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NORTHERN CAL IFORNIA INST ITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS

O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 www.ncift.org

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Amidst a brutally polarized debate marked by passion, suspicion, and confusion, “Food Evolution,” by Academy Award-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy (“The Garden,” “Fame High,” “OT: Our Town”), explores the controversy surrounding GMOs and food. Traveling from Hawaiian papaya groves to banana farms in Uganda to the cornfields of Iowa, the film, narrated by esteemed science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, wrestles with the emotions and the science driving one of the most heated arguments of our time.

Date and Time: Tuesday, October 17, 2017, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Location: The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th Street, Oakland, CA 94612

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm – Try to arrive early to find street parking or walk from BART. The café and theater will open only at 6 pm.

6:00 pm – Arrive and order food and drinks from the café. This will not be sponsored by NCIFT, so you can purchase your individual items at the café counter. Theater 1 is open.

6:30 pm – “Food Evolution” screening8:05 pm – Post-movie discussion

‘Food Evolution’ Movie Event On October 17

December 7, 2017 (Thursday)Holiday Dinner

Location: Wente Vineyards, Livermore Speaker: Cindy Stewart, President of IFTTopic: “The Science of Food – What Will the Next 75 Years Look Like and How Can We Positively Impact the Future?”

January 22, 2018Fancy Food Show

RCA/NCIFT Networking Event

Congratulations to Russ Nishikawa on his selection as NCIFT Member of the Year for 2016-2017.• If you read The Hornblower, it’s likely he wrote one of the

articles about the most recent event.• If you attended The NCIFT Symposium this year, maybe

you saw him standing in the parking lot, welcoming and directing you to the correct building!

• If you attended the CLFP in Sacramento, you saw him manning the NCIFT booth that he brought and set up from home!

• As a longtime supporter of UC Davis and the student banquet, he may have sponsored you when you were a food science student.

• If you have received an NCIFT Cruess award, he was on the scholarship and awards committee that reviewed your application.

• If you attended IFT17 in Las Vegas, you may have seen him volunteering as a greeter or at the hospitality booth.

• Maybe you were invited to an NCIFT event by this person, since he has been the NCIFT membership secretary for many years.

• If you ask him (or even if you don’t), he will do the UC Davis Bossy Cow-Cow cheer for you!If you have been at any NCIFT event within the last 20 years,

Russ needs no introduction – you will recognize his smiling face and welcoming presence!

As a Northern California Certified Food Scientist, he has

Russ Nishikawa: NCIFT Member of the Year for 2016-2017

Save the DateFebruary 21, 2018CLFP Luncheon

March 1, 2018UC Davis Student Recognition Banquet and Speed Networking

May 7 – 8, 2018NCIFT Golf Event and Suppliers’ Night

2O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 www.ncift.org

Officers of NCIFT and Subsections *Information UPDATED as of 10/9/17

Northern California Regional SectionPRESIDENT: Brad OlsonAlbertsons [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECT: Nikoo ArastehYourNextep [email protected]

PAST PRESIDENT: Craig RotheElite Spice707-334-3760 [email protected]

SECRETARY: Abigail [email protected]

TREASURER: Jaspreet S. Walia Certified Laboratories of Northern [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: Erin EversSPI [email protected]

Directors-at-Large (2016-2018) Fatemeh MirabediAlquimia USA [email protected]

Ray PungFlavorchem Corp.408-386-3407 [email protected]

Bianca WiensE. & J. Gallo [email protected]

Directors-at-Large (2017-2019) Brian Chaufood blogger, Chau [email protected]

Anjali GanpuleR. Torre & [email protected]

Pamela SweetenShepard Bros., [email protected]

Nominating CommitteeElaine ChowRaybern Foods, [email protected]

Sam OffenbergPacific [email protected]

Zhongli PanUC [email protected]

Saji PoespowidjojoIEH [email protected]

Committee ChairsPROGRAM CHAIR: Nikoo ArastehYourNextep [email protected]

VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CHAIR: Reshmi [email protected]

FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR: Open

SUPPLIERS’ NIGHT CHAIR: Florence WuAemtek, [email protected]

GRANTS COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dale OldsCovance Food [email protected]

NEW PROFESSIONALS GROUP CHAIR: Erin EversSPI [email protected]

SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR: Ilona DatskovskayaLa [email protected]

Golf Classic & Awards DinnerCO-CHAIRS & TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS:

Martin [email protected]

Dave [email protected]

Student Representatives UC DAVIS: Adley [email protected]

CSU SAN JOSE: Open

CSU CHICO: Open

Central Valley SubsectionCONTACT: Bianca WiensE. & J. Gallo [email protected]

Other Important ContactsTHE HORNBLOWER:Editor: Carol Cooper UC Davis (retired)916-684-2887 [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Brian [email protected]

JOB LISTINGS: Steve Nagorski David Michael & Company925-212-0619 [email protected]

SUPPLIERS’ NIGHT EXPO COORDINATOR & MEMBERSHIP RECORDS:Imelda Vasquez NCIFT Office at Marketing Designs650-802-0888 [email protected]

Stay Up-To-Date: www.ncift.org

3 O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7www.ncift.org

HORNBLOWER EDITORIAL POLICYOpinions expressed by the editors or contributors to The

Hornblower do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Section. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any copy that is submitted.

SUBSCRIPTIONS are included with NCIFT Membership. Please send to NCIFT, 850 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002.

HORNBLOWER ADVERTISEMENT POLICYContinuous, year-round advertising is available to our suppliers

through The Hornblower Classified Ads posted to www.ift.org/sections/ncift/hornblowerads.pdf, as well as placement in all four hard copy issues of The Hornblower including an Annual Membership Directory mailed to members quarterly.

As noted below, special rates are available for ads to run one-time-only in any single quarterly issue. You may submit completed ad copy electronically. If you provide a rough draft, the publisher will create, design and typeset an ad for you at a very reasonable rate.

ADVERTISING RATES PER YEAR: Full Page ................... $1,300 1/4 Page ........................$475 1/2 Page ....................... $750 Business Card ................$350ADVERTISING RATES PER SINGLE ISSUE: Full Page ...................... $350 1/4 Page ........................$150 1/2 Page ....................... $200 Business Card ................$120

DEADLINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS, ADVERTISERS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Issue Deadline January/February/March .........................December 1, 2017 April/May/June .......................................March 1, 2018

TO PLACE AN AD, CONTACT:Business Manager – Imelda VasquezNCIFT Office at Marketing Designs, 850 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002; Phone: 650-802-0888; Fax: 650-802-0188Email: [email protected]

The Hornblower (USPS 257-140) is the official publication of the Northern California Section of IFT, a nonprofit organization, and is published quarterly. Postage is paid at Belmont, CA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: THE HORNBLOWER, c/o NCIFT, 850 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002

EDITOR:Carol Cooper 916.684.2887

CAMPUS CORRESPONDENTS:UC DAVIS: Holly Ly 530.752.3250 [email protected] Chico: Maria Giovanni 530.898.4023 [email protected] CSU San Jose: Lucy M. McProud 408.924.3103 [email protected]

DESIGN, PRINTING & BUSINESS MANAGERMarketing Designs 650.802.0888

MAGAZINE OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS

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been a pillar of our local food industry, and has been representing SPI Group, supplying customers and offering technical ingredient support, for more than 25 years.

As a proud UCD Food Science and Technology alumni, Russ started his career working in the pineapple fields in Maui. From there he transitioned to the role of technologist for Foremost-McKesson in the dairy industry before moving to Wisconsin to work as a production manager. He moved back to the Bay Area and was Foremost-McKesson’s technical support and product line manager before he moved into sales and marketing for New Zealand Milk products. Russ earned his MBA from St. Mary’s College and started at SPI Group in 1991. Since then he has been developing business for SPI Group and its unique product line as a West Coast specialty ingredient distributor.

This is a bittersweet moment as we take the time to celebrate Russ while also announcing his upcoming retirement from SPI Group at the end of this year.

NCIFT has taken this opportunity to honor Russ again for his continued commitment to the local food industry and our section. His volunteer efforts have built up the NCIFT community and made it stronger.

For all the countless hours of his own time he dedicated to this section, the wise words he provided at our executive committee meetings, the contributions he made to sponsor food science students, and the members of our food science family whose lives have been made better by his dedication to our industry, the Russ Nishikawa Helping Hand Award has been developed:

NCIFT Member of the Year

Russ Nishikawa Helping Hand Award• Provide support to deserving industry members and

students for NCIFT meeting fees who showcase Russ Nishikawa’s spirit of selflessness, service, and volunteerism

• Scholarship amount awarded: meeting registration costs related to attending any NCIFT dinner, function, or meeting that requires attendees to pay an attendance fee (up to $1,000 annually)

• Timeline: applications accepted throughout the year – due one week before the scheduled meeting

Eligibility • Professional or student member of IFT• Want to attend NCIFT meeting• Need help with registration costsApplication requirements • Name, email, phone contact; provide current place of

employment, unemployment, or year in school, plus a brief description of IFT/NCIFT involvement; provide a statement of need

For an application form, go to the section web page: http://ncift.org/scholarships-grants.php


for answers to your specific questions. I would like to call your attention to

two new faculty positions now open for recruitment. Dr. Charles Bamforth, the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences, is retiring. Information on this position can be found at http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu/local_resources/pdfs/. Closing date is December 1, 2017. San Jose State University is looking for an Assistant Professor, Food Science and Technology specialization. Information and application for this position can be found at https://apply.interfolio.com/44327. Applications are due November 1, 2017. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know.

And welcome to our new officers. It is going to be a great year!Carol Cooper, The Hornblower Editor Past Chair of NCIFT, UC Davis (retired)

September 1st marked the beginning of my term as president, and also the start of my 14th year serving on the Executive Board of the Northern California Institute of Food Technologists (NCIFT).

I have been blessed over the years to serve on the NCIFT board with very dedicated people. I would like to extend a special thanks to Craig Rothe for the leadership he has provided this past year as NCIFT president and look forward to working with him this coming year as he transitions into the past-president role.

The NCIFT leadership board is already hard at work planning the events for this year, which include the following:• Holiday Dinner on December 7th at Wente Vineyards • NCIFT Luncheon on February 21st at CLFP• UC Davis Awards Night and Speed Networking Event on

March 1st at UC Davis • NCIFT Golf Tournament, Suppliers’ Night and Symposium

on May 7th and 8th

Details on these events can be found on our website.Our directors-at-large are also working on several

additional member events for the year. Planned for October, March/April, and at IFT Chicago in July, these events seek to be casual networking opportunities for members in our section. More details to follow.

In closing, I wanted to remind everyone that we are always in need of members who would like to help plan, and put on, the events we have each year. If you are interested in getting involved but are concerned about the time commitment required, please reach out and we can discuss the various options that exist.

If you would like to learn about participation options, or have a suggestion for a new event or improvements to our current events in the future, you can reach me by email at [email protected] or by phone at (510) 502-0879.

Best regards, Brad Olson

President’s Message by Brad Olson

Hi! Hope your summer was a great one!

Congratulations to the following members who were recognized as

outstanding section volunteers at IFT17 in Las Vegas: Nikoo Arasteh; Erin Evers, CFS; Russell K. Nishikawa, CFS; Lauren Shimek; Imelda Vasquez; and Florence Wu.

We have a new award for our section – the Russ Nishikawa Helping Hand Award, set up to help those who cannot afford to attend section meetings. See the article in this issue describing this award and how to apply for it.

Also please note an important event coming up quickly – the showing of the “Food Evolution” movie. IFT and NCIFT are proud to support this documentary exploring our global food-related challenges and showing the critical role science and

innovation play in building a safe, sustainable global food supply. Information is given on the cover page of this issue.

As you may know, IFT members approved a new membership model in 2017. The new model provides membership options more directly in line with the needs of current and future members, including more affordable and internationally accessible options for IFT’s growing community. In October, IFT will offer two distinct levels of membership: Premier Membership and Networking & Engagement Membership. At that time, all current Members and Professional Members will become Premier Members, and they will have the option to change to the Networking & Engagement Membership level when they are up for renewal. Please refer to the new membership model FAQ page at ift.org

Brad Olson

From the Editor’s Desk by Carol Cooper

Carol Cooper

Ingredient SPOTLIGHT

Savoryby Craig Rothe

Savory is an annual herb, which is part of the mint family (Labiate) along with sage. It is native

to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region and often referred to as “summer savory”

since it’s typically harvested in June and July. The leaves of the savory plant are narrow, elliptical, dark green, and about 0.5-1.0 cm long. It has been used as a culinary spice since Roman times as well as a medicinal herb.

The volatile oil level in savory is usually around 1%, but the major component is carvacrol, which is present at about 25-45%. Savory imparts a bold, somewhat peppery flavor and is mostly used with vegetables and salt-free formulations. It is an important flavor component to various bean recipes and is a primary ingredient in Herbs de Provence blends. Combining it with breadcrumbs also produces

nice herbed notes for use with stuffing and breading. Historical non-culinary uses also include bee-sting remedy

and an aphrodisiac, but likely not at the same time…


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Announcement for the 20th Annual SJIFT Scholarship Golf Classic!

by Brian Chau, Assistant Editor

Design thinking is a course offered at the University of California, Davis taught by Dr. Lauren Shimek. Lauren brought a glimpse of the course to NCIFT’s new professionals at Total Wine & More’s Pleasant Hill location. As founder of Eat.Think.Design and adjunct professor at UC Davis, Lauren discussed how she transitioned from a traditional food science role at General Mills into IDEO’s sole design thinking food scientist. With her experience, she presented an issue to the new professionals: food waste at a cafeteria. In order to understand the problem,

New Professionals Event – Design Thinkingwe as design thinkers would need to empathize with the target audience. We would need to think like a student, reenact our college years, and look at all aspects of life. We would need to put on the consumer insights role. The best way to empathize is to go out into the world and start getting inspired or people watch to see what the consumer does.

After being inspired, “How might we?” questions were brought up to encourage participation for the new professionals. How might we reduce food waste at the cafeteria, especially during the beginning of the year where freshmen have not been exposed to the

plethora of different food options? All ideas were considered, even the crazy ones. Narrowing down from a list of options is more efficient in managing resources than to expend more time

This year’s Annual SJIFT Scholarship Golf Classic will be held at the Copper River Country Club. The new date is Monday, November 6. Shotgun start will be 11 am. The typical Fresno weather is expected to be 75 degrees and sunny!

Through this event, we have raised $143,000 over the past 10 years to use toward scholarships and other financial assistance in support of students in food science and related majors at CSU, Fresno. This is the major fundraiser for the SJIFT.

Your entry includes a box lunch, beverages on the course, two beer tickets, plus a great trip-tip dinner and Fresno State Ice Cream after play.

Sponsorships at various levels are available. They are the primary source of funds generated at this tournament.

Thanks again for your past participation. Please also remember to bring a door prize to give out to participants during the after-dinner festivities.

Welcome New Members!Glenn A. AndradeSutter Home Winery

Julie BlackwellBusiness Development Director,Covance Food Solutions

Anissa BouzianeGuayaki

Tiffani CanevariGuayaki

Roel De JongProcurement Director,Lotus Bakeries North America

Brian FlemingSales, EJ Fleming & Associates

Kady Beth Francone

Enrique Garcia PerezWashington State University

Abraham V. GonzalezRegional Sales Manager,Eurofins Scientific

Neil Mason GorsuchDirector of Market Development, Corenco

Johnny HornungIncasa Instant Soluble Coffee

Shawn Ryan KetcherSales/QA Manager,Valley Sun Products

Nicole KnobelVice President, Glarus Gourmet Inc.

Dicki LulayPresident, Lulay & Assocs

Dhruv Manchala

Armand MillanQA Manager,Dole Packaged Foods LLC

Chip MorrisOwner, Elegant Beans

Marc Lee PercivalStrategic Operations Manager,Hilmar Cheese Company

Tanya Pereira

Guillaume PerruchetResearch and Development,Galaxy Desserts

Chef Mike Richard PietruszkaProduct Manager,Thirty Three Health

Abel SanchezQuality Assurance,Tradin Organics USA, Inc.

Morgan SmithAssociate,Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP

Jeffrey D. SmythIP Attorney,Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP

Jessica SoslowAemtek, Inc.

Ellen G. TrostSales Manager, Dupont

Johan WilmsDirector, Finance & Supply Chain,Lotus Bakeries North America

New Student MembersPoonam BajajDavid BridgesAmanda DrexlerMelanie HanlonLuong MaiElizabeth NojimaMatthew Wing Fai PoonCarey SatinKyra Lynne SchwaningerViral ShuklaAJ SilvaJiayin TanYunle WangAndrew R WeissXinhua Yang


thinking of more ideas from a narrow list of options.

The open discussions generated many different ideas from picking fresh fruits off of plants to convenient to-go containers and from social media campaigns to different-sized trays displaying the food. Teams were formed to try a rough and rapid prototype. The idea is not to start benchtop formulation or ideation, but to think of how to conceptualize the product. Using non-food substances, pictures, models, and cheap replicas, design thinkers would be able to stumble upon new thought processes or new questions

that they might not have considered. Sometimes, an answer would be presented with models and a scaled-down version, as is the case with one of IDEO’s challenges about rearranging seats for passengers to sleep side by side. With just a room and chairs, the IDEO team was able to understand the mindset of the passenger and provide that rearranging seats would mean the passengers are too close to each other when sleeping.

The different ideas and rough prototypes contributed at the New Professionals Night would eventually be brought to the upcoming UC

Davis design thinking course where students will begin their design thinking journey for a full quarter. This upcoming year is especially exciting, as the dining commons are changing their structure. Sodexo is no longer providing food for campus. UC Davis is going solo and restructuring its entire system. Hours are now 6 am to midnight. Lauren’s excitement and the new students’ ingenuity would surely provide a new angle in tackling the food waste issue.

Special thanks to Total Wine & More for providing a wine tasting with two whites and two reds.

New Professionals Event – Design Thinking continued from page 5

by Brian Chau, Assistant Editor

Through the blistering heat and traffic, many NCIFT members and CVIFT members alike came for Hilmar’s Tour and New Professionals Night. The fairly new LEED-certified innovations center stands out as members gathered around the lobby area waiting for the tour to begin.

As members walk through the hallway to the innovation kitchen, they catch a glimpse of the trophy wall. The wall proudly displays all the versatile uses of the cheese-related products including confectionary, functional, nutritional, and innovative creations. Hilmar has its ingredients in both food and beverages in RTE or RTD forms as well as supplemental ingredients or powders to be mixed with water for infant formula or coffee powders.

In the innovation room, there was a display of many texture analyzers. A panning machine sat on a rolling cart shining its pan for the next project. The nearby room would hold the sensory analysis. Off limits would be the technical pilot plant area with many different lines of technologies that assist the Hilmar team. Members gathered around to see samples, showcasing more of Hilmar’s innovations for potential uses to their customers. By showing the versatility of products, their customers are inspired to do more with their wide array of ingredients. The lovely samples include a protein nutrition bar and a protein milk shake in aseptic packaging. Along with these samples, innovation team members were cooking up some of their newest lines of cheese. One of the cheeses utilized the new IP technology that allows smoke to penetrate through to the core where a smoky flavor permeated every bite. The other cheese was packed with spice from jalapenos. When everyone quenched their burning sensation from the spicy cheese samples, a nice company video summarized the history of Hilmar.

Hilmar Cheese Company is located in Hilmar, California with two other manufacturing facilities: one just up the road in Turlock for dry ingredients and powders, and one in Dalhart, Texas because the farmers there wanted to cooperate and share their values with that of Hilmar’s growing business. The company literally started from a piece of napkin when the founding members and farmers met every morning at a café down the block. In 1984, 12 dairy families worked together to build the Hilmar Cheese Company with strict adherence to using only their Jersey cows. With exponential growth leading to today, Hilmar produces two million pounds of cheese every day with the cheeses sold as private label or food service items. From the ingredients division, 50+ countries have utilized different milk-derived ingredients including whey protein isolates, whey protein concentrates, whey protein hydrolysates, and lactose-related ingredients for innovative creations. With sustainability kept in mind, not only is the innovation center LEED-certified, but the water used is reusable and reclaimable for irrigation. The visitor center is a focal point for bringing the community

Happy Jersey Cows Come from Hilmar, California

continued on page 8


NCIFT Fall Dinner MeetingHandles Gastropub, PleasantonSeptember 19, 2017


together in learning experiences and purchasing products from local producers and manufacturers. Ultimately, Hilmar stands on five pillars: relationship, integrity, teamwork, improvement, and excellence.

Upon completion of the tour and video, members headed upstairs where the New Professionals Night took place, to meet up with more NCIFT and CVIFT folk adding up to more than 75 attendees. Hilmar offered many different cheeses and cheese products for all to try with wine from E. & J. Gallo. Amidst the mingling, a smoke cheese guessing game was played with a chance for prizes. Four cheeses were smoked with four different types of wood or substrate from hops to cherry and hickory to apple, and contestants smelled and tasted the cheeses for their chance of a cheese cutting set and other merchandise.

After some networking and guesswork, members sat down to listen to Jim Ahlem, one of the original founders and current chairman of the board, speak earnestly about how Hilmar came to be. He brought to attention the five pillars of Hilmar. Relationships have expanded to include over 230 dairy suppliers that are local and family-owned. Relationships include conducting research with universities at Davis, California for further understanding of ingredients and cheese products. Collaboration on improvement also extends further to all levels at Hilmar to continually analyze better quality assurance and testing where part of the profits return in the training, equipment, and standards. With over 1,400 employees, Hilmar prides itself with the integrity and teamwork from each hard-working person across all

departments, which translates into its excellence in customer service and high quality product, a unique attribute for Hilmar. Jim continued on to describe the differences between Hilmar’s dairy cows and other large producing dairy farms. By sticking with one type of cow, the lovable brown coated Jersey cow, the company was able to stick to the unique flavor of the milk. Most other farms have diversified and integrated their cows for massive volumes compromising the unique attribute each cow variety has to offer. In a Q&A session, Jim was able to address the friendly feud between Wisconsin and California dairy farms. California has gone to produce more cheese than milk, while in the East Coast and Midwest, milk is so overly abundant that the excess is dumped into the waste streams. The last question answered was about where Hilmar places itself in the organic market in which Jim mentioned that some of the products are organic, but Hilmar has chosen not to use that label; Hilmar’s main concern is quality, food safety, and integrity where its business has impressively grown.

Special thanks are given to the following people for their work and contributions:• Alice Tang as the main liaison and introduction hostess for

Jim Ahlem• Jim Ahlem, chairman of the board for his presentation• The rest of the Hilmar team including Qiqi Peng and Jessie

Heidenreich for setup, support, and volunteering• Bianca Wiens of E. & J. Gallo for donating wines• Russ, Kathy, Stacey, and Jaspreet as NCIFT/CVIFT volunteers

in helping the front desk registration and logistics

Happy Jersey Cows Come from Hilmar, California continued from page 6

by Florence Wu, Ph.D. (AEMTEK, Inc.)Suppliers’ Night Chair

I am happy to announce the 2017 Suppliers’ Night & Expo was a successful event with about 400 registered attendees, over 200 tabletop exhibitors, and a 47% increase in attendance at our welcome dinner!GOLF TEE PLATINUM SPONSORS

Custom Ingredients, Inc.; Roha USA; Prova, Inc.; Elite Spice, Inc.; colorMaker, Inc.; Affinity Flavors; Horn; Ohaus Corporation; Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.; AemtekTOP SUPPLIERS’ NIGHT SPONSORS

OC Flavors, Inc.; Farbest Brands; Flavor ProducersVOLUNTEERS

Earl Weak; Sharon Cook; Jim Roesler; Maria Giovanni; Steven Young; Michael Noah

I want to personally thank the

Thank You for a Successful Suppliers’ Night

exhibitors and attendees for their continued dedication to the food industry and to our NCIFT community. With your participation over the years, you have been an instrumental part in making NCIFT one of the biggest IFT sections in the West, and NCIFT

Suppliers’ Night one of the most successful trade shows among these sections. We rely on your feedback to improve our event from year to year and thank you graciously for your input. To our biggest Suppliers’ Night Sponsors,

continued on facing page


Golf Tee Platinum Sponsors, and much appreciated volunteers listed to the right, I am grateful to the important role you play in enabling Suppliers’ Night to grow bigger and better each year. Our events could not take place without your support.

The NCIFT community owes a special thank you to Stacey Hawley (Flavor Producers) for her six years of service and hard work in making Suppliers’ Night so successful. She has done a tremendous amount of work to improve Suppliers’ Night for both attendees and exhibitors over the years. Some of her biggest accomplishments include making the symposium free, allowing companies to get more visibility through supplier sponsors, introducing everyone’s favorite wine bar, and, at the same time, making the event successful with a very limited budget! The enormous amount of time, energy, and dedication Stacey has put into Suppliers’ Night over the years is truly extraordinary and can only be fully appreciated when one tries to do what she has done. I would like to send Stacey my sincerest gratitude for her

kind advice and generous support in my transition to become the new Suppliers’ Night chair.

Stacey’s footsteps would be impossible to follow without the guidance and assistance from Imelda Vasquez (Marketing Designs/NCIFT), Erin Evers (SPI Group), and Jessica Soslow (AEMTEK, Inc.). I am extremely lucky to have had such an exceptional group of people to help me in my new role. With their generous support, Suppliers’ Night ran smoothly in 2017 and is on track for greatness in years to come! Although we will all miss Stacey dearly, I am excited to assume my responsibilities as the new Suppliers’ Night chair. I hope to bring a fresh pair of eyes and ideas for further improvements to the committee. I am proud to be a part of the team to continue making a positive impact on Suppliers’ Night. The thoughtful responses to the post-event surveys will be considered carefully and used as guidance when we plan the event for next year.

The 2018 Suppliers’ Night events will take place Monday, May 7th through Tuesday, May 8th. The Suppliers’ Night

will feature four events including the Annual Golf Classic, Suppliers’ Night Opening Welcome Dinner, Symposium, and Expo. Everyone’s favorite Happy Hour will be included in expo hall. With our improved itinerary and updated registration forms we hope to attract higher numbers of suppliers and attendees to come!

Suppliers’ Night would not be possible without our sponsors and volunteers. If you would like to have your company name in front of over 300 potential clients at 2018 Suppliers’ Night, please email me at [email protected] for information on becoming a sponsor. We are also looking for volunteers to assist on the day of the event.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any comments or suggestions on how to make Suppliers’ Night a more valuable experience for everyone involved. Thank you again to everyone who helped make this year’s Suppliers’ Night a success. I cannot wait to see everyone on Monday, May 7th for NCIFT’s 2018 Suppliers’ Night Opening Welcome Dinner!

by Bruce FerreeMost plants use water for some purpose. If you’re handling

fresh items, you may need to clean them with water. If you’re handling some frozen items, you may want to dip them in water to create a crust to prevent freezer burn. Some manufacturing sites use ice to cool product and to ensure samples remain cold. If you use heat exchangers, that may be hot or cold water on the opposing side with your product. Everybody cleans and sanitizes their operation and that usually takes water in some form. And for many manufacturers, water is an ingredient. For a few, water is the only ingredient (think bottled water!). To make everything more confusing, there are plants that reuse water, capturing water from one operation and reusing it for some other purpose. But whatever your facility does with it, have you considered how to ensure the product remains safe?

Bottled water has its own CFR, 21CFR part 165.110, to ensure that it is tested and monitored at the right level. It requires testing for inorganics (metals), volatile organic compounds, pesticides and other synthetic organic chemicals, disinfectants and residuals of disinfectants, and radiological quality. While most of us don’t need to test to this level, we should be concerned about the quality and safety of the water we use in our plants.

How safe does your water have to be? How do you define safe? There can be a lot of questions when it comes to water safety and quality. So, here’s my take on the 10 things you need to know about the water used in your facility.

Water, Water EverywhereWhere does your water come from?

A municipal source or your own private well? I recently heard of a plant that has been having trouble getting all the water it needs and has had to drill a well. This will mean additional testing for this location to bring this water into compliance and prove the compliance to regulators. In general, water that meets the National Primary Drinking Water status is acceptable for use in food plants. Municipal water normally meets this expectation so staying in touch with the local utilities group to receive its annual report is adequate proof. In some cases, municipal water does not meet the NPDW status and you may want to understand what additional treatment and testing you might want to be performing. Is water reused in your plant? In this case, you’ll want to understand where the water is reclaimed from and what it will be used for. With that knowledge, you’ll have a better idea of what requirements need to be met.Where and in how many ways does water get used in your plant?

Knowing what you use the water for can be key to knowing a lot more about testing, use, treatment, and reporting requirements. Treatment options are too numerous to list, but how you treat depends on what you plan to do with that water. If used as a product dip, disinfection may need to be routine and potentially automated to ensure product is not contaminated with something in the water. If it is an ingredient that receives a lethal treatment, your microbial testing may be different. Understand where the water is used and then determine your needs.

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beards, hair on the heads, and even men with hairy arms. These operations demand that any semblance of a beard or moustache must be restrained and that hair nets must cover the hair and the ears. Others (no pun intended) split hairs and try to define how large a moustache or beard must be before it must be covered. Inevitably, the latter kind of operations tend to have greater problems with compliance as workers push the boundaries and/or supervisors are not vigilant when enforcing their rules.

Let’s look at one more element of personal hygiene; handwashing and toilet facilities.

21 CFR Part 117.37 Sanitary facilities and controls, Parts (d) and (e) states the following;

(d) Toilet facilities. Each plant must provide employees with adequate, readily accessible toilet facilities. Toilet facilities must be kept clean and must not be a potential source of contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials.

(e) Hand-washing facilities. Each plant must provide hand-washing facilities designed to ensure that an employee's hands are not a source of contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials, by providing facilities that are adequate, convenient, and furnish running water at a suitable temperature.

Toilet facilities would seem to be a no-brainer, but one sees that there are challenges the more one travels. Perhaps the biggest

issue is “readily accessible.” Some facilities set up their processing operations so neither toilets nor handwashing facilities are readily accessible. The first one results in extended break periods to use the facilities and the other means that line workers simply are not keeping their hands clean. If employees need to walk several hundred yards to wash their hands, they probably will not do it. Cleanliness is another issue. Having had the opportunity to work in plants all over the world, I can honestly say that there are some places where I give up eating simply because the toilet facilities at the plants that I am working at are simply disgusting. One literally does not even want to walk into the area much less use them. Of course, there are concerns in this country, also. Not to disparage our neighbors to the south, but processors with a large Hispanic workforce often fight an ongoing battle with trash barrels in the toilet stalls. Why? Many of the people come from parts of Mexico and Central America where water pressure in residences and other locations is so bad that they are taught to not put paper in the toilet. It carries over to this country.

The last point that I want to touch upon is handwashing and the water used to wash your hands. Please note that the regulation reads “furnish running water at a suitable temperature.” The regulation does not mandate that sinks be provided with warm

Personal Hygiene in the Food Processing Industry continued from back page

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Is your water backflow protected?To ensure that unhealthy (untreated, unsafe, or otherwise unfit)

water does not get accidentally pulled into your plant or into a usage area, you need to ensure that all your usage locations are backflow protected. In many cases, backflow protection is a legal standard. GFSI schemes also require protection from contamination. Do you need to identify all the water lines in your plant?

Usually, it is not required to identify all water lines in a plant. However, if you have reclaimed water piped around the facility, it may be legally required. Best practices are to ID every line (with the direction of flow) to ensure that piping can be traced and potential cross connections can be located and corrected.What rules are there for water and which ones apply to your plant?

This is always tricky to answer. Best I can tell you is to read the regulations that govern your facility (dairy plants read the PMO, meat plants read the USDA FSIS regulations) and ensure you understand them. It is wise to also locate and understand state, county, and municipal rules so that you’re doing things right by these rules as well. If you are certified under GFSI or any other type of scheme, ensure you understand those rules and how they apply to your plant. I find it is best to involve a group or team to find, read, and understand these.Most water should be disinfected in some way.

As mentioned earlier, water that comes in contact with product as a wash or dip will need to be disinfected in some manner. Even water that gets a lethal treatment for pathogens may need to be disinfected prior to use. As a prudent manufacturer, you’ll want to know the level of safety you desire and how to best achieve that. This may mean chlorinating the water with an automatic dosing system. It may also mean filtering the water to remove solids and

then treating with a disinfectant. Be aware that over-treating may result in product being contaminated with the disinfectant, which is just as bad from a quality and food safety standpoint.What microbial testing do I need to perform?

Knowing the answers to the above questions will help with this. Once you know what your source is and what you are using the water for, microbial testing may be needed. What you test for could be indicator organisms (coliforms) or simply Total Plate Count depending on the use.What chemical testing do I need to perform?

Knowing the source and use helps decide this. Some water may be high in a chemical constituent (think water from a municipal source that has not removed enough of a metal) so you’ll be treating the water and needing to test for that constituent. Being aware of the rules, as well as what your expectations are for the finished product that may contain that water, will help you understand if any testing is needed.What records do I need to keep?

The real question here is “How will I know when something is not normal?” You’ll need to have some testing program so that you will know how your water program is holding up. It also provides you with a history of success or failure. The records of this testing are needed to assure regulatory compliance as well as to better define “normal.” You get to decide what records you need to achieve these two goals. You should have your water tasted every day.

Really! Tasting water will let you know a lot of things about your water. I don’t recommend tasting the “raw” or untreated water, but tasting water that is used as an ingredient is valuable to understand how it will affect your product. Get a taste panel together and start this soon.Reprinted with the permission of QA and Food Safety Magazine

Water, Water Everywhere continued from page 9


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or hot water. Yet, how often have you observed an auditor place his or her hands in the running water at a handwash station and start to count? If the water does not warm up, you get written up. Warm water or hot water may be necessary in some operations. Workers that handle greasy or oily products may need warm water to ensure that they can properly clean their hands. I have seen situations where a company fails to supply hot water and the handwash water becomes so cold in the winter that people don’t want to use it. So, if you decide that you don’t need to heat water, put together a documented risk assessment as to why it isn’t necessary. But do take into account your employees. If the water is too cold to use, they may not want to use it.

Take a look at the regulations found in 21 CFR Part 117. The regulations are written in such a manner that food processors have some leeway in how they are implemented. What is done in a cannery will differ from what is done in a plant that produces smoked salmon or a facility that manufactures soft drinks. It is, however, up to you to make sure that what you do in your plant is effective and will not create potential problems. The question is and will be, “Are you addressing and controlling all the risks?”REFERENCESUSFDA, (2017), 21 CFR Part 117, Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.

by Justin Chow – 4th year food science student at UC DavisThe technical courses and research experiences at UC Davis

have prepared me well for the food industry. From food processing to microbiology, understanding the importance of food safety has been one of my passions in studying food science.

The annual NCIFT Networking Event held on campus allowed me to explore different companies from the industry. I was fortunate to meet Jas Walia, the microbiology manager, from Certified Laboratories Inc. He offered me a paid internship for 3 months during the summer at the company’s Northern California location, in the Central Valley. It was a memorable experience.

Working in both microbiology and pathogenic laboratory at Certified Inc. has boosted my knowledge tremendously in the food safety industry. Jas and his team trained me well in pathogenic testing using methods from FDA’s Bacteriological Analytic Manual. By utilizing real- time PCR and Vidas Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) technology, the company is able to deliver accurate results to food companies in a timely manner. It was my pleasure to work with the team. I appreciated their trust and efforts in training me during the past three months. I wish the best for Jas and the company in the future.

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option of allowing workers to get their hours by ensuring they work in an area where they will not potentially contaminate food or packaging materials: cleanup in a finished goods warehouse, for example. It is a policy that each and every company needs to develop and be sure that workers and supervisors are properly trained in.

The next section of the regulation, 21 CFR Part 117.10 (b) states that;

“(b) Cleanliness. All persons working in direct contact with food, food-contact surfaces, and food-packaging materials must conform to hygienic practices while on duty to the extent necessary to protect against allergen cross-contact and against contamination of food.“

There are nine elements that are specifically cited under cleanliness. These include garments, personal cleanliness or hygiene, handwashing, jewelry and other items, gloves, hair restraints, storage of clothing and personal items, eating, drinking and smoking in designated areas only, and taking precautions to protect against cross-contamination or cross-contact. The last is really a summary of the previous eight issues and a reminder that there may be other issues that could potentially create problems. Most of these elements are basic common sense and the language is such that food processors have some leeway in how they are managed in their plants. As an example, many companies establish very rigid policies regarding what is worn and how it worn on the production floor. These policies may include smocks, pants, boots, gloves, hair restraints, and even face masks. This may be necessary for a ready-to-eat operation (RTE), but in a carbonated soft drink plant or an operation where the whole operation is in an enclosed system, the operation may allow street clothes. The bottom line is a processor needs to be able to defend its position. If a loose policy on clothing cannot be defended with a well-documented risk assessment, maybe it is time to change directions.

Each of these issues cited under cleanliness is one that can spark debate. The use of hair restraints is one that seems to vary from plant to plant. Some plants have a blanket statement that all hair must be properly contained. This includes moustaches,

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Personal Hygiene in the Food Processing Industryby Richard F. Stier

21 CFR Part 117.10 (a) of the Preventive Controls Regulation reads as follows;

“Disease control. Any person who, by medical examination or supervisory observation, is shown to have, or appears to have, an illness, open lesion, including boils, sores, or infected wounds, or any other abnormal source of microbial contamination by which there is a reasonable possibility of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials becoming contaminated, must be excluded from any operations which may be expected to result in such contamination until the condition is corrected, unless conditions such as open lesions, boils, and infected wounds are adequately covered (e.g., by an impermeable cover). Personnel must be instructed to report such health conditions to their supervisors.”

The bottom line is that we don’t want food plant workers who are sick or injured handling food or food packaging materials. Note that the regulation reads “by medical examination.” That is a nice addendum to the regulation, but in the United States we are forbidden from routinely testing food plant workers (or those working in foodservice or restaurants) for diseases unlike some countries. Doing such testing would be an infringement on the individual’s privacy. In addition, denying employment because of a condition would probably wind up in court. Having had the opportunity to work all over the world, there are countries that mandate that food plant workers be subjected to a battery of tests. These tests include but are not limited to blood tests, fecal samples for pathogens and parasites, tuberculosis tests, chest x-rays, and a general physical. If a worker fails any of the tests, he or she is not allowed to work until they are found to be “cured” of whatever was found. Now, how stringently this is enforced is another matter. So, in the United States, we must rely on supervisors to be sure that people who are sick or have open wounds do not work with food. Part of a company’s orientation should be to inform new employees of this policy and let them know that it is their responsibility to either not come to work when sick or inform their supervisors. The reality is many workers want their hours, so they will try to hide their problems. There is a way around this, however: the regulation “food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials becoming contaminated.” So, supervisors do have an

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