IFT WORLD
IFT plans exciting events in Chicago
The Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo® is just a few months away, and now is the time to plan to attend the industry’s No. 1 food science and technology event, July 17–20, 2010, in Chicago.
There you will have the opportunity to join Daniel Pink, bestselling author of the book A Whole New Mind, as he presents this year’s Annual Meeting Keynote Session. Pink will discuss why many common organizational incentives go wrong and how organizations can tap employees’ motivations to produce the greatest results. Pink currently works as a contributing editor at Wired magazine, and his articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.
You might also take an ingredient-inspired trip around the Food Expo floor by participating in self-guided Trend & Solution Tours. On these tours, you will be able to visit with companies that offer innovative products or services relating to some of the most significant issues facing the food industry: taste modification, ingredients for functional foods, reducing formulation costs, and weight management. In addition, the topic of food safety will extend across both the IFT Food Expo and Process Expo floors. Process Expo is co-located with the IFT Food Expo this year. To help you navigate the tours, print guides will be located at the entrances to the show floors.
The IFT Student Association is offering many exciting activities during the Annual Meeting & Food Expo. The Undergraduate Research Competition is open to any IFTSA undergraduate member who has participated in original research and who has not graduated as of June 30, 2009. The Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition, which is sponsored in part by General Mills Inc., encourages students to develop products and processes that can improve the quality of life for people in developing nations. The Disney–IFTSA Product Development Competition: Nutritious Food for Kids challenges student teams to develop a nutritious and innovative food or beverage concept suitable for retail and intended for children younger than age 12. For the IFTSA Product Development Competition, which is sponsored by Mars Inc., student teams representing several universities will work like real-life commercial product development teams by developing a new food or beverage concept from idea through production.
Advance registration for the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo is open. Register by June 11 and you will save $100 off your registration fee. For more information about registration and all of the events, visit www.ift.org/IFT10 or call IFT Central at 312-782-8424.
Register for IFT online courses
The Institute of Food Technologists Knowledge & Learning Center is highlighting two online courses.
Registration is open for the Food Regulations online course with live “Ask the Expert” sessions. This online course combines self-paced learning with opportunities to interact live with fellow participants and IFT experts. This course will feature live virtual Q&A sessions with content experts over the course of five weeks starting May 21, 2010.
This course will give a comprehensive review of food regulations, outlining regulatory agencies and what they regulate, addressing regulatory issues and challenges, and providing many resources that you may download and access at any time. More specifically, participants will identify regulatory issues within the product development life cycle; learn about key food regulations and regulatory agencies and their implications on food product development; and identify ways to apply science in key aspects of regulatory practices. The course will also provide resources and takeaways on how food industry professionals can obtain regulatory updates and implement new practices and procedures to meet current regulations and standards.
This course was offered in February 2010, and it sold out quickly. Don’t miss this opportunity to enroll. Register now.
The Knowledge & Learning Center also offers the Introduction to Nanoscience online course, which is a recommended prerequisite to the IFT International Food Nanoscience Conference on July 17, 2010, at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo.
This course will provide a basic understanding of nanoscience and its potential to revolutionize the food sector through improvement of existing products and development of novel applications in areas such as food packaging, food safety, food processing, and ingredient technologies. The course will also address possible ethical, societal, and environmental considerations, and the governmental regulations surrounding nanoscience research and development. Participants will learn to describe and define nanoscience, describe how to fabricate and characterize nanomaterials, and identify application challenges of nanoscience in food pertaining to safety, ethical, societal, and environmental considerations.
For more information about these and other online courses, visit www.ift.org and click on Education—Knowledge & Learning Center.
Kennedy chosen WFFC President
Women in Flavor & Fragrance Commerce (WFFC) has named Joanne Kennedy as President for 2010. She will lead the organization’s efforts to provide opportunities for networking and education as well as support to women in the flavor and fragrance industry.
Kennedy, a Professional Member of IFT, is Senior Account Executive with FONA International Inc., where she has worked since 2006. She received a B.S. degree in food science from Cornell University and an M.S. degree in human nutrition from the University of New Haven. WFFC named Kennedy Woman of the Year in 2008.
Schwartz named Tanner Lecturer
The Chicago Section IFT Tanner Lecture Committee has selected Steven J. Schwartz as the 48th Fred W. Tanner Lecture honoree. He will present his lecture, “Functional Foods for Cancer Prevention,” during the section’s dinner meeting on May 10, 2010.
Schwartz is Professor and Carl E. Haas Endowed Chair of the Dept. of Food Science & Technology and Director of the Center for Advanced Functional Foods Research and Entrepreneurship at Ohio State University. He has expertise in analytical methods development in food analysis, chemistry of plant pigments, phytochemicals, and bioactive components in foods.
His research interests are focused on the chemical alterations of food components during processing with emphasis on substances of nutritional, toxicological, and food quality significance. Currently, he conducts research on the bioavailability, metabolism, and physiological significance of carotenoids and other phytochemicals in foods and biological tissues related to chronic disease with a particular emphasis in cancer prevention and control. Additionally, he collaborates with other faculty members in different disciplines to develop new functional foods with health benefits. As Director of the Center for Advanced Functional Foods Research and Entrepreneurship, he conducts research on foods that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition.
To date, Schwartz has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and written 12 book chapters. He holds two patents and serves as Editor or as a member of the editorial board for several scientific journals. Schwartz has won numerous national and international awards.
Schwartz received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1976 and an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. degree in food science and environmental toxicology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1979 and 1982, respectively.
Schwartz is a Fellow of IFT and American Association for the Advancement of Science.
For more information about the Tanner Lecturer event, visit www.chicagoift.org.
Blommer appoints Stauffer as QA Director
Blommer Chocolate Co. has named Marlene Stauffer Director, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance. She will provide corporate guidance and recommendations to senior management, quality assurance, and research and development teams on regulatory issues affecting food-related industries. She is a Professional Member of IFT.
David Michael promotes Katz
David Michael & Co. has promoted Nicole Katz to the position of Strategic Business Development Specialist. She will focus on her New England client base while working on increasing the company’s sales and will support the sales group through the development of strategic initiatives.
Katz, a Member of IFT, joined David Michael in May 2006 after graduating from Indiana University. In June 2007, she became responsible for the New England territory where she successfully built relationships with existing and new accounts.
Section & Division meetings
Maryland
June 15: Golf outing. Location: Renditions Golf Course, Davidsonville, Md. Contact Toni Manning at 410-712-7373 or [email protected].
Philadelphia
May 4: Students night. Location: Gloucester County College, Gloucester, N.J. Speaker: Marianne Gillette, IFT President (2009-10) and Vice President of Technical Competencies and Platforms, McCormick & Co. Inc. Contact Nitin Joshi at 856-342-4866 or [email protected], or visit www.philadelphiaift.org.
Visit www.ift.org to view the Events Calendar, including listings for Section and Division meetings, and for information on how to list your event.