Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The twenty-ninth annual meeting of NC-136 was held at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center, Gainesville, Florida, during October 12-14, 2003. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Gustavo Barbosa-Cánovas (Washington) and hosted by Dr. Art Teixeira (Florida).


The participants started arriving on Sunday (10/12/03) afternoon. A general meeting was held in the Hilton Conference Center to discuss the make up of the Re-Write Committee. A few ad-hoc committees held their meetings also.


The formal meeting started in Rogers Hall, University of Florida, at 8:00 am on Monday 10/13/03. Assistant Dean Dr. William Brown welcomed everyone and invited the attendees to use multi-state research collaborations as a framework for collaborative grant application. Dr. Ian Gray addressed the attendees stressing the importance of focusing on the re-writing of the NC-136 project, which will terminate as of September 20, 2005. Dr. Hongda Chen (USDA/CSREES) shared information regarding funding under the NRICFP, and suggested the NC-136 committee should be nominated for the USDA secretarys award. Dr. Richard Hartel (Wisconsin) talked about a survey he sent on Food Engineering options at various institutes. Ad-hoc committee reports were presented. Discussion regarding the composition of the re-write committee and the vision for the future of NC-136 was conducted. Station reports were presented during the afternoon of Monday 13 continuing the morning of Tuesday 14.


Ad-hoc committees meeting and presenting reports: Calibration fluids committee (Karwe); Gels committee (Castell); DSC committee (Wilson for Kaletunc); Modeling committee (Datta); Fried oil quality committee ( Mallikarjunan); viscometers past committee (Daubert); Process-enhanced nutraceuticals committee (Heldman).

The following are the potential accomplishments and impacts based upon completion or on-going collaborative work:


*Brookfield has developed a yield stress rheometer (wire) based on the work done by the NC-136 ad-hoc committee on viscometers.


*Protocols to implement Pulsed Electric Fields technology at industrial level have been developed and close interaction with industrial partners has been established. A PEF consortium has been established between members of NC-136 (OH) and important industrial partners (General Mills, Kraft, Ameriqual, American Electric Power, Diversified Technologies Inc., Dei Fratelli, and Tetra Pak)


*Two new industrial members (Ocean Beauty Seafoods and Truitt Brothers) were incorporated to a microwave sterilization consortium formed by NC-136 members (WA) and Kraft Foods, Hormel Foods, Marsterfoods, Ferrite Components, Graphic Packaging, Rexam Containers, and the US Army Natick Soldier Center.


*A Pilot-Scale microwave sterilization system for fast and uniform heating was developed (patent pending).


* NC-136 members from the National Center for Food Science and Technology, Ohio State University, Virginia Technology Institute, and Washington State University were fully involved in the development of a High Hydrostatic Pressure Sterilization method which will have tremendous impact on the way food will be preserved in the future ensuring longer shelf life and improved quality.


*Several members of NC-136 committee were involved in the creation of the International Society of Food Engineers (ISFE) endorsed by IUFoST in 2003, with the purpose to facilitate the international interaction of Food Engineers around the globe.


*Members of NC-136 (WA) organized a symposium in collaboration with NASA for the 2003 annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologist with the topic ?An advanced food system for long duration space missions?.


*Interaction between Fluent Inc. and NC-136 members (NY-Ithaca) led to the conception of a symposium entitled ?Computer aided engineering to enhance food product, process and equipment design? at the 2003 annual IFT meeting.


*The Calibration fluids ad-hoc committee achieved its objectives and it is writing a paper on the results obtained by the committee.


*Interaction between Silliker Inc. and NC-136 members (IA) led to the creation of a symposium entitled ?The identity preservation process in a global environment? at the 2003 annual IFT meeting.


*A process to manufacture additive-free yogurt with the use of High Hydrostatic Pressure was developed by members of the group (patent pending).


*Interaction between Baxter Healthcare Corp. and NC-136 members (FL) led to the creation of a symposium entitled ?Inactivation of bacterial spores: Microbiological concepts and mathematical modeling? at the 2003 annual IFT meeting.


*Organization of an IFT symposium on ?Pulsed electric fields: An update? by OH and WA stations for 2003 annual meeting.


*The need for a current publication discussing relevant details regarding the engineering, science and technology of food powders was identified by NC-136 resulting on a book on Food Powder Technology authored by a member of the group (WA).


*Production of extended-shelf-life milk and dairy products is now possible through the use of novel technologies by members of the group (OH, OR, WA).


*Organization of an IFT symposium on ?Applications of calorimetry in food and biological materials? by OH and WI stations for the 2003 annual meeting.


*Development of a multipurpose fruit and vegetable processor for NASA?s advanced life support by members of NC-136 (CA).


*Members of NC-136 (ID) station developed an NMR pulse sequence, which allows imaging of moisture profiles in pasta in the range of 10 to more than 50%. The methods previously published in literature allow imaging of moisture profiles only when the initial moisture content is greater than 60%. The developed method can also be applied to other food materials.

*NC-136 has been recognized widely as a sound body representing food engineers and the industry uses it as a reference.


*Organization of an IFT symposium on ?Recent advances in science and technology of soy foods? by IA and ND stations for the 2003 annual meeting.


*Lester Wilson (IA) was selected as a NASA Faculty Fellow at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX for summer 2003.


*Successful interaction between NASA and members of NC-136 (IA) has been established to investigate ways of predicting finished product quality from raw soybean characteristics, develop specifications and standards, develop rapid methods to control processes, develop and apply methods to ensure food quality and safety, evaluate new soymilk and tofu processing methods, and examine the utilization of soy foods as ingredients to make more healthful and consumer-acceptable foods.


*Cooperation between NC-136 and NASA led to the generation of a comprehensive internal report identifying so called Technical Readiness Level (TRL) for conventional and novel food processing technologies to be employed on the manufacture of food products intended for outer space missions.


*NC-136 members (ID) developed sorption and drying strategies, which allow for conditioning and drying of pasta with minimum stress cracks.


*Interaction between members of NC-136 (WA) and the Combat Ration Network (CORANET) studying the modification of traditional thermal methods to process egg, egg-based products, and heat-sensitive products have yielded products with longer shelf life and enhanced palatability.


*G.V. Barbosa-Cánovas (WA) was named fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists. Such distinction is only conferred to ?individuals with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience, granted based on their overall contributions in the field of food science and technology?.


*R.P. Singh (CA) was recognized in an article entitled ?Hail to the Innovators? in the September 2003 issue of Food Engineering as one of 26 ?innovators? living and dead, who, ?trough scientific research, engineering, entrepreneurial energy and bold endeavors? have left their mark on the food industry.


*M.A. Rao (NY-Geneva) was recognized as the Distinguished Food Engineer of the year by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) which awarded him with the IAFIS-FPEI Food Engineering Award 2003. This award is to honor those who have made engineering contributions in research, development or design of food processes significant to the food industry; or in outstanding leadership, management or education to advance the food engineering profession.