HOT STUFFING

(Things you don't want to miss)

When: May 11-14, 1998

Where: Radisson Inn, Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY

Who: Anyone involved in processing acidified foods (pickled products) must be working under the supervision of someone who has taken the acidified foods section of this school. The regulation is:

The Federal Food & Drug Administration published in the Federal Register, March 16, 1979, Vol. 44, No. 53, a regulation titled, ACIDIFIED FOODS AND LOWACID FOODS IN HERMETICALLY SEALED CONTAINERSMANUFACTURE & PROCESSING. Parts 113.10 and 114.10, Personnel state:

"All operators of retorts, processing systems, and aseptic processing and packaging systems, and container closure inspectors shall be under operating supervision of a person who has attended a school approved by the Commissioner for giving instruction in retort operations, processing systems operations, aseptic processing and packaging systems operations, and container closure inspections, and has been identified by that school as having satisfactorily completed the prescribed course of instruction."

The acidified foods section will be taught on May 11 & 12. The fee for the course is $275 per person and includes text book, lunches, morning coffee and pastry and breaks. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend. The course is held each year at approximately the same time and usually in the same place. There is still time to sign up by calling Judy Anderson at 315-787-2273.

Introducing the NYS

Food Venture Center

Newsletter!

The New York State Food Venture Center (FVC) has been in operation as an extension program of the Department of Food Science and Technology in Geneva, NY, member of the Cornell Institute of Food Science, for almost 10 years. Professor Don Downing, who initiated and really made the FVC happen, formally retired in 1995 but generously committed himself to keep the program going until a new director could be hired. Dr. Downing is still very active as an Emeritus Professor and is always there for advice on issues related to the FVC. In August '97, I was hired as the new director with a 100% extension appointment to dedicate all my time to fulfill the mission, goals and objectives of the Center. The FVC now has two full-time staff, Director Olga Padilla-Zakour, and Extension Support Specialist Judy Anderson, who is an invaluable asset to the program.

Our mission is to promote the establishment of new food processing operations in New York State by assisting entrepreneurial start-up businesses. We do this by facilitating technology transfer, establishing an understanding of the requirements of safe food processing in compliance with current regulations, and guiding parties through licensing and permit procedures. Our specific activities and functions include acting as a Processing Authority to issue schedule process and letters of approval for new products, laboratory analysis to determine critical control points during processing/formulation, processing and packaging recommendations, pilot plant access for trial batches and scale-up (four entrepreneurs have used our pilot plant in the first quarter of '98), delivery of technical information through our databases and libraries, referral service and general telephone consultation.

This year, thanks to a generous start-up fund provided by Dr. Jim Hunter, Director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, we were able to purchase new instrumentation to expand our laboratory: digital pH meter, water activity meter (indicates water available for microbial growth), analytical moisture balance, digital refractometer (to measure Brix or soluble solids in foods), oxygen/carbon dioxide headspace analyzer (for modified atmosphere packaging), recording digital thermometers (for temperature control during processing), and a benchtop heat sealer for plastic cups/aluminum foil lids.

As an extension program, we provide outreach and educational opportunities through workshops, seminars, pilot plant demonstrations and publications. For example, the Better Process Control School is offered every year to manufacturers of low acid and acidified canned foods.

We felt that a newsletter was needed to keep everybody informed of our activities and the services we offer, and to include some technical information that could be useful. This is our first try at this newsletter, so with us. We need your feedback to make this newsletter of real value to you. We plan to have a feature article on a specific topic, a profile on people we should know more about, a food safety section, technical information on ingredients and processing/packaging techniques, and important news regarding regulations and events. Our next issue will be in the summer, which gives you plenty of time to contact us with your ideas.

We thank all the people who have worked with us in the past and encourage each of you to use the services of the FVC. We are here to help and, in many cases, learn together.

by Olga Padilla-Zakour
Directory, FVC