LETTERS

No change in global cooperation
I was greatly impressed by Fred Shank’s report (Food Technology, June issue, p. 22) of the excellent record of work of the Office of Science, Communications, and Government Relations (OSCGR).

I also liked his reference to “OSCGR strives daily to achieve IFT’s long-range goal of being ‘acknowledged and respected as a supporter of organizations with common interests.’” This is, of course, also one of the guiding principles of the IFT Committee for Global Interests. I think it is important to lose no opportunity to remind IFT members (and, indeed, its leaders) that IFT needs to cultivate, and collaborate with, friendly allies both within the USA and around the world, and can fulfill its aims (and thereby benefit its members and our profession) far more effectively by doing so than by “going it alone.”

That long-term goal was spelled out in those words in the 2000 IFT Global Strategic Plan. In the new Strategic Plan adopted by the Executive Committee and Council during the 2002 Annual Meeting, it appears in more muted form, not as a goal in itself, but, under Goal D, as Strategy No. 11, “Foster alliances with other food organizations.” At the meeting where the Strategic Plan was presented to IFT Committee Chairs and Chairs-designate, I was delighted to receive from IFT President-Elect Mark McLellan an assurance that this represents no change or diminution of our collaborative intentions.

—J. Ralph Blanchfield, 2001–02 Chair, IFT Committee for Global Interests, and Adjunct Professor, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Article missed the mark
I liked Aaron Brody’s article, “Survey Measures the Needs of IFT’s Industrial Members” (June, p. 95), but it missed the mark. First of all, the task force should have included some “Young Turks,” not those “Old Bucks.” You should have recruited those flavor/spice industry guys who never even showed up with their booths at Food Expo in Anaheim.

I think you need to sit down with the young turks in flavors/seasonings and see what their needs are—surveys don’t give the whole story. The message I’m getting is that it’s too expensive to send the sales troops out annually to the IFT Food Expo. You need to do it once every two years. It’s the cost of the booth, the media hype, the sales person off territory, the cost of entertaining, housing, etc., and what’s realized in the end. And some companies are sending their people out to entertain select customers, and are not needing to exhibit.

IFT needs to open its Professional Member ranks to industrial members. I believe they feel left out.

The article made no mention of the “Marketing & Management Division” that a number of us were instrumental in forming to getting the industrial members to interface with academicians. That was to be a benefit to an industrial member. It should be played up. The division is in its sixth year.

How do you attract young sales people to participate in IFT committees? That’s an age-old question. I was fortunate to have some bosses who encouraged me, and therefore I participated. But I could only go so far. There were limitations on myself, based on my position restrictions, but there were also roadblocks along the way within the IFT fraternity.

—Rudy Krukar, Consultant, Sanibel, Fla.

Editor’s reply:
IFT Professional Member Krukar makes some interesting points. However, several clarifications are in order:
The IFT Executive Committee and Council voted in June to continue to hold Food Expo every year. The reasons are spelled out in this month’s President’s Page on p. 8 and in more detail in the IFT News item on p. 129.

Professional Membership is available to industrial members. The requirements for Professional Membership are a Bachelor’s degree or higher from a college or university in which a person has majored in one or more of the sciences or branches of engineering associated with food technology, and five years of professional experience in food technology, for which a Master’s degree may be presented as the equivalent of one year’s experience and a doctorate degree the equivalent of three year’s experience. More information, including how to request a change of status to Professional Member, is available on IFT’s Web site at www.ift.org/membership.

Information on joining an IFT Division, including the Marketing & Management Division, can be found at www.ift.org/divisions.

Committee members are selected from among volunteers and appointed to IFT committees by the President-Elect in consultation with the IFT staff. Service on most committees requires a three-year commitment. Instructions on volunteering for committee appointments can be found at www.ift.org/inside/committees.

Angiogenesis article well received 
Thank you for editing and publishing my article, “Preventing Degenerative Diseases by Anti-Angiogenic Functional Foods” (June, p. 78). I have been receiving very good comments from Food Technology readers around the world. At the IFT Annual Meeting in Anaheim, the Nutraceutical & Functional Foods Division voted to select “Angiogenesis and Functional Foods” as the symposium topic for the next Annual Meeting. I will be working with other people to provide a good coverage of the subject.

—Jack N. Losso, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Food Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Photo shows poor practice
Today I received my latest copy of Food Technology, which I always enjoy reading. I was amazed, however, to see on the cover of the June issue a food microbiologist (presumably), streaking a plate with no gloves on, not to mention plenty of jewelry on her hands, which any technician will tell you gets in the way in the lab and can be a significant source of contamination, as it is hard to wash your hands thoroughly while wearing rings and bracelets. This is very bad lab practice and not a good example to set. Is this typical of Silliker’s lab practices? Just wanted to mention it. Otherwise, keep up the great work.

—Denise Riordan Eblen, Microbiologist, Biosciences Div., USDA/FSIS/OPHS, Washington D.C.

Jessica Sawyer-Lueck, Manager, Marketing Communications, Silliker, Inc., Homewood, Ill., replies:
Thank you for bringing our photo faux pas to our attention. Our Quality Assurance staff and lab directors around the country also let us know their dissatisfaction with the use of this photo. This staged photo was taken years ago and will be discarded immediately. As the first network with all 11 U.S. laboratories ISO 17025 accredited, you can be assured that the photo definitely does not reflect our standard operating procedures. We apologize for any confusion the photo may have caused.

Accessing JFS papers online
I receive Food Technology monthly from IFT, but not Journal of Food Science. Considering the amount I would use a hard copy of JFS, it frankly seems wasteful to subscribe to it. To get access to JFS online would be very useful. Is there any other way for me to get a whole article from time to time without a 2- to 3-hour trip to the local college to look it up?

—Ray Sebastian, Pacific Blends, Ltd., Port Coquitlan, B.C., Canada czc

Editor’s reply:
Both Food Technology and Journal of Food Science are available online at www.ift.org/publications. Food Technology is currently available online free of charge to subscribers and nonsubscribers. Nonsubscribers to JFS can search for and view abstracts of the papers in each issue online and can purchase downloads of individual papers. Subscribers to the print version of JFS can download papers free. The Publications Committee is currently making arrangements for JFS subscriptions to be available in three ways next year: print only, online only at a reduced price, and both print and online. Copies of papers can also be purchased from Infotrieve (phone 734-459-9090, www4.infotrieve.com). Another way is to request a reprint from the authors, whose address is printed in each paper.