2011 News and Events Archive Frank Busta Appointed Institute of Medicine Food Forum Chair (12/29/2011) Frank Busta, National Center for Food Protection and Defense Director Emeritus, and FScN Professor Emeritus, has been invited to serve as chair of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Food Forum. The Food Forum convenes scientists, administrators, and policymakers from academia, government, industry, and public sectors on an ongoing basis to discuss problems and issues related to food, food safety, and regulation and to identify possible approaches for addressing those problems and issues. Congratulations to Frank! Why do we like some flavors and not others? FScN Flavor center seeks answers (12/21/2011) Introduction to Food Chemistry Short Course September 24-26, 2013

Registration Course Agenda Course Instructors Course Flier

The University of Minnesota, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, is pleased to announce that we will be offering an “Introduction to Food Chemistry” short course. The course will be held Sep 24-26, 2013 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. The early  bird  registration  fee  is  $875 (if registered on or before September 1st) and $925  after  September  1st. The fee covers the course materials (binder, notes); food and beverages (breakfast, lunch, and breaks), and parking (all three days). The course will be hosted in Room  156 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of Minnesota-St. Paul Campus, 1890 Buford Ave St. Paul, MN 55108. This course is intended to be an introduction to food chemistry for those who are working in any aspect of the food industry but have not had any formal training in food chemistry. We will cover basic food chemistry principles and other topics such as the functionality of food ingredients in product development, manufacturing and storage; functional foods or food

ingredients; and the primary reactions in foods that lead to changes in functional, nutritional and flavor qualities during processing and storage. Numerous examples will be presented to give the course an applied nature. Please direct your questions to Dr. Baraem (Pam) Ismail, bismailm@umn.edu FScN Welcomes Dorit Hafner (12/05/2011) FScN welcomes Dorit Hafner, our new Administrative Director! Dorit was the Administrative Professional in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering for 11 years prior to coming to the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. Congratulations to Hongshun Yang (11/12/2011) There are significant inconsistencies in global recommendations of fruit and vegetable (F&V) servings due to lack of scientific understanding and standardization. In July, PepsiCo launched a research competition in the field of F&V nutrition aimed at graduates and post doctoral researchers at universities throughout the world who are actively involved in F&V research. In addition to finding innovative approaches to the important research question -- "define a serving of fruit and vegetables" -- the call for proposals was an opportunity to build new relationships with researchers. Nearly half of the 40 top universities in more than 15 countries who were contacted submitted proposals. The overall winner was Hongshun Yang from the University of Minnesota in the U.S., who will receive $40,000 for his research proposal entitled, "Determination of the serving amount of differently processed fruit and vegetables based on their phytochemical content and antioxidant activity." Hongshun is a PhD candidate working for Prof. Francisco Diez. Four other finalists will be awarded $2,000:

• Junping Xin, Chicago Association for Research in Education and Science, U.S.

• Rohini Vishwanathan, Tufts University, U.S. • Giuliana Noratto, Texas A&M University, U.S. • Palmira Valderas Martínez, University of Barcelona, Spain

Congratulations to Ted Labuza (10/20/2011) Professor Ted Labuza was awarded $500,000 by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for a proposal on using

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy A 1331 under the Food Safety Initiative. The project focuses on rapid detection methods for pesticides on fresh produce, in the field and on line in a plant. The proposal was ranked the #1 proposal in food safety (total submitted ~56) and was fully funded at $500,000. The co-collaborators on the grant are Dr Lili He, a research associate in Ted's lab; Dr Christy Haynes, McKnight Associate Professor of Chemistry (UMN); and Dr Sri Sreevatsan, Professor in Veterinarian Population Medicine (UMN). This grant follows additional funding received in September (also from NIFA) which focused on using low molecular weight dextrans to stabilize bioactive peptides (eg a whey fraction that helps lower blood pressure) during digestion. This proposal was also a collaborative effort with Dr. Qinchun Rao (Ted's lab) and Dr Baream Ismail Assistant Professor of Food Chemistry (UMN). Both grants will begin in early January. Prof. Labuza's total funding this year is approx. $1.5 M including instrument donations! Congratulations! Congratulations to Alumnus Leonard Bell (10/20/2011) Alumnus Leonard Bell, who earned a Ph D with Prof. Ted Labuza in 1992, received Auburn University's highest teaching award the week of October 10th. The award was Auburn's 'Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching'. Leonard states that not only did Ted "mentor research aptitude, but also quality teaching. Thanks for setting an example that helped shape my academic career." The following video was shown at the award ceremony (youtube link). Join us in Celebrating Geri Skogen's New Career! After many years in the Food Science and Nutrition department, Geri Skogen, Assistant to the Department Head, is retiring. Come join us in celebrating her service! We'll have light hors d'oeuvres, beverages and entertainment. Please RSVP for the event.

Date: Monday, November 14 Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m

Location: "Minnesota Commons" St. Paul Student Center (1st Floor) University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Campus Please direct any and all gifts to one of the FScN named faculty scholarships:

• Professor Eugenia Davis Memorial Scholarship - Fund 4213 • Joan Gordon Memorial Food Chemistry Fellowship - Fund 1307 • The Louise Mullan Scholarship in Nutrition - Fund 4654 • Warthesen 21st Century Fellowship Fund - Fund 6601 • McKay Food Microbiology Graduate Student Research Fellowship -

Fund 7842 Make checks payable to the University of Minnesota Foundation or give online. 2012 FScN Advisory Council Meeting Come practice your soft skills - Join us for the 2012 FScN Advisory Council Meeting! Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Continuing Education and Conference Center, Rm 156 YOUR input helps us to be a better department - whether its preparing students for the workforce or creating research contracts that are realistic. This year's annual advisory council meeting will discuss our up and coming soft skills program, progress on research contracts and development programs in the department. We're also continuing the popular "get to know" section that features U of M faculty and food companies. Although there is no event fee, we ask that you register prior to attending. Register Here Agenda (.doc) The Continuing Education and Conference Center is located at 1890 Buford Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108. Researchers discover natural preservative that kills foodborne bacteria (08/11/2011) University of Minnesota researchers have discovered and received a patent for a naturally occurring lantibiotic—a peptide produced by a harmless bacteria—that could be added to food to kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and listeria.

The lantibiotic is the first natural preservative found to kill gram-negative bacteria, typically the harmful kind. “It’s aimed at protecting foods from a broad range of bugs that cause disease,” said Dan O’Sullivan, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota. “Of the natural preservatives, it has a broader umbrella of bugs that it can protect against.” The lantibiotic could be used to prevent harmful bacteria in meats, processed cheeses, egg and dairy products, canned foods, seafood, salad dressing, fermented beverages, and many other foods. In addition to food safety benefits, lantibiotics are easy to digest, nontoxic, do not induce allergies, and are difficult for dangerous bacteria to develop resistance against. O’Sullivan discovered the lantibiotic by chance, while researching the genome of bacteria. He then collaborated with Ju-Hoon Lee, a U of M graduate student, to continue the research. The U of M’s Office for Technology Commercialization is currently seeking a licensee for the technology. Congratulations to Ed Zottola

On August 3, 2011, Ed Zottola (Dr. Z) received the 2011 the Grocery Manufactures Association Award. It stated "In recognition of outstanding contributions to Food Safety Research and Education." The award was presented to him at the 100th Anniversary of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) meeting in Milwaukee, WI. Dr. Zottola became interested in the manufacture of foods from milk when he was 10 years old, working at his Father's cheese factory in Grants Pass, Oregon. In his teens he worked with his Father in the

manufacturing and selling of ice cream and processing milk and milk products. After High School he continued this work while attending Oregon State College, where he graduated and went on to earn his Master of Science degree. Next stop was at the University of Minnesota in the Dairy Foods department where he received his PhD in 1964. After a couple years working in the industry, Dr. Z joined the faculty of the Food Science and Nutrition program at the University of Minnesota. His first appointment was that of Extension Food Microbiologist. His activities

included visiting and educating food processing plants in Minnesota as well as working with the Home Economics groups in state and county extension programs. During his time there he authored 30 Extension publications related to food safety, which were distributed by the Extension Service in the USA and other countries. His “Red Dot” series of 4 extension bulletins on food poisoning were presided by many. Approximately 100,000 of these bulletins were distributed by the MN Extension Service. In 1984 he changed jobs in the department now called "Food Science and Nutrition" to that of a research and teaching position. This change made it possible for him to do research to try to explain many of his observations while he was an extension specialist. He retained this position until his retirement in 1997. In the 13 years that he had this position he graduated 48 graduate students, 15 PhD degrees, 30 MS degrees and 3 M of Ag degrees. He managed a 2 million dollar research program and published 130 articles in scientific journals. His graduate students have presented 125 research papers in scientific meetings, and have given invited lectures in 10 other states as well as in Europe and South America. Dr. Z currently resides on the shores of Lake Vermilion close to Cook, MN with his wife Marsha. In 2008, he published the children’s book, Willie Walleye Underwater Adventure. The book became a popular with all ages. Over 1800 copies were sold the first year it was available. The Zottola’s enjoy bird watching, fishing, and pontoon boat rides with the grand kids on the most beautiful lake in Minnesota. The GMA Food Safety Award honors an individual, a group, or an organization for preeminence in and outstanding contributions to the field of food safety. The award alternates between individuals and groups/organizations and will be presented in 2011 to an individual for a highly significant food safety development or in recognition of a long history of outstanding contributions to food safety. The Award consists of a plaque and a $3,000 honorarium sponsored by the GMA. IFT Annual EXPO Minnesota Mixer (Hilton Headquarters Hotel, Monday June 13. 5-7 pm)

This is the first year we had an early evening mixer as opposed to the traditional morning breakfast. Thirty three people attended the event which is substantially more than have had attend the breakfast in the past. The mixer provided a great opportunity for graduates and faculty to get

together. We will be continuing to have an early evening mixer at IFT in the future so please check the IFT meeting registration site for time and location. We would love to have you there!

IFTSA

The University of Minnesota Food Science & Nutrition Club was awarded the IFTSA Most Improved Chapter of the Year at the Student Assemble held on Monday, June 13th in New Orleans at the 2011 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. This award is given to the chapter that has demonstrated the largest increase in scores compared to the previous year's 'Chapter Of The Year' entry. Scores are based on chapter’s active participation at the local and national level of IFT while best displaying IFTSA’s principles and values. This award was created by IFTSA in order to help promote Food Science, encourage leadership and organization, and to support the IFTSA strategic plan. With the honor of ‘Most Improved Chapter’ the U of MN received a certificate and $200 cash reward. Congratulations to the U of MN Food Science & Nutrition Club.

IFTSA-Product Development

Our Developing Solutions for Developing Countries product development team was a finalist in the IFTSA National competition. They placed 2nd in the domestic category with their product Nkwa Brodo which means ‘Bread that gives life’ in Ghana’s principle native language. Nkwa Brodo was designed as a convenient, nutrient dense and easily stored product for mothers and their children in rural Northern Ghana and is a flat-bread composed of fermented sorghum and cassava flour, ground ginger and added reduced iron. Cornell University finished first with Mandimais and Rutgers finished third with Galletas Fortaleza. The team members were Abena Opokua, Zhe Hou, Wing Yu Lam, Laura Nelson and Kirsten Ruud. Great showing - Congratulations to all of you!

IFTSA-College Bowl

Our college bowl team made it to IFTSA finals defeating the University of Wisconsin (Madison), Iowa State, South Dakota State, North Dakota State and University of Wisconsin (River Falls) in regionals. The national competition finals took place on Monday night at the 26th Annual College Bowl Competition (Hilton Riverside) from 8 pm - 11

pm. While our team was eliminated in their third round by University of Clemson (South Carolina), they did a great job making it to the finals. Congratulations!

Labuza ICEF Award (06/01/2011) Congratulations Ted Labuza! Dr. Ted Labuza, Professor of Food Science and Engineering in the Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition received the Life Achievement in Food Engineering from the International Association for Engineering and Food on May 22, 2011. For the full story please click here.

Congratulations to Lauren Beckman and Catrin Tyl (05/25/2011) Lauren Beckman and Catrin Tyl were both awarded the prestigious 2011-12 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Award. Lauren Beckman is a doctoral student with Carrie Earthman, PhD, RD, LD and Catrin Tyl is a doctoral student with Murko Bunzel PhD. This fellowship is intended to enable Ph.D. candidates of particular promise to devote full-time effort to the research and writing of the dissertation during 2011-12.

Spring FScN Newsletter Available (05/18/2011)

MN-IFT Hosts Student Recognition Night On April 26th, the Minnesota Section of the Institute of Food Technologists (MN-IFT) held their annual Student Recognition Night at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, MN. The evening program began with a social hour featuring the Minnesota Academy of Science State Fair Award winners. Following the reception and dinner, scholarships were awarded in the Undergraduate ($1000), Graduate ($1000), Travel Award ($275) and Elwood Caldwell Scholarship for Volunteer service ($2250) categories. Following the awards, MN-IFT Chair Elect Naomi Sundalius presented the National IFT Foundation Education Fund with a check for $4426 from the MN IFT Silent Auction Fundraiser. Cargill's Corporate Vice President, Chris Mallet, also presented the National IFT Foundation with a check for $2000. The evening concluded with a spirited "mock" college bowl competition of U of MN student team vs. industry.

Congratulations to All! Pictured top right: Elwood Caldwell Scholarship Award for Volunteer Service, Bridget McClatchey, University of Minnesota Pictured center: Travel Award Recipients (left to right), Zhe Hou (U-MN), Sarah Gutkowski (U-MN), Abena Opoku (U-MN), Courtney Simons (NDSU), Katie Koecher (U-MN), Melinda Karalus (U-MN), Qian Wang (U-MN) and Rachel Kyllo (U-MN) Pictured bottom right: Undergraduate Recipients (left to right), Sarah Gutkowski (U-MN), Fangliang Shi (NDSU) Graduate scholarship recipients (not pictured): Courtney Simons (NDSU), Jeffery Grummer (U-MN), Katie Koecher (U-MN), Melinda Karalus (U-MN), Rachel Kyllo (U-MN), and Wilfredo Dominguez (U-MN)

Congratulations to Jodi Nelson Congratulations to Jodi Nelson! On Tuesday, April 12th, Jodi was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award by the CFANS Alumni Society. The award was presented to her at the 5th Annual Borealis Night of Excellence and an excerpt of her accomplishments is below; Jodi is a special alumn and staff member in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. She graduated with a Food Science and Technology degree in 1991. She is often the face of the department and the college while serving dairy products at University of

Minnesota pre-game events for Gopher football, open houses at the college’s Research and Outreach Centers and assisting with networking events and tours throughout the year. Jodi is a very dedicated and hard working who is always willing to roll up her sleeves to help out wherever needed. She gives of her time both professionally and personally.In the Food Science and Nutrition Department Jodi has been an important component of providing assistance to teaching and with the operations of the J.J. Warthesen Food Processing Plant. She is often helping faculty and graduate students with their teaching and research. In addition, the pilot plant benefits from Jodi’s expertise and time through hosting companies that use the equipment and providing guidance and support to them along the way. She has been gracious of giving of her time for personal tours of the pilot plant. We are thankful for all of her hard work and the quality dairy products that are made available to the college and community. In addition to the CFANS Alumni Society award, Jodi will also receive a 2010-2011 CFANS Faculty and Staff award at the college assembly on Tuesday, May 10th! The awards presentation will be presented as the first item covered in the assembly at the Cargill Building, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and Jodi will receive the "Civil Service/Bargaining Unit: Scientific/Technical" award for those who have made a significant contribution to the goal of the college!

FScN welcomes Ed Smith (04/19/2011) FSCN welcomes Ed Smith, new Jr. Scientist working with Dr. Kurzer on the analytical portion of the Green Tea project. Ed has a B.S. degree in Chemistry, and previously worked at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. He started here on April 4th and can be found in FScN room #10 or reached at 5-8292.

Developing Solutions for Developing Countries IFTSA Team Makes Finals (04/19/11) Congratulations to this year’s Developing Solutions for Developing Countries (DSDC) Institute of Food Technology-Student Association (IFTSA) product development team! The 2011 DSDC theme is to utilize food science and technology to address the issue of iron deficiency in developing countries. Our student team, Zhe Hou, Wing Yu Lam, Kirsten Ruud, Laura Nelson, and Abena Opokua Opoku developed Nkwa Brodo which means ‘Bread that gives life’ in Ghana’s principle native language. Nkwa Brodo was designed as a convenient, nutrient dense and easily stored product for mothers and their children in rural Northern Ghana and is a flat-bread composed of fermented sorghum and cassava flour, ground ginger and added reduced iron. The team's preliminary proposal submission was in the top 3 of 28 entries, with the top six finalists competing at the national IFT meeting in New Orleans (June 11-14th). The other finalists included Cornell University, Mandimais; Rutgers University, Galletas Fortalez; Brawijaya University, Instant Noodle; Gadjah Mada University, Soy rice porridge; and the Institute of Chemical Technology, Ferro-Power. FScN Faculty and Alumni Elected IFT Fellows Election as an Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Fellow is a unique professional distinction conferred for outstanding and extraordinary contributions in the field of food science and technology. The IFT Fellow designation is an honor bestowed upon an IFT member by their peers, recognizing exemplary professionalism in the field of food science. The nominee must be a Professional Member of IFT and have been in active practice of the profession for at least 15 years. In a given year, no more than 0.3 percent of the professional membership is eligible, and even fewer than that will earn this honor. Congratulations to Professor Zata Vickers, Sheri Schellhaass and Bernhard van Lengerich for being elected 2011 Fellows! Zata Vickers, Professor, University of Minnesota Zata was honored for her research on the sounds of crispness and

crunchiness, and on the liking, choice, and consumption of foods, and for her dedicated teaching and mentoring of sensory science students. Vickers has conducted extensive research on sensory-related issues, including the role of sound in the perception of crispness and crunchiness, odor aversions in cancer patients, the role of sweetness in the long-term acceptability and choice of beverages, sensory and rheological aspects of products for people with dysphagia, factors affecting consumption of whole-grain breads, and sensory issues related to space travel. She has been actively involved in IFT since 1973, working with the Sensory and Consumer Science Division, International Division, Committee for Global Issues, and the Annual Meeting Scientific Program. Sheri Schellhaass, Vice President Research & Development, General Mills, Inc., FScN Alumnus (PhD, 1983) Sheri was recognized for her achievements in the food industry, her dedication to IFT and students, and her involvement in helping the people of Malawi. Schellhaass’s expertise in cereals, dairy, and health led to her research on the health benefits of whole grain that resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowing health claims for whole grain. She has helped develop more than 500 new consumer products, contributing to the health and wellness of the American consumer. To inspire students to pursue science, math, and engineering, Schellhaass has supported science fairs, mentored students, and served on educational advisory boards. She and her team investigated the root causes of hunger in Malawi and consulted with local officials about the best way to help. An active member of IFT since 1973, Schellhaass served as IFT President from 2009 to 2010. Bernhard van Lengerich, Chief Science Officer and Vice President, Technology Strategy, General Mills, Inc., FScN Adjunct Faculty Bernhard was recognized for outstanding contributions in the advancement of food science and technology by developing and commercializing innovative new processes internationally, particularly in the field of extrusion technology. van Lengerich is an active promoter of industrial research and development and has demonstrated bottom-line value that investments in research can offer companies. His work has brought technologies to market through development of new products, new ingredients, more efficient processes, and new equipment designs for multi-national consumer food product companies and machinery manufacturers. He is proud having been part of a multi functional team that reformulated and converted all of General Mills’ ready-to-eat cereals to contain whole grain, a $2.5 billion business. He has been an IFT member since 1985.

Congratulations to Experimental Biology Participants The 2011 Experimental Biology annual meeting was held on April 8-13th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. A multidisciplinary scientific meeting, Experimental Biology consists of the American Association of Anatomists, the American Physiological Society, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Society for Investigative Pathology, the American Society for Nutrition and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. This year’s meeting “Today’s Research: Tomorrow’s Healthy” was attended by over 10,000 people and consisted of poster sessions, oral sessions/symposiums, exhibits and more. The Food Science and Nutrition Department had a great presence at the meeting with over 20 total posters and oral sessions presented by students, staff and faculty during the conference! In addition to current affiliates, the conference was a place to connect with FScN alums! Congratulations to everyone who at presented and participated in the meeting!

Pictured top right: Michelle Diedrick, "The effect of fiber ingredients on satiety and food intake: a systematic review" M.J. Diedrick, K. Greaves and J.L. Slavin. Pictured bottom left: Huifen Wang, "The PPAR gamma Pro12Ala polymorphism and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to inflammation" H. Wang, L.M. Steffen, D. Mashek

and M. Gross Check out the Spring FScN newsletter (coming mid May) for further FScN involvement!

Congratulations College Bowl Team

Please join us in congratulating our college bowl team (Maggie Byro, Rachel Kyllo, Andrea Tremaine, Jeff Grummer, Matt Chick, Laura Nelson, Kirsten Ruud, and Ashley Adamski). They did a spectacular job this past Saturday and won the college bowl competition against Wisconsin Madison, Iowa State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin River Falls. They will be competing at IFT in June with five other University teams. Go Gophers!

Introduction to Food Chemistry Course Offered March 29-31st, 2011 Congratulations to Peng Zhou (01/03/11) Dr. Peng Zhou, former Post Doctoral Associate with Prof. Ted Labuza, and current Adjunct Assistant Professor here in Food Science and Nutrition, has been promoted to the position of Associate Dean at the College of Food Science and Technology at Jiangnan University.