Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Cleaning Products Europe 2014-Discount Code for AOCS Members!

Cleaning Products Europe 2014 | March 25–27, 2014 | Hilton Deansgate, Manchester UK

This conference will bring together every level of the value chain, with an agenda focused on minimizing the negative impact on society and the environment. Speakers will include P&G, Unilever, DuPont, Huntsman, Elevance, and more, plus representatives from associations UKCPI and AISE.
providing a 360-degree view on those changes set to impact or disrupt the industry. Presentations will highlight the developments and changes needed to drive the industry towards the end goal of achieving a profitable yet sustainable industry, while

AOCS is a supporting organization for this conference.

It’s not too late for AOCS members to register and save 10% using discount code CPEU14AOCS.  Registration rates go up after March 14.






Wednesday, February 19, 2014

AOCS Newsletter Highlights February 2014

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1444336843,descCd-buy.html?campaign=wlytk-41654.6676736111
Newsletter Sponsored By Edible Oil Processing 2nd Edition

AOCS Annual Meeting Registration Now Open!

We've got our new online registration up and running! AOCS meetings staff and web team have been working hard with our new Association Management Software to create a streamlined registration process for you, and it's now ready to use.

More than 1,500 professionals attend our Annual Meeting to experience the best educational program in the industry. You don't want to miss this opportunity to join them in numerous networking activities, 600 diverse presentations, and an expo featuring over 80 international companies—all providing you with resources and knowledge you need to succeed.

Register by February 28 to save up to $227.
Make your hotel reservation today—several events are taking place in San Antonio in May and hotels are filling up fast!

AOCS Seeks Candidates for Leadership Positions

Interested in pursuing a leadership position with AOCS? Take a moment to fill out our newly designed Prospective Leadership Questionnaire, and let us know more about the skills and experience you can offer the Society.

Serving in leadership positions with AOCS is your opportunity to be instrumental in the future direction of the Society.

Leadership positions include service on the AOCS Governing Board, AOCS Value Centers, the AOCS Foundation Board, and key committees.

Know an ideal candidate? Feel free to forward them the link to the Questionnaire:
http://secure.aocs.org/boardq/index.cfm

For more information, contact Ben Harrison.

Inform Free Features

Alternative pathways are yielding biobased chemicals that can do things petroleum can't. For example, algal oil has a significantly higher flashpoint than petroleum-based oil. Seven prominent companies provide detailed information about their synthetic pathways and how their products compare to their petrochemical cousins in the first free article from the February edition of Inform. The article includes a table of 17 additional companies, their technologies, products, feedstocks, and website addresses.

Newcomer Agaia International Inc.'s Evolve® technology—a liquid composition containing alkyl polyglycoside surfactants and no petrochemicals—is already a hit in industrial and institutional cleaning because of its performance and low price. Now Walmart has introduced a suite of four green cleaners manufactured by Agaia. Their low price point may signal a big change within the green home care arena. Read more in our second free article.

AOCS Announces Award Winners

AOCS is pleased to announce the recipients of the following awards, all of which will be presented at the 105th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo:

Student Awards
Ralph Potts Memorial Fellowship: Michael Floros, Trent University, Canada
Edible Applications Technology: Bicheng Wu, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
Health and Nutrition Division: Shiou Wah Gouk, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Industrial Oil Products Division: Latchmi Raghunanan, Trent University, Canada
Hans Kaunitz (USA Section): Chodchanok Attaphong, The University of Oklahoma, USA

Foundation Honored Students
Taiwo Akanbi, Deakin University, Australia
Mia Falkeborg, Aarhus University, Denmark
Shiou Wah (Darren) Gouk, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Ketinum Kittipongpittaya, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
Ying Yang, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
Xiaowei Zhang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Congratulations to all the honorees! Look for more award announcements in future newsletters, and learn more about the AOCS Recognition Program on our website.

ABO releases Industrial Algae Measurements 6.0

AOCS members Steve Howell, MARC-IV, Lieve Laurens, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Gina Clapper, AOCS are part of the ABO Technical Standards Committee and are contributing authors to the Industrial Algae Measurements 6.0 guidance document, which recommends minimum descriptive parameters and measurement methodologies required to fully characterize the economic and environmental inputs and outputs of an aquatic biomass operation.

The Industrial Algae Measurements 6.0 recommendations contained within this document are intended to be useful in characterizing a broad range of aquatic production operations.

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.

 Learn more about all of our upcoming meetings.
 

AOCS Meeting Updates
 
AM14_Logo_90x100105th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo | May 4–7, 2014 | San Antonio, Texas, USA
 

Make your hotel reservation today—due to several events taking place in San Antonio this May, hotels are reaching capacity quickly.

Kick off the annual meeting with a short course!



Montreux14_97x120World Conference on Fabric and Home Care—Montreux 2014 | October 6–9, 2014 | Montreux, Switzerland
Six leading industry CEOs and numerous senior executives will discuss Creating Value in the New Reality, sharing their expertise and visions of the future. Attendees will gain new perspectives and solutions to challenging issues from companies such as BASF, Coca-Cola, DuPont, Facebook, Henkel, Kao, Lion, Novozymes, Oxiteno, P&G, SC Johnson, Unilever, Walmart, and more. Find the full list of presentations on the Montreux website. New in 2014 will be the Technology Showcase, featuring 50 video presentations of the latest research from innovative leaders worldwide; and the Industry Innovations Incubator, showcasing start-up companies with cutting-edge ideas and products.
 
Upcoming Industry Meetings

CPEU14_90x90 
Cleaning Products Europe 2014 | March 25–27, 2014 | Europe
This conference will bring together every level of the value chain, with an agenda focused on providing a 360 degree view on those changes set to impact or disrupt the industry. Presentations will highlight the developments and changes needed to drive the industry towards the end goal of achieving a profitable yet sustainable industry, while minimising the negative impact on society and the environment. Speakers will include P&G, Unilever, DuPont, Huntsman, Elevance and more, plus representatives from associations UKCPI and AISE.

FoodStructure150x150 
Food Structure and Functionality Forum Symposium: from Molecules to Functionality | March 30–April 2, 2014 | Amsterdam
The Food Structure and Functionality Forum (FSFF) is delighted to announce this conference which will highlight the latest research efforts in food structuring and de-structuring. The FSFF is primarily focused on the structuring of food tailored towards end-user functionality (e.g., improved texture, taste perception, health, shelf stability). The conference will bring together experts in food engineering, food science, food technology, and nutrition. This is a significant opportunity for you to join leaders from industry and academia to ensure you keep abreast of recent developments in this fast developing field and for you to network with your international colleagues.

Science Forum 2014_100x100  
GMA Science Forum | April 6–9, 2014 | Washington, DC, USA
The Grocery Manufacturers Association is excited to release a second round of sessions for the 2014 GMA Science Forum. Over three days, 80 plus speakers will address the major food, product safety and health issues impacting consumers, business and public policy both domestically and internationally. This is your chance to get the latest intelligence on topics such as FSMA, health and well-being, GRAS, economic adulteration, toxicology, processing technologies and microbiology - all in one place. Complete your registration at www.GMAScienceForum.com.



IndustryEventBtn-eNews 
ILPS Lecithin Short Course 2014 | June 12–13, 2014 | Belgium
World class experts will present papers on various lecithin sources, production and applications in the University Conference Building. Demonstrations of lecithin emulsion characterization and applications will be organized in the University laboratories.



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

Benefits of women’s leadership groups highlight keynote address

Hosts of the 3rd annual Women in Agribusiness Summit are pleased to announce that Leslie O’Donoghue, executive vice president, corporate development and strategy and chief risk officer at Agrium, will be a keynote speaker at the 2014 U.S. conference which will be held in New Orleans, La., at the Hyatt Regency, October 6-8. 

O’Donoghue is a tireless supporter of women’s programs at Agrium and in the industry, and established the Agrium Women’s Leadership Group, an exemplary organization created to recognize, develop and enable potential for women within Agrium.

O’Donoghue will open the first day of the conference with her personal story, including a presentation on women’s leadership groups, how these groups benefit those involved and why agribusiness is an industry with great growth potential, particularly for women.  “I’m really excited to capitalize on the momentum from the 2013 Women in Agribusiness Summit as those who attended from Agrium came back absolutely exhilarated,” said O’Donoghue.  “There’s great opportunity at this event to share experiences and learn from other women who understand the challenges and opportunities in the ag sector, as well as participate in sessions replete with comprehensive industry information that has a direct impact on the jobs these women do everyday.”

At Agrium, which is a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North and South America and a leading global producer and marketer of agricultural nutrients and industrial products, O’Donoghue is responsible for the core areas of: environmental, health, safety and sustainability; stakeholder relations; internal audit; risk management; and corporate development and strategy. Prior to this role, O’Donoghue was executive vice president of operations at Agrium, which has its headquarters in Canada.  She joined the company in 1999.

O’Donoghue has earned several recognitions, including being ranked third on The Financial Post's list of Canada's Most Powerful Women, and in December 2013, she was inducted into the Women’s Executive Network Hall of Fame, and appointed to Queen’s Counsel.  She also was named Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People for 2013 by Alberta Venture magazine, and one of the top 25 most influential lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer magazine.

O’Donoghue will join dozens of prominent speakers and participants at the 2014 Women in Agribusiness Summit, which is expected to attract more than 500 attendees. The goal of the Summit, which is hosted by HighQuest Partners, is twofold: to make the agriculture and food sectors career destinations for today's talented women, and to provide tools for women to become informed leaders in the industry. Visit www.womeninag.com for detailed event information and to register (use code: PR-WIA1 for a 10% discount).


About HighQuest Partners

HighQuest Partners, headquartered in Danvers, Mass., is a globally recognized strategic consulting, conference, and media company serving the agriculture, agribusiness, grains, oilseed, food, and biofuels markets.

Its consulting business has guided hundreds of public and private sector organizations in over 100 countries in making informed strategy, M&A, capital investment and management decisions, while its online Global AgInvesting Research & Insight platform provides critical education and information to investors to make qualified ag investment decisions.

The company, founded in 2000, also hosts the premier Global AgInvesting conference series, held annually in New York, Singapore, London and Abu Dhabi, as well as the annual Oilseed & Grain Trade and Women in Agribusiness Summits. Learn more at www.highquestpartners.com.


CONTACT:     Michelle Pelletier Marshall
PR/Media Manager
978.887.8800, x117
mmarshall@highquestpartners.com

Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Full-Fat Paradox: Whole Milk May Keep Us Lean

Two recent studies add to the growing evidence that consuming dairy fat may actually fend off weight gain. Experts say it may be time to revisit the assumption that when it comes to dairy, fat free is always best.

Find Out More

Peter C. Elwood, Janet E. Pickering, D. Ian Givens, John E. Gallacher.
Lipids (2010) 45:925–939. DOI 10.1007/s11745-010-3412-5
SARA HOLMBERG and ANDERS THELIN.
Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 2013; 31: 89–94

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Who is Vandana Shiva and why is she saying such awful things about GMOs? | Genetic Literacy Project

Cami Ryan, a contributing columnist for the Genetic Literacy Project, recently posted a thought provoking blog regarding Vandana Shiva (an Indian-born environmentalist know for her criticisms of biotechnology and conventional agriculture).

From "Who is Vandana Shiva and why is she saying such awful things about GMOs? ":
Whether that accurately describes Shiva is debatable—there appears to be a sizable gap between her self-representations and the subjects she claims to be an expert on. However her status as a celebrity activist is not in question.

Shiva is perhaps best known for claiming that the introduction of genetically modified cotton seeds in India has led to mass genocide by poor farmers seduced by the ‘false promise’ of GMOs.

“270,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide since Monsanto entered the Indian seed market,” she has said. “It’s genocide.”

That’s a remarkable claim, and if true it is a tragedy of staggering proportions.
Read More




GMO in the News

A new crop of articles on genetically modified organisms (GMO) hit the press this week: The New York Times (NYT) included an opinion piece titled “We Need GMO Wheat” and National Public Radio’s Tuesday Morning Edition ran a story (audio and print) on “How American Food Companies Go GMO-Free in a GMO World.” The latter features the owner of a grain elevator supplying the non-GMO product stream. Several hundred readers have already commented  on the NYT story—how would you respond?