Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

UPDATES AT VIRGINIA TECH

FST Spring Awards Reception

FST's annual reception and awards recognition ceremony was held on April 30 th at the Graduate Life Center on the VA Tech campus. Departmental, college, state and national awards were presented to students and faculty. Departmental and Industry Awards: Jenny Yoon received the Boyd-Arline Outstanding Sophmore Scholarship, while Meagan Wray received the Boyd-Arline Outstanding Achievement Award. Earlier in the year, Meagan accepted the Robert B. Delano Scholarship. Kevin Tuohy earned the Paul Large – Most Improved Student Award. The Carolina-Virginia Dairy Products Association Academic Achievement Award went to Sarah Ellington. Earlier in the academic year, Sarah received the Charles W. Wampler Sr. Scholarship. Yeyi Gu received the Harvey Scott Outstanding Graduating Senior Award.

Shannon Glisan and Vanessa Tumminia were presented the Food Science and Technology Outstanding Achievement Award. Earlier in the year, Vanessa collected the Charles W. Wampler Scholarship. Elizabeth Chin and Ellen Ewell were presented the Food Science and Technology Outstanding Achievement award sponsored by the Dairy Foundation of Virginia. Denise Gardner (M.S. Candidate) and Kevin Holland (M.S. Candidate) earned the Faculty Award for Outstanding Graduate Student, sponsored by the R.F. Kelly Memorial Fund and Food Science and Technology. Eric Wilson was the recipient of the R.F. Kelly Outstanding Achievement Award. The Marvin Poster Memorial Outstanding Achievement award was collected by Daniella Arias, while Matthew Boling obtained the Marvin Poster Memorial Scholarship.

Earlier this year, Julie Skolnik and Matthew Boling accepted the Cyrus H. McCormick Scholarship, and Ashley Gray was the recipient of the Dean James R. Nichols Scholarship.

National/Regional Awards: Paul Sarnoski ( Ph.D candidate ) was presented an IFT Scholarship. Karleigh Huff received the Italian Packaging Award and will receive a free trip to Italy this month.

Faculty Awards: Dr. George Flick was the recipient of the IFT Myron Solberg Award. Dr. Joe Marcy received the Riester-Davis Award and was recognized as an IFT Fellow.

  HOT TOPICS AND DAIRY ISSUES

Raw Milk Sales Possibility

As dairy farmers around the globe continue to raise concerns over the declining value of their products, selling un-pasteurized milk has been offered as one method to add value and profitability. This idea has received staunch opposition from some manufacturers.

While raw milk products like some cheeses are protected under certain European designations, the US has banned the sale of un-pasteurized milk and finished products in certain states. Among growing concerns over food hygiene and safety, even traditional markets like France and North American regions like Quebec have faced criticisms from health groups and even some cheese makers over the practice of using raw milk.

Nelson Albano, an assemblyman for the state of New Jersey , has opened debate to assess the pros and cons of allowing raw milk sales in the state and to analyze the potential benefits for farmers and the dairy industry.

The US-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), which represents processors and manufacturers across the country, says that both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control do not recommend consumption of un-pasteurized dairy.

“In fact, many states still ban the sale of raw milk, and federal law prohibits the retail sale of un-pasteurized milk across state borders,” the Association states.

Allen Sayler, vice president of regulatory affairs & international standards at the IDFA, claims that even after considering the start up costs for producing raw milk goods, any potential benefits in using un-pasteurized products appear negligible when considering modern technical advances.

“Some old cheese-makers believe the use of raw milk for making cheese improves the cheese's flavor, but modern cheese-making can produce these same great flavors, while virtually eliminating the possibility of becoming ill from eating the cheese,” claims Sayler.

Despite processor concerns, Albano opened discussion on the possibility of dropping a ban on the sale of raw milk products in New Jersey . While the proposal is still very much at the discussion stage, consumers and farmers generally seem to be behind allowing lifting the ban. Some shoppers are already traveling to other states to acquire raw milk

“In Pennsylvania and New York , they're getting anywhere from $8 to $12 a gallon for raw milk,” says Albano . “So if a local dairy farmer here in New Jersey was selling raw milk, he'd be able to get at least that much. They definitely would be making more money, and that would be a great benefit.”

From a US perspective, in order to reap any potential benefits of using raw milk in dairy production the industry must step up its focus on supply quality. Current government guidelines for un-pasteurized milk represent a minimum set of standards that may create the impression of a job well done amongst some farmers.

While some associations like American Cheese Society are playing a role in trying to aid processors through seminars on HACCP, more focus is needed on hygiene and safety at farm level.

Production of raw milk-derived goods like cheese may be better left to smaller scale producers and limited source operations. Significant challenges face larger processors looking to produce both pasteurized and raw milk-derived goods, particularly in separating the different production processes. A manufacturer looking to introduce raw milk into a site primarily for pasteurized products has to consider a number of protocols to maintain hygiene. T aking raw milk into a processing room set up for pasteurized milk is contaminating the post pasteurization area of the plant. Special protocols would have to be put in place to address staff movements and the potential for cross contamination of products.

Vegemite Recipe to Change

Vegemite, an Australian brand of yeast extract synonymous with the country, is reportedly to undergo a brand overhaul with the launch of a new variety of the product that will include cream cheese in its recipe.

The brand extension, which is thought to be a first for the product during its 85-year history, follows a survey of 300,000 Australian and New Zealand-based consumers that indicated cheese was a popular pairing with the extract, according to The Times newspaper.

Kraft Foods, which manufactures Vegemite in Australia , will launch the as-yet unnamed product with a national competition to find a name for the cheesy brand.