IFT WORLD
IFT plans exciting events in New Orleans
The Institute of Food Technologists presents a number of new activities and events in addition to scientific programming; suppliers showcasing the newest products, trends, tools, and techniques; career services; and networking opportunities at this year’s Annual Meeting and Food Expo®, June 11–14, New Orleans, La.
New this year, the Knowledge Center features resources organized by the key industry focus areas (food safety and defense; food health and nutrition; food processing and packaging; product development and ingredient innovations; sustainability; public policy, food laws, and regulations; and education and professional development) and core sciences (food microbiology, food chemistry, food engineering, and sensory science). Here you will find experts who can help you create a personalized Scientific Program education plan. Additionally, you will have access to information about IFT’s educational opportunities, IFT groups of special interest, Trend & Solution Tour details, and more.
Another new feature this year is the Beacon Lecturers program. Two experts identified by the Scientific Program planning team will bring innovative ideas and details of how those working in the food industry can learn from research conducted both in the food industry and in other disciplines.
With IFT’s new smartphone app, you will have immediate access to floor plans, exhibitor details, Scientific Program information, search capabilities, Twitter updates, and more.
Information about this and so much more is available at www.ift.org/IFT11 or by calling 312-782-8424.
IFT announces election winners
Congratulations to the following individuals who won the 2011 IFT Leadership Election: John Ruff, President-Elect; Brenda Knapp-Polzin, Douglas Marshall, Linda Perucca, and Craig Sherwin, Board of Directors; and Paul Cole, Jaime Reeves, and Jenny Scott, Nominations & Elections Committee members. They will take office on Sept. 1, 2011.
The election was held from Feb. 8 to March 9, 2011. We appreciate all of our candidates’ involvement in this election. A special thanks goes to all of our members who voted.
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List named Tanner Lecturer
The Chicago Section IFT Tanner Lecture Committee has chosen Gary R. List, Retired Lead Scientist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to be the 49th Tanner Lecture honoree. He will present the Tanner Lecture, “More Stable, Functional, and Healthy Lipids: New Technological Developments in the Oilseed Industry,” at the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, Ill., on May 9, 2011.
List has conducted research on edible oils and oilseed processing from 1963 to 2007. During his career, he made many distinguished contributions in the field of edible oils—food products consumed by millions of people every day. His methods have been standardized and adopted worldwide in the 30 years since their development.
List was a pioneer in the detection of trans fatty acids and in the development of alternative methods to produce fats and oils with similar properties but lacking trans fatty acids. One of his professional responsibilities was the formulation of margarines and spreads containing no trans fatty acids. The reduction in trans fatty acids in margarine and the fats and oils used in processed foods as a result of the implementation of methods he developed may help to save thousands of lives each year because of the associated reduction in vascular diseases.
List earned an associate degree in applied science at Illinois Central College, East Peoria, Ill., and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps School, and most recently received an honorary doctor of science degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana.
IOM elects Weaver
Connie M. Weaver, Distinguished Professor and Head, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, was elected to the Institute of Medicine. She is an expert in bone health and botanical supplements and is a Professional Member of IFT.
Leveille, Ruff on advisory board
Two IFT members have recently joined the International Food Network advisory board.
Gilbert A. Leveille, an Emeritus Professional Member of IFT, has held numerous leadership positions with food companies and universities including Wrigley Science Institute; Cargill’s Food System Design unit; McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Johnson & Johnson company; Nabisco Foods Group; General Foods Corp.; Michigan State University; and University of Illinois, Urbana. He is a past president of IFT (1983–1984) and was elected an IFT Fellow in 1982. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. degree from Rutgers University.
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John Ruff, a Professional Member of IFT, retired in 2008 as Senior Vice President, Global Quality, Scientific Affairs and Nutrition from Kraft Foods. During his 36-year-career, he worked for Kraft, General Foods, and Procter & Gamble and gained experience in product and process development for beverages, coffee, confectionery, desserts, and meals. He led research and development groups for both Kraft International and its North American businesses. He received a B.A. degree in natural science and an M.A. degree in biochemistry from Cambridge University. He is a trustee for Feeding Tomorrow, The Foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists, and he will assume the position of IFT President- Elect on Sept. 1, 2011.
McIlhenny welcomes McLester
Judson C. McLester has joined McIlhenny Co. as Executive Chef and Manager of Ingredient Sales.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, McLester had 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry before working in food product development, where he used his culinary training to help food technologists understand the relationship between food science and the culinary arena. He is a Member of IFT.
Section & Division meetings
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.
IFT offers new Pre-Annual Meeting short courses
Three new IFT Pre-Annual Meeting short courses and one workshop are on the schedule for this year’s Annual Meeting and Food Expo®, June 11–14, New Orleans, La., to provide you with in-depth, practical information on a variety of topics.
Learn how sensory evaluation methodologies support business objectives in “Sensory Testing for Product Development and Claims Support.” This two-day-long short course will analyze a hypothetical consumer products company and evaluate how discrimination, rating, and ranking methods are applied to this company’s product development efforts.
As demand grows for food companies to produce more healthful food options, formulators are using next-generation fats and oils. Participants in the “New Oils, New Labels, New Opportunities” short course will receive updates on changes within the oil market and emerging science and recent research on fat, particularly on new oils, blends, and processes.
The Gulf of Mexico is a major source of the United States’ seafood products, and the safety of seafood was of great concern to both consumers and the food industry after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in April 2010. Experts who were actively involved with the planning, implementation, analytical testing, and final evaluation of data from state and federal emergency response systems will detail their findings in “Evaluating the Safety of Gulf Seafood: Programs and Analytical Techniques in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Spill” short course. The course includes a tour of a laboratory in Metairie, La.
GS1 US and IFT are conducting “Workshop: Creating a Product Tracing Plan” to help companies with the development and implementation of tracing systems. The workshop is part of the Product Tracing Plan Education Series and will be held on June 15, 2011. Two webcasts, available both live and on-demand, are prerequisites for this workshop. Registration for this workshop is separate from the Annual Meeting and Food Expo registration.
There are six Pre-Annual Meeting short courses offered in addition to the three new ones. For information about all of the courses and the product tracing workshop, visit www.ift.org/IFT11, or call 312-782-424.