Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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T ristate Dairy Convention

The 16 th annual Tri-State Dairy Convention was held March 19-22 at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville , NC . Dr. Susan Duncan and Mr. Walter Hartman of VA Tech's Department of Food Science & Technology attended the event. Dr. Duncan, along with Dr. Johnny McGregor ( Clemson University ), Mr. Gary Cartwright (NC State), and Dr. Todd Klaenhammer (NC State), spoke about their universities' dairy research and processing programs. During the VA Research meeting, Dr. Duncan and Mr. Hartman had the opportunity to visit with representatives from the dairy industry to discuss topics of interest and future collaborations with the Department of Food Science & Technology.

This year, over 50 processors, 84 associates and 20 special guests and staff attended the convention, hosted by the Carolina/VA Dairy Products Association (CVDPA) and the South Carolina Dairy Association (SCDA).

P osition Announcements

Dr. Joe Marcy has assumed the role of Department Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology. He has served on an interim basis since November and has now been designated permanently to the position.

Dr. Marcy has been a professor in the department since 1988. He served as interim department head for the Department of Human, Nutrition, Foods and Exercise before becoming department head in Food Science. Dr. Marcy is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the College of Ag and Life Sciences Applied Research Award and the Italian Packaging Technology Award, and he is a member of the Gamma Sigma Delta Ag Honor Society. Joe received his Ph.D. from NC State University and his M.S. from the University of Tennessee , both in Food Science.

Dr. Susan Sumner began as an associate professor in Food Science and Technology in 1996 and she served as department head for eight years. Dr. Sumner has been appointed associate dean and director of academic programs for the College of Ag and Life Sciences at VA Tech. She assumed this role in an interim capacity last November.

HOT TOPICS AND CURRENT ISSUES

Standards of Identity for Yogurt

On January 15, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration issued a proposed rule to revise the standard of identity for yogurt.

“The FDA is proposing to revoke its regulations on the standards of identity for low-fat yogurt and non-fat yogurt and amend the standard of identity for yogurt in numerous respects. This action is in response, in part, to a citizen petition submitted by the National Yogurt Association (NYA). FDA tentatively concludes that this action will promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers and, to the extent practicable, will achieve consistency with existing international standards of identity for yogurt.”

The NYA has issued a statement saying, “The live and active cultures present in yogurt give it many of its healthy properties. The NYA believes there should be a minimum level of live and active cultures found in a product in order for it to be called ‘yogurt' – much like the standards for other foods…The National Yogurt Association is seeking a ruling from FDA that requires all products labeled as ‘yogurt' to contain a minimum level of the live and active cultures that give yogurt its healthy properties.

The NYA further suggests requiring any product that has undergone heat treatment (with the resulting elimination of live cultures) to be labeled to indicate it does not contain live and active cultures. Considering some manufacturers heat-treat their yogurt products to prolong shelf life or decrease tartness, this could have wide-ranging impact on the yogurt category.

  Dairy Better for Bones than Calcium Carbonate

A Purdue University study shows dairy has an advantage over calcium carbonate in promoting bone growth and strength. Calcium carbonate is the most common form of calcium used in calcium-fortified foods and supplements. Connie Weaver, distinguished professor and head of the food and nutrition department, found that the bones of rats fed nonfat dry milk were longer, wider, more dense and stronger than those of rats fed a diet with calcium carbonate.

Weaver said the study is the first direct comparison of bone properties between calcium from supplements and milk. It will be published in the August print issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research and is online at http://www.jbmronline.org/.

"A lot of companies say, 'If you don't drink milk, then take our calcium pills or calcium-fortified food,'" Weaver said. "There's been no study designed properly to compare bone growth from supplements and milk or dairy to see if it has the same effect."

Data from Purdue's Camp Calcium , a research effort that studies how calcium and other nutrients affect bone growth, show that between the ages of 9 and 18 people require 1,300 mg of calcium a day for optimal bone growth. This is the equivalent of about four cups of milk or yogurt or the equivalent from cheese or other sources.

After the age of 9, the gap between the calcium youths need and actually widens. The study involved 300 rats that were divided into two groups. For 10 weeks, the rats were given all the nutrients they required, but one group was given dairy and the other was given calcium carbonate as the source of calcium.

After 10 weeks, the bones of 50 rats from each group were measured for strength, density, length and weight. Measurements were up to 8% higher for those who had milk over calcium carbonate.

The study also found a strong effect of having dairy as a calcium source followed by periods of inadequate calcium.

Over a second 10-week period, the remaining rats were fed as adults. Half of those were given adequate calcium as carbonate or milk. The other half were switched to half as much calcium as recommended, but were given calcium carbonate.

"This is comparable to humans who, during their early growth, drink a lot of milk from age 9 to 11, or maybe even into adolescence, but then get only half as much milk calcium as they need after that," Weaver said. "Some take calcium supplements, but few adults get adequate calcium."

Weaver said the study showed the rats raised on dairy still had advantages over those who were given calcium carbonate even later when they were given half enough calcium as dairy or calcium carbonate. Compared to calcium carbonate, it was an advantage having milk or dairy while bones were growing, and it protects you later in life.

"It's not due to increased calcium absorption. It's more about protecting against bones losing calcium, according to our results of calcium metabolism. Bones are in constant turnover, especially when they are growing. Youth need to have bone formation outweigh bone loss."