.
Mini-grants of $3,000–4,000 funded by the IFT Foundation were provided to each of five university food science departments to support high school educator training workshops on teaching food science during 2000–01.
In October, IFT participated with other scientific organizations in a team effort to conduct a National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America) team development project competition in the field of food science and technology.
IFT also provided a judge for a national individual high school FFA student project related to food science.
A Food Chemistry Experiment Booklet was completed and scheduled for distribution in January 2001. It was the fourth in a series. The experiment books have become very popular with science teachers, and are intended to direct students with interests in these different science subjects to consider food science as a career option.
A CD-ROM entitled Pizza Explorer, containing collateral materials for teachers, was prepared for IFT by Purdue University, with review by the Career Guidance Committee. It will be available for distribution in January 2001.
Twelve companies and more than 300 students participated in this year’s Career Fair at the IFT Annual Meeting, where students had the opportunity to informally network with companies to discuss employment opportunities.
A symposium on “The School-to-Work Transition,” cosponsored by the Education Division and the Student Association, and a forum on “IFT Undergraduate Education Standards for Degrees in Food Science” were presented during the Annual Meeting.
IFT, through the IFT Foundation, disbursed $14,483 to three universities in the fourth year of the IFT Committee on Diversity’s five-year $75,000 grants program. The program is designed to provide seed funding for university projects focused on recruiting, retaining, and graduating students from underrepresented population groups, and placing them in employment as professionals.
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Reaching the Membership
The backbone of IFT is its membership and organizational structure of volunteer leaders. Any forward-moving individual-membership organization requires the active involvement of its members, and IFT has more than 600 volunteers working in leadership roles in IFT committees and the Council. This doesn’t include the countless number of volunteers serving on committees in IFT Regional Sections, Divisions, and the Student Association.
Members. More new members (3,800) joined IFT during the fiscal year than ever before, but the retention rate slipped slightly, so that the total membership at the end of the year was down to 27,642, compared to 28,005 the previous year.
Ninety-two Emeritus Members who joined IFT in 1950 were awarded 50-year pins to commemorate their long association with IFT .
Members were able to vote for election of Councilor representatives and IFT officers by electronic balloting as an alternative to the expensive mail balloting. Electronic balloting will also be offered for the general election of officers.
Sections and Divisions. A consultant hired to work with IFT in strengthening the IFT Regional Sections and Divisions met with the IFT staff and with the Committee on Sections and Divisions, held focus groups, and conducted telephone interviews. Her final report was submitted in August and approved by the IFT Executive Committee, and implementation of her recommendations began.
The IFT Central New York Section and the Western New York Section agreed to merge, effective September 2001.
The Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods Division was granted probationary status as a new division. Several groups celebrated milestones during the fiscal year. In addition to the Student Association’s celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Chicago Section—IFT’s oldest section—celebrated its 60th anniversary, the Food Microbiology its 25th, and the International Division its 10th.
There continues to be great interest among IFT Sections and Divisions in establishing and operating both Web sites and listservs. To assist the Sections and Divisions, IFT has been offering free Web site hosting services on the IFT Web site. During the year, the number of divisions taking advantage of this opportunity increased to 13 and the number of Regional Sections to 24.
The Executive Committee in March approved changing the name of the Scientific Lectureship Program to the Distinguished Lectureship Program to broaden the range of topics. IFT funds one speaker per Regional Section per year. During the fiscal year, 43 Regional Sections requested lecturers.
The annual three-day Leadership Conference, “Stars of IFT,” was held in Chicago in August and was attended by 67 Section and Division officers, breaking all previous records. The conference trains IFT members to be outstanding leaders for the purpose of enhancing the food science and technology profession, facilitating Section and Division operations, and building a foundation for future IFT leaders.
The Constitution and By-Laws Committee completed its review of the By-Laws of the IFT Regional Sections, Divisions, and Student Chapters. The IFT Student Association By-Laws also were updated and approved.
Information Services. The Information Services department successfully made the transition to the new millennium with no Y2K problems. In many cases, older computer systems were replaced with newer systems, which not only prevented Y2K problems but also provided much improved capabilities to meet IFT’s current and future requirements.
Implementation of IFT’s new database system (the TIMSS association management system) continued on schedule. The system went online in September and has been used since then for membership dues renewal notices, payment processing, Food Technology magazine fulfillment runs, Journal of Food Science fulfillment runs, and many other membership functions, as well as Food Expo management.
Employment Services. IFT’s biannual Membership Employment & Salary Survey was conducted in October 1999, and the results were published in the April 2000 issue of Food Technology. The report showed that demographics had not changed appreciably since the previous survey in 1997 but that salaries had increased.
A total of 314 job seekers signed up for the Annual Meeting Employment Bureau, and 147 companies used the service. Seventy-three companies conducted on-site interviews. Job Vacancy postings included 198 in the booklet published prior to the meeting, for a total of 512. There were more jobs than job seekers.
March 2000 marked the first anniversary of the online IFT Jobs Available Bulletin, which is provided as an alternative to the print version mailed to the approximately 300 members registered with Employment Services. More than 50% of the registered members opted to view the bulletin electronically via IFT’s Web site. The bulletin is updated daily, with about 30 new positions added each month.
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Expanding into the World Wide Web via
www.ift.org
IFT’s World Wide Web site (www.ift.org) continued to attract new visitors. Activity reports show that the site is registering almost one million “hits” per month. A hit occurs whenever a page or a graphic is retrieved, so a single visitor can generate many hits. A more relevant statistic in assessing the activity of a Web site is the number of user sessions (visits). The site is averaging nearly 50,000 visits a month, a high proportion of them from overseas.
The Web site provides a Daily News section to keep members and others informed about science and business news.
The IFT membership application was placed on the IFT Web site so members could join the organization online.
IFT members were able to electronically submit their proposals and abstracts for IFT’s 2000 Annual Meeting Technical Program via IFT’s Web site. This system saves time and eliminates the diskette and multiple paper copies required under the previous submission procedure, which is still available for those who cannot use the electronic system.
A new Web site “portal” specifically for food scientists went into operation in November. The portal, called “IFT InfoSource: Gateway to Food Science and Technology Resources,” lists more than 2,200 Internet resources—databases and information sites throughout the world—classified in a hierarchy developed specifically for food scientists.
Four technical sessions focusing on biotechnology at the IFT Annual Meeting were videotaped and offered for sale for playback (videostreaming) either on the Internet or on a CD-ROM. Plans are underway to capture sessions from the 2001 and 2002 Annual Meetings.
Supporting IFT Activities through the IFT Foundation
The IFT Foundation made significant progress in expanding its resource base during the fiscal year. The Foundation’s net assets and commitments for future contributions grew to approximately $6 million. The goal of the IFT Foundation Mission Possible—$12 million by 2002 program is to provide support to IFT programs that might not otherwise be funded.
The Foundation has provided funding for IFT’s Washington programs to communicate sound food science; Web-based international journals and links to database and information sites providing information globally; continuing education electronic courses; career guidance and scholarship programs; and others.
The Foundation’s mission to perpetuate supplemental funding to IFT for initiating and advancing innovative food science and technology programs targets corporations and foundation ($3 million) and the IFT membership ($3 million). The contributions can be designated for use in unrestricted programing, career guidance, scholarships, and/or science communications.
The Foundation received several major contributions from various companies. McCormick & Company donated $50,000 to establish an endowed scholarship for students majoring in IFT-approved food science programs, and Kraft Foods committed to donate $200,000 over the next three years to support the Foundation’s activities to advance food science and technology.
Since 1980, the Foundation has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships and fellowships. It has also supported the distribution of almost 50,000 copies of food science career and food safety videos that have been seen by more than 24 million K–12 students; sponsored four Congressional Science Fellows; and provided funding for one-day training workshops for universities interested in conducting High School Science Teacher Workshops.
The Foundation hosted a seminar on Maximum Wealth Control Strategies at the IFT Annual Meeting. The seminar, conducted by an expert in financial planning, explained the options available for estate planning.
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Financial Statement
The financial position of the Institute remains strong. IFT’s fund balance (net assets) on 8/31/00 equaled 99% of total operating expenditures for the year then ended. IFT’s liquid fund balance amounted to 72% of total operating expenditures, significantly above the financial policy of 50%.
Operating revenues grew 3%, while expenditures climbed 14%. Growth in expenditure levels was anticipated as IFT implemented new and expanded activities.
The net loss from IFT’s 2000 operations ($1,003,301) reflected the impact of establishing a Washington office, initiating a new membership database system, expanding Web site products and services, and implementing a biotechnology initiative. This loss was offset by realized investment income of $835,854 and an authorized reduction of $500,000 in IFT’s liquid fund balance (net assets).
Clifton Gunderson, Independent Public Accountants, audited the consolidated financial statements of IFT for the fiscal year that ended August 31, 2000. They reported that the Comparative Schedules of Revenue and Other Support and Expenses shown here is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to IFT’s consolidated financial statements taken as a whole. A detailed report is available to any member upon request.
1999–2000 Executive Committee
Presidents
Charles H. Manley, Ph.D.
IFT President
Vice President of Science and Technology,
Takasago International Corp. (USA)
Mary K. Schmidl, Ph.D.
IFT President-Elect
Principal, National Food & Nutrition Consultants
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota
Bruce R. Stillings, Ph.D.
IFT Past President
President, Food & Agriculture Consultants, Inc.
Membership Representatives
Aurora S. Hodgson, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist in Food Technology,
Dept. of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences,
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Ronald L. Richter, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Animal Science, Texas A&M University
William Davidson, Ph.D.
Consultant
S. Suzanne Nielsen, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Food Science, Purdue University
Ronald R. Eitenmiller, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia
Margaret A. Lawson
Research & Development Manager, T. Hasegawa USA
Councilor Representatives
C. Ann Hollingsworth, Ph.D.
Consultant
Richard Stier
Director, Technical Services, Agricultural-Led Export Businesses
Ellen F. Bradley
Freelance Food Technologist
John D. Floros, Ph.D.
Head, Dept. of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University
Gloria Brooks-Ray
Adviser, Codex Alimentarius and International Regulatory Affairs, Novigen Sciences, Inc.
R.B. Sleeth, Ph.D.
Consultant, Meat and Food Science
Student Representative
Justin Shimek
President, IFT Student Association
Graduate Student, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, University of California–Davis
Ex Officio Members
Richard L. Hall, Ph.D.
Treasurer
Consultant
Daniel E. Weber
Executive Vice President, Institute of Food Technologists
Institute of Food Technologists
The Society for Food Science and Technology
International Office
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