Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
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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 Biochemistry Expertise 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 Sean
O’Keefe:
Food Chemistry Expertise
Areas: Product
development 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 Phone: (540) 231-3037 Kim Waterman: Dairy Chemistry Phone: (540) 231-6325 Joell Eifert: Microbiology Phone: (540) 231-8697
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UPDATES AT VIRGINIA TECH Where Are They Now? Profile: Quoc Tra – A VA Tech FST Alumnus Quoc Tra graduated from VA Tech in 1998 at the age of 21 with a B.S. in Food Science and Technology and a minor in Chemistry. He's been very busy in the 7 years since he graduated. His first job after college was as Dairy Pilot Plant Technologist for Universal Flavors in Fenton , MO. There he created flavor bases and variegates, primarily for ice cream/sherbet/water ices. Universal Flavors changed its name to Sensient Flavors and later shut down the Fenton facility. In 2001, Quoc accepted a job offer in California with Ice Cream Partners (a joint venture between Pillsbury and Nestlé). His main reason for accepting this offer rather than the others was because, for him, CA was a new area to explore and because he figured CA had the best ice cream in the country. General Mills eventually purchased Pillsbury, which gave Nestlé the right to buy out the other portion of the partnership. At this point the company became the Nestlé Ice Cream Company. Then, in 2003, Nestlé gave all assets of the Nestlé Ice Cream Company to Dreyer's. Quoc assisted with the transfer of technology from Pillsbury to Nestlé during the buyout. Currently, his primary focus is new product development. He works with marketing to commercialize retail, impulse and food service frozen products. He was instrumental in the development of Dreyer's best selling new product, the New Push Up ice cream (containing mint chips, cookies, cream and chocolate). How did the training he received at VA Tech help him succeed in his career choice? He wanted a corporate position, and these days those jobs require a Bachelor's degree, minimum. Involvement in university clubs and extracurricular activities is a definite resume enhancer. As an undergraduate, Quoc was an active member of VA Tech's Department of Food Science Dairy Products Evaluation Team. The sensory training definitely helped enhance his professional vocabulary and knowledge. Trips to dairy judging contests and trade shows gave him an opportunity to interact with professionals and look at new equipment. He says his first dairy judging trip was the first time he'd ever been on an airplane. During his career, he's been inside 27 factories in 5 countries! Apparently, Quoc received an excellent education in dairy product judging: Four years ago, he placed first in a class of 100 professionals at the Penn State Ice Cream short course. How did he like being a student at VA Tech? “I finished my degrees in 3.5 years. These days I wonder what I was thinking. I should have hung out at the university much longer.”
HOT TOPICS AND DAIRY ISSUES Opinion of BioHaz Panel on the Usefulness of Somatic Cell Counts as a Safety Indicator for Goats' Milk Summarized from EFSA Journal (2005) 305. Since the early 1990s, the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) risk for milk and milk products has been discussed by scientific groups, risk assessment bodies and public health organizations. Research has focused predominantly on the bovine species, while data on small ruminants, particularly goats, are limited. Epidemiological and experimental data on ruminants so far available have not provided evidence that milk or milk products harbor prion infectivity. This was confirmed by the EC's Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) (2001). At the end of 2004, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was suspected in a goat in France . The case was confirmed in early 2005, and the European Commission (EC) requested an assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and its Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BioHaz) on the health risks associated with the consumption of milk and milk derived products from goats. After consideration of research data, mainly research concerning sheep, experts from the BioHaz panel expressed the view that there are indications that infectivity in the milk from small ruminants cannot be totally excluded. However, milk and milk derivatives from small ruminants are unlikely to present any risk of TSE contamination, provided that milk is sourced from healthy animals. In addition, further assurance may be gained from milk tests for Somatic Cell Counts (SCC). This last statement raised a number of questions and the EC informed EFSA that this latter criterion was very difficult to interpret and was, therefore, not sufficiently reliable to be used as an additional safety assurance. EFSA was asked to clarify the relationship of BSE risk to milk tests for somatic cell counts in goats. EFSA analyzed the available scientific information on somatic cell counts (SCC) in goat milk from animals with normal mammary glands and in goat milk from animals with mastitis. It was found that in sheep with natural scrapie, mastitis may lead to prion replication in the mammary gland. The panel concluded that due to the high variability of SCC in goat milk, even in healthy animals, SCC cannot be relied on as a specific indicator for TSE risk, or as an indicator of udder health. It was recommended to continue the increased surveillance and to initiate additional research in goats. If new experimental or epidemiological data become available, the TSE/BSE safety of milk sourced from goats should be reviewed. The above recommendations should be extended to include sheep. FDA: Avoid Drinking Raw Milk 12/16/05 – The risk of drinking raw milk was most recently demonstrated in Washington State with an outbreak associated with raw milk containing E. coli O157:H7. As of December 16, 2005, eight illnesses had been reported, several in children. Two of the children were hospitalized. Health officials have identified locally sold raw milk as a source of the outbreak, and have ordered the unlicensed dairy to shut down. FDA is warning the public against drinking raw milk because it may contain harmful bacteria that can cause life-threatening illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300 people in the U.S. became ill from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk in 2001, and nearly 200 became ill from consuming the products in 2002. Pasteurization is the only effective method for eliminating the bacteria in raw milk and milk products. This process uses heat applied long enough to destroy harmful bacteria without significantly changing milk's nutritional value. All milk shipped between states is required, by law, to be pasteurized.
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