Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
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| Faculty:Susan Duncan, Dairy and Sensory
Evaluation
Expertise Areas: Dairy product processing and quality, sensory evaluation Phone:(540) 231-8675 Fax: (540) 231-9293 Email:duncans@vt.edu Bill Eigel, Food BiochemistryExpertise Areas: Laboratory quality control, lab analytical techniques (non-microbial) Phone: (540) 231-6877 Fax: (540) 231-9293 Email: weigel@vt.edu Joe Marcy: Food Processing Expertise Areas: Juice Processing, packaging and aseptics Phone:(540) 231-7850 Fax: (540) 231-9293 Email: jmarcy@vt.edu Merle
Pierson:
Food Microbiology Expertise
Areas: HACCP,
Dairy microbiology, Regulatory Phone: (540) 231-8641 Fax:
(540) 231-9293 Email:
piersonm@vt.edu Sean
O’Keefe:
Food Chemistry Expertise
Areas: Product
Development Phone:
(540) 231-2075 Fax:
(540) 231-9293
Susan Sumner: Food Safety Expertise Areas: Dairy microbiology, food safety, lactic acid bacteria, shelf-life and HACCP Phone: (540) 231-5280 Fax: (540) 231-9293 Email:sumners@vt.edu Dairy Staff: Walter Hartman: Dairy Plant Manager whartman@vt.edu Kim Waterman: Dairy Chemistry Kwater@vt.edu |
updates
at virginia tech 18 th Annual VA Dairy Quality Control Conference Mark your calendars and plan to attend the VA Dairy Quality Control Conference on Tuesday, September 14 th . This year the event will be held at the brand new Alphin-Stuart Livestock Teaching Arena at VA Tech. Topics include bioactives, dairy foods and weight control, preventing fat losses in dairy operations, sensory issues and plastics, farm food safety survey results, plus much more. The traditional shrimp boil and barbeque will follow. A silent auction will also be held. Brochures will be mailed within the next week. If you're not on the mailing list, but would like to attend or if you have any questions please call Terry Rakestraw at (540)231-6805 or email at rakestra@vt.edu. VA Tech Hosts Governor's School for Agriculture Ninety-three junior and senior high school students from across the Commonwealth participated in the 2004 Governor's School for Agriculture, held at VA Tech from July 4-31 st . Fifteen students were assigned to the Food Science and Technology “major”, based on the interests of the students. As part of the major, they completed specialized courses designed to provide Food Science-specific instruction. The 15 students were divided into 4 groups. Each group undertook a research project that culminated in a symposium and poster session on the last day of school. Students were also responsible for designing a website and a brochure containing their research findings. Research projects included: Evaluation of crispness in retail pickle brands; Investigation of whey protein films on peanuts to prevent oxidation; Investigation of species (beef, lamb, poultry, pork) influence on properties of processed meat products; Fine scale measurement of cucumbers and pears to determine surface area available for bacterial attachment. The Governor's School for Agriculture was established in 2001 as a one-month summer residential program for gifted students interested in agriculture and natural resources. The school's mission is to provide hands-on, cutting edge, scientific and academic instruction to future leaders and scientists to develop their understanding of the scope, opportunities, and challenges through academic and scientific rigor in the fields of agriculture, human health, natural resources, and natural sciences. HOT TOPICS AND DAIRY ISSUES Wholesale Milk Prices Fall Last month's issue of Dairy Facts reported the increased milk price that hit U.S. producers this spring. Now it appears that farm-level milk prices have dropped for the second consecutive month, down 25% since June. Dairy farmers are worried that prices will return to the 20-year lows of 2003. The Virginia Milk Commission set the wholesale price paid to dairy farmers at $1.70/gallon for August, down from $1.89 in July and $2.24 in June for class I fluid milk. Prices for other milk products, including cheese, butterfat and powdered milk –which sell for less- also were down. Milk prices were at a 20-year low 1 ½ years ago, then they skyrocketed to an all-time high. In June U.S. consumers paid an average of $3.57/gallon of milk. Dairy farmers leaving the business and lack of heifers available from Canada created a milk shortage, which was partly responsible for the high prices. Now prices are on the downswing, but it is uncertain when the falling prices will begin to influence the price of a gallon of milk at the local grocery store. Dairy farmers believe that they unfairly took the wrap for high prices, when it actually took 2 months for the high retail prices to translate into higher wholesale prices. The small increase in wholesale prices paid to them lasted only a month or two. Melvin and Thad Montgomery, who own a dairy farm in Burnt Chimney, said profits are being eaten up by processing and distributing companies who let consumers believe that the dairy farmers are driving up prices. Because wholesale prices have fallen more than 50 cents, consumers should soon be buying milk for 50 cents less, Montgomery said; but they probably won't. The previous decline in prices caused many small Franklin County dairy farmers to quit the business. Dairy producers in the county numbered about 130 in the early 1990s. Today there are around 70.
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