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Summer 2009

Food Science Institute 216 Call Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506

Phone: 785-532-4057 Fax: 785-532-6035E-mail: foodsci@k-state.edu • http//www.foodsci.k-state.edu

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

New food products are plentiful, but shouldn’t be taken for granted. Behind each new offering is a team of food scientists working to develop the crisp new cracker, savory beef stew mix or fresh-tasting vegetable dip and guide the safe food production process.

The sometimes overlooked profession appeals to men and women, including K-State students who recently claimed a top prize in a national contest to develop healthy foods for children.

The Nutritious Foods for Kids contest was sponsored by Disney Consumer Products, Inc. and administered by the Institute of Food Technologists on behalf of its student association, said Kathryn Goddard, who is a junior in the food science program.

Goddard, from Ellsworth, changed her major from journalism to food science after working for Fadi Aramouni.

Aramouni, who specializes in food systems and new product de-velopment, is highly respected for his expertise within the food in-

K-State Students’ New Food Concept Claims Disney Prize

Left: Food science students Kathryn Goddard (left), Ellsworth, and Elyse Buckley, Chanute, won first place in a contest sponsored by Disney Consumer Products, Inc. for their nutrition snack for kids.Above: The winning entries were pumpkin-orange and sweet potato-strawberry fruit snacks shaped like Mickey Mouse.

dustry and sought after as a professor because he builds excitement about food science – and the future of food – with his students. In his job, he monitors a national listserv for food scientists where he spotted the contest announcement, which he shared with students.

The call for nutritious foods for kids intrigued Goddard and Elyse Buckley, a food science major from Chanute, whom she met while working for Aramouni.

They began brainstorming about their favorite childhood foods, which included fruit leathers. The two students credit their mothers for encouraging healthy food choices.

Soon after, the young food scientists began focusing on fruits and vegetables, which often are lacking in children’s diets, and the possibility of combining them in a healthy snack for children.

Goddard and Buckley researched food system processes for leather-like snack foods.

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During spring break, 18 animal sciences and food science students went on an 11-day intensive tour of Switzerland, Germany, and France. Faculty member Timothy Rozell and his wife, Marcia, led the tour. It introduced students to the agricultural indus-tries in Germany and France, includ-ing livestock pro-duction and man-agement practices; crops; viticulture; and food processing, safety, and manage-ment. The tour also included sightseeing and cultural oppor-tunities throughout Zurich, Switzerland; Munich, Germany; and Paris, France; as well as a historical visit to Dachau in Germany.

Students toured local farms in the

German and French countryside and visited processing facil-ities for dairy products, beer, and wine. Students also visited local markets and grocery stores, enjoyed touring historic sites of each city, and mingled with the locals.

Since the last newsletter, several notable things have happened in the food science programs. This spring, our graduates included 14 gradu-ate students and 16 under-graduate students. We have 59 graduate student applications for the fall semester with 30 undergraduate applications and seven undergraduate transfer students. Therefore, we antici-pate significant increases in all programs – undergraduate, graduate, and distance.

Ten of our students received the Institute of Food Tech-nologists scholarships, the second most of any program (see page 12). The Product Development Teams continue to win competitions. In a recent competition sponsored by Disney, and administered by IFT, the K-State team won the under-graduate competition (see front page).

It was good to see many of you at the IFT meeting, in-cluding many of our distance program majors.

We continue to expand our teaching and research capabil-ities through the new biosafety level 3 Biosecurity Research Institute and by partnering with the National Center for

Food Protection and Defense at the University of Minneso-ta. Other current project partner universities include the Uni-versity of Nebraska, Iowa State University, the University of Missouri, Purdue University, the University of Indiana, New Mexico State University, and the University of Arkansas. We greatly value the opportunity to partner with these and other universities.

Additionally, we value our industry partners, such as Kellogg’s, who provide scholarships (see page 5) and programmatic support for the program. We also appreciate our ongoing alumni donors who have made it possible to fund a number of initiatives, including our highly successful student-to-student recruitment program, Food Science Club activities, and special enhancement support for teaching.

The Kansas City Section of IFT leadership arranged for a KC-IFT Meeting at K-State in conjunction with the an-nual Phi Tau Sigma meeting. The KC-IFT membership and others at K-State had the opportunity to attend a tour of the Bisoecurity Research Institute. The agenda also included students and faculty awards, with J. Scott Smith being this year’s Outstanding Food Scientist Award winner (see page 3).

Again, it was good to see many of you at IFT. Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

Curtis Kastner, FSI Director

Students Tour Switzerland, Germany, and France

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Food Science EventsSeptember 11, 2009

Excellence in Food Science Day

Manhattan, Kansas

September 13-16, 2009

American Association of Cereal Chemists Annual Meeting

Baltimore, Maryland

Tell Us About YourselfFill out this form and return it to: Jo Maseberg, Food Science Institute 216 Call Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 or e-mail jam4545@k-state.edu

Name

Spouse’s Name

City State ZIP

Home Phone

E-mail

Graduation Date(s) Degree(s)

Employer

Title

Feel free to attach more information.

As a K-State student, Mohamed Gailani (M.S. ’81, Ph.D. ’85, food science), worked on the microbiology of dried pork meat under the direction of D.Y.C. Fung. Gailani was recently named the president of the University of Nee-lain in Khartoum, Sudan.

Dave Welch (B.S. ’91 food science) and Matt Sullivan (B.S. ’90 animal science, M.S. ’92 food science) attended K-State’s Open House and judging team reunion in April 2009. Welch is the research and development manager for Cargill Value-Added Meats, Nebraska City, Neb. Sullivan is the director of manufacturing for Braum’s Ice Cream, Oklahoma City, Okla. Welch and Sullivan were members of the 1989 Dairy Products Judging Team.

Ahmad Abdul-Wahhab (B.S. ’08 food science) is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Moldova (eastern Europe), educating local residents about food science.

Students and Faculty Honored at Spring Tea

Phi Tau Sigma, the honor society for food science and technology students, and the Kansas City chapter of the Institute of Food Technologists hosted a spring tea on May 1, 2009. The following students and faculty received awards:

Jennifer Page, Phi Tau Sigma Outstanding Merit M.S. Student Award 2009

Jasdeep Saini, Phi Tau Sigma Outstanding Merit Ph.D. Student Award 2009

Elysse Buckley, KC-IFT Undergraduate Student Award 2009

Kirstin Veith, KC-IFT M.S. Graduate Student Award 2009

Jhoe Stonestreet, KC-IFT Ph.D. Graduate Student Award 2009

Tess Ludwick, Cahn Than Ly Undergraduate Student Award 2009

Kirstin Veith, Beatrice Fung Graduate Student Award 2009

Dr. J. Scott Smith, Phi Tau Sigma Outstanding Food Scientist Award 2009

Tyler Joseph Axman, New Undergraduate Phi Tau Sigma Member

Graduate Students Named Finalists in Developing Scientist Competition

Nigel Harper and Jasdeep Saini, both food science Ph.D. students, were named finalists in the Developing Scientist Competition at the 96th Annual Meeting of the Interna-tional Association for Food Protection. Harper’s poster was “Detection and survival of Bacillus cereus spores in raw and high-temperature-short-time pasteurized milk.” Harper is advised by Kelly Getty.

Saini’s oral presentation was “Evaluating the potential for translocation of Listeria monocytogenes from floor drains to food contact surfaces in the surrounding environment using Listeria innocua as surrogate.” Saini is advised by James Marsden.

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Food Science Institute Update from the Kansas State University Legislative Report

Looking to K-State for employees, training, and answers is fast becoming the norm for U.S. food industries, as well as government agencies and other universities.

“For decades, we’ve had a 100 percent placement for our students in the food sciences. We’ve never had enough graduates to fill industry’s needs,” said Curtis Kastner, director of K-State’s Food Science Institute.

Nowadays, the technology and information about food are changing so fast that recent graduates can soon be behind the times. Besides, the food system is globally complex and potentially vulnerable as part of national security and basic human survival.

“Just consider the on-going watches for bird flu and mad cow disease. An infectious agent that develops in one part of the globe can quickly become a worldwide concern,” Kastner said.

The FSI is bedrock for K-State’s 21st century response to this multi-faceted challenge. Simply put, the institute’s mis-sion is to help ensure the nation has a high-quality, ample, and safe food supply – with excess to export.

Under the FSI’s unifying umbrella, faculty from five K-State colleges now work together to examine and share information about a topic that extends from field and pro-cessing facility to display case and dinner table. In turn, the Internet delivery system of K-State’s Division of Continuing Education allows the FSI’s collaborators and students to be equally diverse.

More than half of K-State’s current food science students are already on the job, while taking Web-based coursework. Some are learning a new technique. Others are enrolled in a certification program. Still others are studying for an undergraduate or graduate degree – while also working in the industry full-time.

“If nothing else, global trade keeps expanding the need for better knowledge and training. Both are vital for han-dling modern-day production, inspection, shipping, and storage problems − not to mention foodborne illness,” Kastner said. “Many employers will pay for their employ-ees’ distance education with us.”

The FSI’s people, possibilities, and expertise make it a one-of-a-kind program in the world, he said. In fact, refer-rals are just as likely to come from other universities as from former K-State students.

The FSI brings together more than 50 nationally and internationally recognized K-State faculty in 13 separate departments. They have state-of-the-art laboratories and pilot facilities for product development and testing, as well as basic and applied research.

Kastner views the institute as an evolution from the uni-versity’s century-long commitment to the U.S. food system.

“K-State’s three degree tracks in grain science have always been unique in the world,” he said. “K-State’s exten-sion horticulture and plant pathology departments originated

what’s now the National Plant Diagnostic Network – which USDA and Homeland Security see as key to U.S. biosecurity.”

Other FSI faculty are continuing K-State’s tradition of teaching, research, and extension in animal sciences, engi-neering, sensory analysis, agricultural economics, human nutrition, chemistry, microbiology, and pathobiology.

“The K-State FSI faculty and staff are committed to help-ing on-campus and on-the-job students meet their education-al goals. By working together, we can offer students a lot of flexibility in degree study,” Kastner said. “Our graduates can give any food sector a competitive edge, though, because another important thing they learn here is how to think criti-cally about improvements and solutions.”

Russell Completes Excellence in Public Health Fellowship

While Mindi Russell was working on her M.S. in food science, she enrolled in the Master’s in Public Health program and took courses for both programs concurrently.

When the CDC and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) announced the Emerg-ing Infectious Diseases (EID) Laboratory Fellowship Program to train and prepare scientists for careers in public health laboratories and support for pub-lic health initiatives related to infectious disease research, Russell applied for and received one of the 20 fellowships. Fellowship awardees received a one-year stipend ($30,000) and a travel allowance to attend professional meetings.

The fellowship took her to the North Carolina State Department of Public Health in Raleigh, where she worked in the Bioterrorism and Emerging Pathogens Unit. Her primary focus was the development of accurate and rapid methods to detect Taenia solium, a pork tapeworm that can cause cysticercosis when raw or undercooked pork is ingested. Cysticercosis is found worldwide and is the leading cause of adult-onset epilepsy. Russell received training as a parasi-tologist and learned molecular techniques.

She now works as a food microbiologist with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Recently she appeared on national TV for her work in the microbiology laboratory and labeled that expe-rience as her “two seconds of fame on national TV.”

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K-Staters Receive Awards at Reciprocal Meat Conference

A K-State alumna and four K-State students were honored at the Reciprocal Meat Conference on June 21-24, 2009, in Rogers, Ark.

Ann T. Brackenridge (B.S. ’97, M.S. ’99, Ph.D. ’03, animal science) received the Distinguished Achievement Award. Dr. Brackenridge was recognized for her ongoing contributions to commercial meat science, food safety and product development, and for her keen interest in helping young meat scientists.

She is the director of case ready and pork research and de-velopment teams at Cargill Meat Solutions. In that position, she is responsible for guiding the team through development of new products and design and implementing innovative new processes and process improvements in production plants. Brackenridge continues to mentor K-State graduate students and supports the Kansas 4-H meat judging team.

Kyle Baker and Rebecca Tokach received Undergraduate Scholastic Achievement awards. Tawnya Roenbaugh and Andrew Stickel were listed as honor roll recipients.

Randy Phebus’ Food Safety and Defense Lab team participated in the K-State 2009 Relay For Life. For the event, team members gather at a central location and take turns walking or running laps to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The team raised $900. Back row (l-r) Nick Baumann, Laura Storms, Willie Wildcat, Phebus, Danielle Perkin, and Chelsey Kriley. Front row: Minto Michael, Tyler Perkin, Tegyn Perkin, and Jennifer Carr.

Students Earn Kellogg’s Scholarships

In May 2009, two food science students received $2,000 scholarships from Kellogg’s. The undergraduate scholarship was awarded to Julie Chelewski. She transferred to K-State in fall 2008 after receiving her associate’s degree in Colorado.

Christie Ledeker, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, received the graduate scholar-ship. She will be working in the Sensory Analysis Center under the direction of Delores Chambers.

Food Science Video Wins Third Place

Texture Technologies Corp recently held a video competi-tion for American and Canadian universities to raise aware-ness – through the use of energetic video productions – of the importance of texture analysis to the food industry. The winners of the contest were announced at the 2009 IFT Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. K-State won third place for their entry “The Best Crunch.”

Fadi Aramouni, Jo Maseberg, Kirstin Veith, Angela Dodd, Elyse Buckley, Chris Rude, Kathryn Goddard, and Raquel Elvin participated in the video.

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FSI Faculty Honored at Spring CommencementFaculty from five colleges are involved with the Food Science Institute. Four outstanding faculty from the colleges of Agriculture, Human Ecology, and Veterinary Medicine were recognized at spring commencement.

College of Veterinary Medicine

David Renter, assistant professor of veterinary epide-miology and pathobiology graduate faculty member in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, received the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence.

Renter is recognized nationally and internationally for his research in the area of beef cattle infectious disease surveil-lance and food safety issues. Since 2001, he has authored or co-authored 34 peer-reviewed articles published in high-quality journals. He also leads a well-funded, productive graduate training program. Dr. Renter is an outstanding teacher as well. He was selected by the class of 2011 to receive the IVX Teaching Excellence Award in 2008.

Dr. Renter’s record of successful grantsmanship is impressive, with funding from both traditional and non-traditional sources. He has secured more that $2.8 million in extramural support for research and scholarly activities since he joined the K-State faculty in 2005. In addition, he has secured more than $720,000 in intramural support as principal investigator and co-principal investigator.

Renter received a doctoral degree in veterinary epide-miology in 2002 and a DVM in 1998 from Kansas State University. He received a bachelor’s degree cum laude in comprehensive biology in 1994 from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Bovine Practitio-ners, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics.

College of Agriculture

David Krishock, instructor in the Department of Grain Science and Industry, was the recipient of the Commerce Bank Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Krishock joined the K-State faculty in 2005, with 10 years of industry experience. He teaches his students how to use their social and marketing skills in situations similar to what they will experience in the industry.

Krishock teaches Baking Science I and II and Bakery Layout and Design. He also teaches Bakery Practicum Pro-duction at the American Institute of Baking as well as Inter-national Grains Program short courses. His courses require craft knowledge and experience, in addition to understand-ing the science involved. He is able to communicate those two diverse bodies of knowledge effectively to his students, while showing enthusiasm and passion for his work and instilling that in his students.

Not only is Krishock highly gifted in baking science, he is also an effective teacher and mentor. He combines a unique skill and experience set, passion for teaching with an exem-plary work ethic, careful preparation, and high expectation for himself as a teacher. His intensely student-centered and student-focused teaching style has earned the admiration of his students, advisees, colleagues, and administrators.

He serves as a faculty adviser for bakery science students and as an adviser of the Bakery Science Club.

Krishock earned his bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and is a graduate of the American Institute of Baking.

College of Human Ecology

Dr. Weiqun (George) Wang, associate professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, has been selected for the Dawley-Scholar Award for Excellence in Student Develop-ment.

Wang is dedicated to students and committed to providing them with opportunities to achieve their potential. He is a devoted and talented leader who supports students in their quest for professional and personal growth. Wang challeng-

David Renter David Kirshock Weiqun Wang Delores Chambers

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Kanithaporn “Jah” Puangsombat, a Ph.D. student advised by J. Scott Smith, won third place in the graduate poster competition of the Toxicology and Safety Evaluation Divi-sion at the 2009 IFT Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., June 6-10 2009. The title of her poster was “Inhibitory Activities of Spices on Heterocyclic Amines Formation in Cooked Beef Patties.”

Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) are carcinogenic and muta-genic compounds found at part per billion levels in cooked fish and meats. Comparing the HCAs in grilled beef patties, she found that directly adding rosemary and Asian spices – namely turmeric, galangal, and fingerroot – to ground beef could reduce the HCA level in the cooked patties up to 45 percent compared to control, which correlated to the amount of total phenolic compounds served as antioxidants present in the spice. The data obtained suggest that the addition of these spices is an important factor in decreasing carcinogenic compounds in meat products.

Kim Uppal, an M.S. distance student advised by Kelly Getty, won second place in the graduate competition of the Muscle Foods Division at the IFT annual meeting. Her presentation was the “Effect of packag-ing and storage time on survival of Listeria monocytogenes on shelf-stable meat snacks.”

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) requires that processors

es his students, provides excellent opportunities, willingly mentors others, and encourages those around him.

Many of his students have received research awards; oth-ers publish papers, present their work at professional meet-ings, and participate in independent research.

Wang received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and his doctoral degree in animal physiology and biochemistry, both from Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

The Faculty Research Excellence Award was presented to Delores Chambers, associate professor of sensory analy-sis and co-director of the Sensory Analysis Center in the Department of Human Nutrition. She received the award for her expertise in the research and development of sensory lexicons for dairy products and green teas.

She teaches courses in food science and sensory analysis and directs research studies seeking to better understand

FSI Faculty Honored at Spring Commencement

products and how to improve them. She has advised eight master’s and two doctoral students, has received grants in excess of $1 million, and has more than 25 publications.

Her research is conducted in the United States and in for-eign countries such as Italy, Germany, Thailand, and Korea and has been featured in USA Today and on the Discovery Channel. She serves as one of five U.S. representatives to the International Organization for Standardization Commit-tee on Sensory and Consumer Research and recently was elected to her second five-year term as chief of that delega-tion.

She received her bachelor’s degree in marketing manage-ment and computer science from Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s degree in foods and nutrition, and a doctorate in sensory analysis (foods and nutrition), both from Kansas State University.

Students Place in International Food Technologists Graduate Competitions

of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products imple-ment post processing intervention strategies for controlling Listeria monocytogenes (LM). FSIS compliance guidelines state that an effective post-lethality treatment must reduce numbers of LM by at least 1 log.

Products such as kippered beef steaks and turkey tenders are RTE products that could be potentially contaminated with LM after thermal processing. Processors of these products could use a combination of vacuum- or nitrogen-flushing and a holding time of 24 hours prior to shipping to reduce potential LM numbers by at least 1 log.

Uppal is employed as a food microbiologist by Oberto Sausage Company. Liz Boyle, K-State professor of meat science, and Bruce Barry, Oberto Sausage Company, also contributed to this research.

Kanithaporn “Jah” Puangsombat (l-r), Kelly Getty, and Kim Uppal with the FSI exihibit at the IFT annual meeting.

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The Food Science Quiz Bowl team placed second

at the Institute of Food Technolo-gists southwest

regional contest in Frisco, Texas.

Pictured (l-r): Kelly Getty (Food Science Club adviser),

Kanithaporn Puangsombat (coach and team member),

and team members – Amanda Mentzer, Vaibhav Ahirrao, and

Tess Ludwick.

These students received their degrees at 2009 spring graduation ceremonies. Master’s degrees were presented at the Graduate School commencement on May 15. Bachelor’s degrees were awarded at the College of Agri-culture commencement ceremonies on May 16.

Master of Science in Food Science:

Martin Beard, Major Professor: Abbey NutschLeslie Boone, Major Professor: J. Scott SmithCesar Caballero, Major Professor: Daniel Y.C. FungStaci DeGeer, Major Professor: Daniel Y.C. FungJonathan Fisher, Major Professor: J. Scott SmithDorrie Francis, Major Professor: Daniel Y.C. FungNigel Harper, Major Professor: Kelly GettyElizabeth Karre, Major Professor: Kelly GettyDeborah St. Cyr, Major Professor: Elizabeth BoyleMatthew Tesch, Major Professor: Daniel Y.C. Fung.Kirstin Veith, Major Professor: Thomas HeraldCasey Weber, Major Professor: Daniel Y.C. Fung

Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Industry

Matthew S. Beyer, MoundridgeMichelle Amanda Colgan, Lawrence Dylan Wight Evans, Lebo – Dual Degree (food science and animal sciences)Jared M. Fish, Hillsboro Ross Landon Lehner, Cheney – Dual Degree (food science and animal sciences)Amy J. Leir, Kent, Wash. – DistanceNita M. Livvix, Terre Haute, Ind. – DistanceGarrett McCoy, WinfieldGregory Lee Pelan, Omaha, Neb. – DistanceKeith Allen Pritts, Indian Head, Pa.Drew M. Rickabaugh, TopekaTawnya Leigh Roenbaugh, LewisKaren A. Seyrlehner, Newport News, Va. – DistanceIan Charles Smith, MoundridgeMatthew James Tipin, Hillsboro – Cum laudeHelena Yazdani, Sugar Land, Texas – Distance

K-State Grants Food Science Degrees

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The food science industry can be demanding. For young professionals, getting ahead may mean going back to school, and that’s just what Nathan Smit did through K-State’s online bachelor’s degree in food science.

Smit, Albert Lea, Minn., said he was always interested in science, but the nearest food science program was hours away. He earned an associate degree from Riverland Com-munity College, where he studied to be an environmental lab technician. After three years of food testing at Tyson Foods, Smit transitioned to Hormel Foods in Austin, Minn., where he found himself surrounded by K-State alumni.

“Hormel hires quite a few K-Staters, and the quality of their education is apparent,” Smit said. “Every K-Stater who I’ve met has been very nice and supportive, and they share their knowledge in an effort to try and make people around them better.”

Because of the enthusiasm of his co-workers and his growing interest in food science, Smit began to envision a career on the production side of the industry. But, as is common in the professional world, entry-level positions in the field required a bachelor’s degree at the very least. A K-State alumnus mentioned that his alma mater offered an online degree in the program, but Smit was a little leery of the idea.

“Five years ago, you had people questioning the idea of getting a degree online. I didn’t want my degree to be a joke,” he said.

But the knowledge, constant encouragement, and profession-alism put forth by the K-Staters that surrounded him every day, as well as the influence of some of the university’s top food scientists – such as Melvin Hunt, professor and then undergraduate program chair of food science at K-State – convinced Smit to go out on a limb and give K-State distance education a try.

“One of my co-workers, who earned his master’s from K-State, gave me continuous support when I decided to go back to school. He’d even quiz me on information, encouraging me to look further into ideas or pro-cesses,” Smit said. “I was very happy about the fact that I was able to attend a quality university everybody knew, a place where I would receive a first-rate educa-tion from first-rate instructors at the top of their fields.”

Smit started out slow, taking just one class in the fall semester and one during a January intersession, working his way through the plan that K-State’s Deanna Retzlaff, food science distance program coordinator, put together. But Smit realized at that rate, his degree would take nearly a decade to complete. So, he stepped it up a notch. And while having a full-time job and being a full-time student wasn’t exactly easy, Smit was pleased with the way the information he was learning online clicked into place on the job.

“I used knowledge gained in my classes to help create new food products at work,” he said.

Smit graduated with his bachelor’s degree in food science in December 2008. He even came to Manhattan to take part in commencement, and found that the experience of walking across the stage in front of a coliseum full of people was everything he’d imagined it to be.

“It was one of the most proud moments of my life,” Smit said. “When you go back to school, sometimes it seems like you’re never going to finish, but you just have to visualize your goal. Visualizing walking down that aisle and getting my diploma is what helped me get it done.”

Since earning his degree, Smit has been promoted from senior research and development technician to associate food scientist in the product and process development sec-tion of Hormel Foods. He also has three patents pending on food products and processes he has developed.

He regularly extols the virtues of K-State’s distance education.

“Completing my degree has inspired other employees to go back to school. Sometimes people I don’t even know ap-proach me and ask for informa-tion on K-State,” Smit said. “It’s motivation for them because I rose up from humble beginnings to become an associate scientist. And I tell them that any online program at K-State is going to be one of the best there is.

“I don’t know how to thank the faculty and staff at K-State in the food science department. Be-cause how do you say more than thanks? They’ve helped me get to where I am, and the program has changed my life,” Smit said.

News release, K-State Media Rela-tions and Marketing. Photo courtesy of Hormel.

A future in production: Student Earns Food Science Degree Online, Carves Out Niche in Food Science Industry

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Securing the borders is one way of ensuring the safety of food imported from other nations, but border management among trading nations also means finding ways to push the border back.

“The border is important as a physical space, but the best way to secure the border is to focus on countries’ regulatory systems and harmonize them,” explained Justin Kastner, as-sistant professor of food safety and security at K-State.

Kastner’s research has found that targeting specific geographical regions within nations is one way of streamlin-ing trade between nations where food safety issues might otherwise cause problems.

Kastner, who has explored the issue for the Food Safety Consortium and has collaborated with Jason Ackleson an associate professor of government at New Mexico State University, noted that food safety and food security regula-tors will continue to monitor what crosses the border. But the U.S. border strategy will go beyond that.

In North America, the Security and Prosperity Partner-ship (SPP) Agreement among the United States, Canada, and Mexico serves as a mechanism to encourage the three countries to harmonize their systems as much as possible so problems at the border are reduced. An example of that approach is in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, which also shows how regionalization of trade issues affects food safety.

Chihuahua exports about a million cattle a year to the United States. With such a large import of animals comes health and food security concerns for the United States.

“Some of these are animal diseases such as bovine tuber-culosis,” Kastner said. “We are concerned about how we can ensure that cattle imported from that region are healthy. The state of Chihuahua is economically invested in trading with us, and they have an economic interest in maintaining high levels of animal health.”

Pushing the Border Back as a Food Safety Strategy

The result is that the United States will follow a targeted policy when deciding what to import from Mexico. “For example, we will import with regards to certain animals and certain diseases from particular sub-national regions in Mexico, but not other regions in Mexico,” Kastner said. “That’s a principle called regionalization, a concept we believe works for large countries. In the SPP agreement, the spirit is to allow such concepts as regionalization to be implemented.”

Kastner noted that as the United States begins a new presidential administration, some scholars speculate that the SPP’s spirit will continue, but re-emerge in a different policy form.

Using regionalization, the United States has some lever-age that gives Chihuahua some incentive to make sure its cattle meet U.S. standards. “Were it not for the economic stakes, it is doubtful that this state in northern Mexico would put forth the regulatory effort to ensure, for example, that animals from certain areas were not transported and offloaded into other areas,” Kastner said.

Geographic proximity itself is enough incentive to en-courage U.S. – Mexico trade. Some previous global trade negotiations have failed, which has led to a greater emphasis on encouraging regional economic growth. “So for us as a country to be competitive we need to be regionally com-petitive, which means we need to be more efficient on a regional basis, which means we need to be integrated with Canada and Mexico,” Kastner said. “We’re much more har-monized with Canada than with Mexico. But by using such concepts as regionalization, we can concentrate on a region of Mexico.”

Regionalization also works to ensure food safety efforts are followed within other nations. The Guangdong region of China exports food to Hong Kong, where the private importers insist on higher levels of safety and quality than the government would ordinarily enforce. Private supply chain audits and standards are raiding the quality of food that Hong Kong receives. It’s a lesson the United States can follow.

“That shows that even in China there are private interests working to raise food safety levels, but it remains to be seen if that’s going to help clean up China’s food safety prob-lems,” Kastner said. “We in the United States import from China, so we need to figure out how can we get some of those private economic incentives to work in our favor. We are now placing U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspec-tors in the Chinese regulatory infrastructure.”

Kastner said China is not likely to develop a robust and error-proof food safety system at the national level, and the demands of Hong Kong’s private supply chains won’t likely rid Guangdong of all its food safety problems. But the private audits and market forces can still raise standards in key regions.

The Food Safety Consortium Newsletter, Vol. 19, No. 1, Winter 2009

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Midwest American Society of Animal Science Des Moines, Iowa • March 16-18, 2009

DNA tests for carcass and meat traits in cattle and swine − Michael Dikeman

IFT- Annual Meeting and Food Expo 2009 Anaheim, California • June 6-10, 2009

Comparison of degree of difference control test variability method to the Torgerson’s method of trials – N. L. Falk (General Mills), Koushik Adhikari, S.D. Pecore, and N. Holschuh

Volatile compounds present in rice-shaped extruded grains − Jeehyun Lee, Koushik Adhikari, Juhyum Yoo, Sajid Alavi, R.A. Aberle, and G. Huber

Awareness of international/ethnic food among U.S. Consum-ers in Manhattan, Kansas − B.E. Bell, Edgar Chambers IV, and Koushik Adhikari

Evaluation of a rapid direct solvent extraction of 2-dodecylcy-clobutanone from irradiated beef patties using acetonitrile − Faraj M. Hijaz, Prini Gadgil, Curtis L. Kastner, and J. Scott Smith

Permeability of meat packaging materials to low levels of am-monia gas − Farris Karim, Faraj M. Hijaz, Curtis L. Kastner, and J. Scott Smith

Evaluation of meat contamination after low levels of ammonia gas exposure − Farris Karim, Faraj M. Hijaz, Curtis L. Kastner, and J. Scott Smith

Development of a graduate curriculum in food safety and de-fense − Kelly J.K. Getty, Cynthia D. Woodley (Professional Test-ing Inc.), David McSwane (Indiana University/Purdue University), Richard H. Linton (Purdue University), Abbey L. Nutsch, and Sheryl Hodge

Effect of packaging and storage time on survival of Listeria monocytogenes on shelf-stable meat snacks − Kamaldeep K. Uppal (Oberto Sausage Company/K-State), April S. Lobaton-Sulabo, Kelly J.K. Getty, B. Barry (Oberto Sausage Company/K-State), and Elizabeth A.E. Boyle

Impact of a plant extract on Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in nonfat yogurt − Minto Michael, Randall K. Phebus, and Karen A. Schmidt

American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meat Conference 2009 Rogers, Arkansas • June 21-24, 2009

Sensory and lean color guidelines − Melvin C. Hunt

Prevalence of water binding ingredients in processed meat and poultry products − Brandon Goehring and Elizabeth A. E. Boyle.

Packaging systems and storage times serve as post-lethality treatments for Listeria monocytogenes on smoked sausage sticks − April S. Lobaton-Sulabo, Elizabeth A.E. Boyle, Kelly J. K. Getty, Tyler Axman, Kamaldeep K.Uppal (Oberto Sausage Co./K-State), B. Barry (Oberto Sausage Company/K-State), and J. J. Higgins.

Packaging systems and storage times affect survival of Listeria monocytogenes on beef jerky − April S. Lobaton-Sulabo, Tyler Axman, Kelly J. K. Getty, Elizabeth A. E. Boyle, Nigel Harper, Kamaldeep K. Uppal (Oberto Sausage Company/K-State), B. Barry (Oberto Sausage Company/K-State), and J. J. Higgins

Effects of feed dried distillers grains with solubles and glycerol on pork loin quality − Amanda. N. Gipe, Terry A. Houser, Alan W. Duttlinger, Michael D. Tokach, Steven S. Dritz, Joel M. DeRouchey, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband, Melvin C. Hunt, K. J. Prusa, C. A. Fedler, and C. R. Raines

96th Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Grapevine, Texas • July 12-15, 2009

Plant variation in the validation of a hot water antimicrobial intervention during harvesting beef carcasses in small and very small meat processing plants − Dennis E. Burson (University of Nebraska), William B. Mikel (Mississippi State University), Dana J. Hanson (North Carolina State University), Elizabeth A.E. Boyle and Melissa C. Newman (University of Kentucky)

Molecular detection of Listeria monocytogenes in small and very small ready-to-eat meat processing plants − Shanna K. Williams (Colorado State University), Sherry Roof (Cornell University), Elizabeth A.E. Boyle, Harshavardhan Thippareddi (University of Nebraska), Dennis E. Burson (University of Nebraska), Kendra K. Nightingale (Colorado State University), Martin Wiedmann (Cornell University), and John N. Sofos (Colorado State University)

Detection and survival of Bacillus cereus spores in raw and high-temperature short-time pasteurized milk − Nigel M. Harper and Kelly J.K. Getty

Using stakeholder input to define knowledge areas needed for a curriculum in food protection and food defense − Abbey L. Nutsch, Richard H. Linton (Purdue University), David McSwane (Indiana University/Purdue University), Kelly J.K. Getty, Dirk Maier, Justin J. Kastner, Curtis L. Kastner, William Field (Purdue University), and Clifford Racz (Purdue University)

Evaluating the potential for translocation of Listeria monocyto-genes from floor drains to food contact surfaces in the surrounding environment using Listeria innocua as surrogate − Jasdeep K. Saini, James L. Marsden, Daniel Y.C. Fung, and Beth Ann Crozier-Dodson

Acidic calcium sulfate as a secondary barrier to control post-extrusion Salmonella contamination in dry pet foods − Danielle A. Perkin, Randall K. Phebus, and Minto Michael

Evaluation of microwave cooking procedures for frozen, raw, breaded chicken products to ensure Salmonella inactivation − Vaibhav Ahirrao, Danielle A. Perkin, Randall K. Phebus, Douglas Powell, and Harshavardhan Thippareddi

Food safety training need assessment for independent ethnic restaurants: review of health inspection data in Kansas − Junehee Kwon, Kevin R. Roberts, Carol W. Shanklin, Pei Liu, and Wen S. F. Yen

Food Science Conference PresentationsKansas State University food science, meat science, grain science, and human nutrition stu-dents and faculty will be making presentations at these locations.

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During the 2009 Meat Industry Man-agement Conference held in Chicago, Dr. James Marsden, North American Meat Processors Association senior science advisor and the Regent’s Dis-tinguished Professor of Meat Science, Kansas State University, addressed the increase in the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in beef the past two years and how industry should respond.

Dr. Marsden said theories behind the spike range from complacency within the industry to changes in feeding practices and even the prevalence of unskilled, inexperienced workers filling jobs vacated after recent plant raids by immigration officials. Other possible reasons mentioned included climate change, anti-microbial resistance of the pathogen, and improved testing and detection methods.

“We don’t know the real reasons for the change in E. coli trends after watching it go down for years,” Dr. Marsden said. “Whatever the reasons, after sev-eral years of steady decline there has been an upward trend in the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in beef over the past two years.”

On the bright side, technologies have emerged that show promise and should allow for improved control, he said. Interventions and research highlighted by Dr. Marsden included a conditionally approved cattle vaccine, post-chill carcass decontamination, hydrostatic pressure treatment of trimmings, ultra-violet treatment and interventions during the slaughter process.

Marsden Addresses E. coli SpikeAlthough vaccines won’t totally

eliminate E. coli O157:H7 in cattle, they may help to reduce the spike in in-cidence that has been observed during the summer months, Dr. Marsden said. They also allow for better control dur-ing the slaughter process. Vaccine plus excellent slaughter and post-slaughter controls may positively address the problem, he added.

As for ground-beef safety, Dr. Marsden addressed the effectiveness of irradiation as well as technologies for decontamination of beef trimmings prior to grinding, including ultra-violet light technology used in conjunction with chemical antimicrobials.

In concluding his presentation, Dr. Marsden said an integrated, multi-hurdle process for combating E. coli O157:H7 is an effective means for

controlling the pathogen. “The net effect of this integrated process is a major reduc-

tion in risk associated with E. coli O157:H7 in beef prod-ucts,” Dr. Marsden said.

The best solution is to produce beef carcasses that are virtually free of enteric contamination – this includes E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. In using a dairy analogy, the raw material for grinders, processors and purveyors should be “pasteurized” beef carcasses.

“That’s my vision; let’s hope it doesn’t take 10 years to get there,” Dr. Marsden concluded.

Article by Bryan Salvage. Reprinted with permission from Meat & Poultry magazine, March 31, 2009.

James Marsden

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) announced its 2009-2010 Foundation Scholarship winners. Kansas State University ranked second in the number of scholar-ships awarded with 10. Food science students submitted 16 applications (nine current students and seven incom-ing freshman). The following K-State students earned scholarships:

Junior/Senior Foundation Scholarship

Tyler Axman Elyse BuckleyTess Ludwick

Junior/Senior Julie Vande Velde Memorial

Julie Ann Chelewski

Sophomore Foundation Scholarship

Jessica BriggsKristen EckLaura Beth Wiens

Freshman Foundation Scholarship

Kassie CurranLacey HowardJacob New

Students Receive 2009-2010 IFT Foundation Scholarships

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Without access to commercial dehydration equipment, they often found themselves lugging around a home-style dehydrat-ing machine to complete 10-20 hour drying cycles for fruits and vegetables being tested.

The young food scientists had their share of flops (stringy car-rots, for example), and ultimately chose pumpkin-orange and sweet potato-strawberry combinations for their entry.

Our goal, said Buckley, was to match complementary fruit and vegetable flavors and textures in a shelf-stable, hand-held product prepared with a short list of ingredients parents recognize.

“The two students applied chemical, physical, microbiologi-cal, and sensory concepts and techniques in developing their new product entry,” Aramouni said. “The fruit and vegetable leather is sweetened with fruit juice and honey. It provides two-thirds of the USDA’s recommended daily intake of vegetables, 100 percent of recommended Vitamin C, and from 40 to 70 percent of recom-mended Vitamin A, which varies with the vegetable base.”

After finalizing the formula, Goddard and Buckley organized taste tests with children ages 6 to 10. The small squares of fruit-

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Kansas State University is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, or other non merit reasons, in admissions, educational programs or activities and employment (including employ-ment of disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam Era) as required by applicable

laws and regulations. Responsibility for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimi-

nation Act of 1975, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, has been del-egated to Clyde Howard, Director of Affirmative Action, Kansas State University, 214 Anderson Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-0124, (Phone) 785-532-6220; (TTY) 785-532-4807.

Student awards were presented to (back row l-r): Brett Crow, Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching, M.S.; Nicole Rudd, Outstanding Graduate Student Research, M.S.; Tyler Axman, Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research. Front row: Melissa Daniel, Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching, Ph.D., and Paola Andrea Sotelo, Outstanding Graduate Student Research, Ph.D. Crow, Daniel, and Axman are food science majors.

Curtis Kastner was recognized for Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture. Officers were also recognized for their service: Michael Dikeman (president), Liz Boyle (past president), and Kelly Getty (secretary).

Gamma Sigma Delta Recognizes Faculty and Students

K-State Students’ New Food Concept Claims Disney Prize continued from page 1

and-vegetable leathers earned favorable comments from the kids. Since they had also toyed with shaping the snacks to resemble

cartoon characters, Buckley showed a mock-up to the test group and found the interest encouraging – as the test group began to leave, one little boy asked for the sample and quickly devoured it.

To add interest and an educational opportunity, Goddard and Buckley envisioned their product with peel-away labels posing a question (perhaps, Disney trivia, fun facts about healthy foods or food safety) on the front of the product, with the answer label on the back.

The students worked on the new product on their own time, said Buckley, who noted that Goddard’s background in journalism helped in completing a written product proposal that secured their position as one of three teams advancing to contest finals in the undergraduate division.

As finalists, the students were invited to Disneyland to serve their product to contest judges in Disney’s California Adventure and make a 15-minute oral presentation about their product.

“Developing the new food product concept and competing at the national level has expanded our interest in food science as a career and made us more aware of opportunities in a much larger world,” said Goddard, who, with Buckley, will share the $2,500 first place award in the undergraduate division.

About Disney Consumer Products, Inc.Disney Consumer Products and affiliates (DCP) is the business segment of The

Walt Disney Company that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home décor and books and magazines to interactive games, foods and beverages, stationery, electronics and animation art. This is accomplished through DCP’s various lines of business which include: Disney Toys, Disney Fashion & Home, Disney Food, Health & Beauty and Disney Stationery.