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Food Science @ Geneva

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News from, the Director!

We have prepared a variety of articles covering technical topics such as sanitizers, pH meters and preservatives. You will also find a section on useful business websites, our entrepreneurial profile, nutrition labeling information, and a few short pieces on trends and events. We have included a page dedicated to the Small Scale Food Processors Association. We are supporters of their efforts and will carry the associationãs news until the group formalizes a separate newsletter or other form of communication.

IFT Meeting Highlights

The IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo was held in Atlanta, GA, from June 21-24. This yearãs Expo included more than 2,400 exhibit booths displaying the latest in food products, ingredients, equipment, processes, and services.

The technical sessions covered important topics such as emerging foodborne pathogens and food safety technologies, ensuring the safety of fresh produce, nutraceuticals (foods or food-related substances of potential medicinal or health benefit), product development, agricultural biotechnology, and active packaging. Other areas of emphasis included alcohol and health, dairy foods, home meal replacement, and global food laws and regulations.

As part of our continuous effort to update and strengthen our knowledge, Judy and I had the opportunity to attend some of the technical presentations. We also walked the Expo floor where we collected information from manufacturers and suppliers to better assist entrepreneurs.

We were very proud of Cornellãs Product Development Team, a group of undergraduate and graduate students that won first prize at the IFT Student Association Product Development Competition. The team developed ³Wrapidos,² refrigerated flour tortillas sealed on the sides and bottom, and coated with a moisture barrier on the inside to prevent leakage of the wet stuffing. Cornell students have participated in this competition four years in a row, winning first prize on three occasions and second prize on the other. This is really an incredible achievement for our students!

If you want to look for specific information, the Food Expo Exhibit Directory and the Book of Abstracts from this yearãs IFT Meeting are available in our library.

Opportunities to Improve Your Business Skills

Cornellãs Department of Agricultural, Resources, and Managerial Economics (ARME) is providing leadership for this nationally recognized training program for entrepreneurs under the direction of Charles Schlough (e-mail: cas30@cornell.edu; phone 607-255-8047). Judy and I attended a one-day workshop on July 29 to become certified ³FastTrac® Administrators.² This enables us to work with FastTrac® Instructors to offer training programs to entrepreneurs wishing to develop business skills. FastTrac® offers two courses:

• Defining and Launching Your Venture ­ a 9-week program (3 hours once a week) for start-up entrepreneurs to help evaluate and design a business concept. Each person ends with a blueprint to successfully launch his/her business.
• Growing Your Business ­ an 11-week program for business owners. Focuses on improving business operations from developing an effective management team to formulating budgets and planning for growth. Each person writes a viable business plan. We are in the process of organizing and developing the partnership to become a training site.

Stay alert for future announcements in order to take advantage of these training opportunities. The fees are usually between $300 to $400 for each course, in addition to substantial time commitment from the entrepreneur. Previous graduates (and statistics) indicate the programs pay for themselves based on business results.

by Olga Padilla-Zakour
Directory, FVC