Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Cyber Monday Deals!

We have hourly specials planned for Cyber Monday*!

Watch our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages on December 2 for twenty-four AOCS specials.

We'll be posting a different offer every hour, including Membership specials, Journal specials, AOCS Press book deals, advertising discounts, and more!

Mark your calendar, bookmark our pages, and spread the word!

*12:00am - 11:59pm CST

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) - UPDATE

FDA is extending the comment period on two proposed rules:

•     Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals

•    Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue Certifications

Both rules originally appeared in the July 29, 2013 Federal Register.
 
Comments on these two proposed rules as well as comments on the information collection provisions associated with these rules may be submitted until January 27, 2014.
 
For more information on the extension of the comment periods:

•    Federal Register Notice - Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue Certifications; Extension of Comment Periods

•    Federal Register Notice - Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals; Extension of Comment Periods

For more information on the FSMA and how to comment on proposed rules, visit http://www.fda.gov/fsma.

Friday, November 15, 2013

AOCS Newsletter Highlights November 2013

Q&A: The FDA is banning trans fats. We just figured out how to measure them.
 
The Washington Post interviewed AOCS Chief Science Officer and Technical Director Richard Cantrill, Ph.D. regarding the Food and Drug Administration announcement that it intends to ban artificial trans fatty acids from the nation's food supply.

Inform Free Features

New technologies are making it easier than ever to make surfactants from biobased feedstocks. Our first free article from the November-December issue of Inform, the AOCS membership magazine, looks at seven of these novel biobased surfactants.

Our second free article discusses color measurement practices. Learn the history of color scales, a critical measurement used to monitor oils at each stage of the refining process, and how selecting and communicating the correct color scale can eliminate confusion and costly misunderstandings.

AOCS Award News

The Supelco-Nicholas Pelick-AOCS Research Award deadline has been extended to December 1. Award includes a $10,000 honorarium.

Thomas H. Smouse Memorial Fellowship is now open! The award is for the 2014-2015 academic year and is open to Graduate Students only. Award includes a $10,000 stipend and $5,000 for research funding. Application deadline is February 1, 2014.

Visit the Awards Program website for deadlines, nomination requirements, and applications for all of our awards.

Technical Services News
 
The Official Methods and Recommended Practices of the AOCS, 6th Edition, 3rd Printing and the 2013 – 2014 Additions and Revisions are now available. Seven new methods have been added, including three for testing 3-MCPD, as well as revisions to 25 previously approved methods.

Reminder: the next enrollment deadline for the 2013-14 AOCS Laboratory Proficiency Program is November 20.

Looking for a Job?
 
AOCS Career Services regularly posts some of the best career opportunities in the industry. Take a look below at some current listings, or get more information on the Career Center website.

Looking to Hire?
Access the best candidates with AOCS Career Services. Use coupon code 58458480 to receive 25% off all job postings. (expires December 15).

AOCS Meeting Updates
 
AM14_Logo_90x100105th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo | May 4—7, 2014 | San Antonio, Texas, USA
AOCS continually strives to provide the most advanced research and education in the fats and oils industries. We invite you to submit your abstract or session proposal for the 105th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo.

Showcase your Company!
As an exhibitor and/or sponsor you have the opportunity to introduce new products, generate sales leads, and strengthen your visibility within the global marketplace.


Montreux14_97x120World Conference on Fabric and Home Care—Montreux 2014 | October 6—9, 2014 | Montreux, Switzerland
Five leading industry CEOs and other top-level executives will discuss Creating Value in the New Reality. Gain new perspectives from companies such as Henkel, DuPont, Kao, BASF, Lion, P&G, Facebook, Coca-Cola, and more. New in 2014 will be the Technology Showcase, featuring 50 electronic presentations of the latest research from innovative leaders worldwide; and the Industry Innovations Incubator, showcasing start-up companies with cutting-edge ideas and products.

Registration opens January 2014.
 
Upcoming Industry Meetings
 
IndustryEventBtn-eNewsPalm Oil Trade Fair and Seminar (POTS) 2013 | December 8—9, 2013 | Iran
POTS 2013 is MPOC's signature event and is jointly organized with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. The objectives of the seminar are to present and reflect on the current issues that surround the palm oil industry, convey innovative ideas and critical thinking into a single platform, gather oils and fats industry players, marketers, traders, economists, nutritionists, government officials as well as all segments of the private industry to deliberate on the latest developments and way forward for the palm oil industry.

OFIC2014logoOils and Fats International Congress (OFIC) 2014 | November 5—7, 2014 | Malaysia
OFIC 2014's theme is "Global Oils and Fats: Addressing Major Challenges." Challenges to be addressed include the prospects of oils and fats as commodities, sustainable agriculture, shortage of labor and mechanization, innovation in the palm oil milling, advances in food and non-food applications, new knowledge in human nutrition, and innovative advanced technologies and their applications to the industry.


 If you would like to receive the AOCS Newsletter and read it in full you may opt-in here.

RFP Request "Extraction of High-value Added Ingredients from Microalgae"

NineSigma, representing a major manufacturer, seeks technologies for extracting oil from microalgae and obtaining high purity carotenoids and highly-unsaturated fatty acids from the extracted oil.
  • Opportunity: Technology licensing, joint research/development, OEM 
  • Financials: Up to US$100,000 for additional research & development per year (details to be discussed)
This invitation is not a complete description of the project. More information is available in the Request for Proposal (RFP) document online at http://www.ninesights.com/docs/DOC-8481. The final submission date for Proposal Briefs is Monday, December 9, 2013.

 When you submit a proposal, please use the response template downloaded from the link below:
(http://www.ninesights.com/docs/DOC-8482).

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Antioxidants in Edible Oils - Mystery in the Margarine

The analysis of antioxidants in edible oils is essential in determining whether an oil is fortified against oxidation (which can lead to rancidity) or if there are other components present in the oil.

    Researchers at Thermo Scientific in Sunnyvale, California, USA, recently analyzed antioxidants in a household margarine by high-performance liquid chromatography according to the AOAC 983.15 method. Results obtained using a Thermo ScientificTM Accucore C18TM column revealed a peak that elutes at the same time as propyl gallate, but propyl gallate was not listed as an ingredient. The results  were compared against a peanut oil fortified with 12 antioxidants.

    Was the mystery peak propyl gallate, which the manufacturer neglected to list on the label? Or was it the result of a matrix interference effect from another antioxidant or an unidentified constituent? To find out, researchers Mark Tracy, Paul Voelker, and Xiaodong Liu repeated the analysis with a second column type, an Accucore Polar PremiumTM. Results (right figure) show that the margarine mystery peak elutes earlier than propyl gallate and that the tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) in the margarine overlays with the TBHQ in the peanut oil. The conclusion is the mystery peak is an (as yet) unidentified constituent.

Accucore C18 Polar Premium Comparison


This article originally appeared in Inform September 2013, Vol. 24 (8).

Inform magazine is an AOCS member benefit providing international news on fats, oils, surfactants, detergents, and related materials.


Monday, November 11, 2013

Q&A: The FDA is banning trans fats. We just figured out how to measure them.

The Washington Post interviewed AOCS Chief Science Officer and Technical Director Richard Cantrill, Ph.D. regarding the Food and Drug Administration announcement that it intends to ban artificial trans fatty acids from the nation's food supply.
"On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it intends to ban artificial trans fatty acids from the nation's food supply because the substances increase the risk of heart disease. According to the Institute of Medicine, "there is no safe level of consumption of artificial trans fat." But how will we be sure that our food doesn't contain any of the stuff whatsoever? We called up the AOCS, which used to be called the American Oil Chemists Society and now just goes by "Your Global Oil and Fats Connection[...]"

Additional Resources

Tentative Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils; Request for Comments and for Scientific Data and Information (A Notice by the Food and Drug Administration on 11/08/2013)

FDA Opens 60-day Comment Period on Measure to Further Reduce Trans Fat in Processed Foods (The November 7, 2013 FDA CFSAN Constituent Update)

FDA Targets Trans Fat in Processed Foods ( FDA Consumer Update)

Trans Fat: Taking the Next Important Step (FDA Blog Post by Michael R. Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine)

"F.D.A. Ruling Would All but Eliminate Trans Fats"

"FDA Rules Trans Fats Unsafe in Food; Determination Could Lead to Ban in Baked Goods, Other Foods"

Thursday, November 7, 2013

FDA Opens 60-day Comment Period on Measure to Further Reduce trans Fat in Processed Foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made a preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for use in food. A final decision would mean that the use of these oils in the food supply would be phased out over a number of years.  Removal of PHOs from the food supply could prevent up to 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.

FDA has required industry to declare the amount of trans fat in food on the Nutrition Facts label since 2006.  FDA data indicate that many processed foods have been reformulated to reduce the amount of trans fat since the requirement was instituted, but a substantial number of products still contain PHOs.

If, after reviewing comments received, FDA determines that PHOs are not GRAS, PHOs could not be used in foods unless authorized by a regulation. One of our core regulatory functions is ensuring that food, including all substances added to food, is safe.

As discussed in more detail in the Federal Register notice, during the 60-day public comment period, FDA is seeking data and information on a number of issues, including:

1.    Whether FDA should finalize its tentative determination that PHOs are no longer GRAS; and
2.    How long it would take producers to reformulate food products to eliminate PHOs.

The comment and submission period starts November 8, 2013.

Submit comments electronically to the FDA docket on http://www.regulations.gov, use docket number FDA-2013-N-1317.

To submit comments by mail, send to FDA at:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

All submissions must include the agency name and docket number.