Friday, May 29, 2020

EAT Virtual Roundtable & Happy Hour

The EAT ESC team leaders were thrilled to host the first-ever Virtual Roundtable & Happy Hour. The over 20 attendees ranged from students to post-docs to professionals from all over the world, including Argentina, Canada, Belgium, the USA, and Mexico. To introduce themselves, attendees explained their fun Zoom background image – including cats, kids, space and landscapes of Ireland and Montreal – and told a joke; the overall tenor of the meeting truly felt like a family reunion.

In terms of Division business, the deadlines for 2021 AOCS Awards were discussed. Vice Chair Kaustuv provided background on the development of the EAT Division Session over the past few years and some strategies on to how to continue development. This explanation led to a robust discussion of 2021 meeting topics.


While the division is still finalizing topics, the true benefit of this conversation was broadening the defined scope of the EAT division to include the structuring of food, which may lead to the emergence of sessions that address the plant-based and vegan trend in food next year. The topics discussed include crystallization behavior of fat, implication of lipids structuring in food application, phase transition and interfacial phenomena in complex food systems and understanding frying oil.


Finally, Supratim Ghosh, chairperson, is looking for volunteers for the division: namely, a Co-Newsletter Editor, a Social Media Champion, a Webinar Organizer, and a few Awards evaluators. If you are interested, please contact Supratim at supratim.ghosh@usask.ca.



Wednesday, May 27, 2020

WCOF2020 Congress Recap

In early February, the AAOCS co-hosted the 2020 World Congress on Oils and Fats & ISF Lectureship Series with the Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) and the Australian Olive Association (AOA).  This event was held at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, Sydney.

Despite the challenges with fires, floods and initial phases of COVID-19, it was a successful and insightful meeting. We had 275 delegates and 170 presentations covering a wide variety of topics in the fats and oils science/industry (See Figure 1 for delegate breakdown). The AAOCS hosted two preconference workshops (3rd AAOCS Infant Nutrition workshop & AAOCS Mediterranean Diet workshop). Both of these were wonderful events and there are updates later in the newsletter.
I want to personally thank Professor Andy Sinclair, who gave a fantastic talk on DHA in the infant nutrition session, his first since his debilitating stroke. It is good to see that Andy is still as sharp as ever and a fount of knowledge to tap into.

Figure 1: Delegate breakdown at WCOF2020.

There were many high-quality presentations throughout the event: it was a great to have Richard Bazinet from the University of Toronto (Canada) present his work on how DHA enters the brain. He is the current president of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) and is leading the world in his research on brain lipid metabolism (a very hard thing to measure). 
It was also wonderful to see the current president of the AOCS Professor Eric Decker (University of Massachusetts, USA) and his work on characterising the mechanisms of lipid oxidation, antioxidant protection of foods and the health implications of bioactive lipids. One of the areas that industry is really interested in is the emergence of new contaminates such as 3-MCPD, phthalates and mineral oil. It was a privilege to have the world leaders in the analysis of these in our country with Jan Kuhlmann, SGS Multilab Hamburg (Germany), Bertrand Matthäus Max Rubner-Institut (Germany) and Torben Kuechler, Eurofins (Germany) leading an interesting session on these.

Leading scientific speakers emphasize importance of good nutrients such as DHA during WCOF2020 

Infant Nutrition Workshop

The Australasian Section of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AAOCS) Infant Nutrition Workshop is one of the few opportunities for a meeting focusing exclusively on lipid nutrition. It brings together key nutritionists, nutrition-related researchers and manufacturers for robust discussion and to examine possible collaborations.

The third annual workshop held during the World Congress on Oils and Fats in Sydney in February highlighted the most recent research in this field. Session topics covered both conventional and emerging topics, from prenatal nutrition to infancy and early life nutrition. The workshop culminated in a major discussion around guiding infant nutrition-related research in the future, infant formula structure based on human milk and regulations.                                                                                                                          
Professor Maria Makrides from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) presented data on omega-3 fats in prenatal nutrition. She highlighted that women with singleton pregnancies and a low omega-3 status (less than 4.1% of total fatty acids in whole blood) in early pregnancy are at higher risk of early preterm birth and most likely to benefit from omega-3 supplementation to reduce this risk.






Left-Right: Matt Miller, Samaneh Fard, 
Maria Makrides and Andy Sinclair 
at the Infant Nutrition workshop.

DHA an essential fatty acid

Infants have the greatest need for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Professor Andrew Sinclair from Monash University stated that dietary omega-3 deficiency results in changes in learning, coping with stress, behavioural changes and responses in visual function. Also, DHA is an essential fatty acid for optimal neuronal function. DHA is transferred to infants through the placenta, and later through breast milk. Therefore, it is essential that mothers have sufficient DHA in their diets. For mothers who do not eat enough oily fish such as salmon, trout and tuna every day, high DHA fish oil supplements are necessary. For infants born from mothers with a low level of omega-3 during pregnancy, DHA-enriched infant formula is suggested, Nu-Mega’s Dr. Ghasemi Fard said. 
However, based on the recent data published by Professor Makrides, supplementing women with a baseline omega-3 status above 4.9% of total fatty acids in whole blood increased the occurrence of early preterm birth. 

Professor Barbara Meyer from University of Wollongong talked about transport of DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) during pregnancy and postpartum. She stated that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the main lipoprotein that transports DHA and AA. Also, she mentioned that DHA is carried primarily in HDL, because HDL has important antioxidant properties that may protect DHA from oxidation in transit.

Professor Michael Skilton from University of Sydney mentioned that early childhood nutrition can maximize cardiovascular health; high intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA can decrease the prevalence of hypertension by 5%. Professor Trevor Mori from University of Western Australia also stated that both maternal and infancy studies highlighted the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on heart rate and insulin resistance to children between 5 and 12 years old.
Jan Carey, CEO of the Infant Nutrition Council, mentioned that they promote optimal infant nutrition, by supporting the proper use of breast milk substitutes and toddler milk drinks. In her presentation, she also stated that the fat component in infant formula, which can contain fish oil, is set by regulations for providing energy to an infant as well as supporting an infant’s normal growth and development. 

Amongst the leading speakers at the 3rd AAOCS Infant Nutrition Workshop were
(left to right) Dr Kirill Lagutin, Callaghan Innovation; Dr Anders Henriksson, DuPont products; Jan Carey, CEO of the Infant Nutrition Council, Dr Samaneh Ghasemi Fard, Nu-Mega R&D Technologist and Research Liaison Officer; Professor Peter Howe, The University of Newcastle; Dr Lourdes Urban-Alandete, Nu-Mega R&D Technologist; Associate Professor Michael Skilton, University of Sydney; Professor Andrew Sinclair, Monash University; Dr Flávia Fayet-Moore, CEO of Nutrition Research Australia; Professor Barbara Meyer, University of Wollongong; Professor Trevor Mori, the University of Western Australia.

Challenges to manufacturers

Dr. Lourdes Urban-Alandete from Nu-Mega Ingredients highlighted some challenges for industry to deliver high DHA-fortified food, beverages and supplements. These include manufacturers formulating DHA dosage levels beyond the current source, targeting higher DHA dosages per serve and the impact of processing conditions on oxidative/sensory qualities. She stated that DHA has become a mandatory ingredient in infant formula, and DHA fortification levels in food and beverages have significantly increased. As a result, demand for this ingredient is increasing. 
Dr. Emmett Chua from Bunge Loders Croklaan and Dr. Kirill Lagutin from Callaghan Innovation discussed structured lipids in infant nutrition, and how the lipid composition in infant formula needs to be similar to human milk (especially in triglyceride composition).

50% reduction in eczema

Dr. Anders Henriksson from DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences discussed a unique range of oligosaccharides found in human milk. He explained that these oligosaccharides are highly bifidogenic and can promote a group of bifidobacterial that typically colonise infants. He also reported that consumption of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus during pregnancy and by babies after birth resulted in a reduction of about 50% of eczema prevalence.

Finally, Flavia Fayet-Moore, CEO of Nutrition Research Australia, discussed the importance of childcare and nurseries. Children in their initial 1000 days of life spend approximately five out of seven days in childcare, therefore more than half of their daily food intake comes from these facilities. This can have a huge influence on their eating habits. Key objectives need to be followed in these nurseries: fulfilling children’s micronutrient needs and providing a variety of vegetables, food and textures for them. Modifying a child’s diet by adding vegetables to every meal, increasing plant-based food and beverages, removing processed meats and adding whole grains as well as high fiber foods, can have long term positive effects on their diet.






Professor Andy Sinclair from Monash University presenting at the Infant Nutrition Workshop.

WCOF2020 Final Session Review

One of the highlights of the conference was a fantastic future-focused closing session with three invited presentations on Future Health, Future Climate and Future Oil.
Professor Katherine Samaras from the Garvan Institute presented ‘Fasting to beat obesity. If fats, which ones?’ In her talk, Professor Samaras confronted us with the fact that more than half of adult Australians are overweight or obese, and this is a significant cost to our health system and our productivity. Obesity is a major cause of many diseases, but obesity is largely preventable, caused by a combination of diet, lifestyle and genetic factors. 
_________________________________________________________________________________

A good diet is critical for health, and Mediterranean type diets and lower carbohydrates appear better than other diet types. It may be no surprise to lipid researchers to learn that there does not appear to be any benefit in avoiding fats, other than to limit overall calorie intake. Current fads around certain fats such as coconut oil are not supported by science. 

Fasting has also become popular in recent years, but there are so many different types – time restricted feeding, intermittent fasting, 5:2, and so the list continues. Professor Samaras reminded us that fasting is a tradition in all major faiths. As a society, we have moved towards eating larger meals and more of them, whilst becoming less active. Professor Samaras dispelled common myths, telling us that breakfast is not the most important meal of the day, grazing throughout the day does not stimulate metabolism and six small meals are not the best way to eat. Instead, it is important to restrict calorie intake for important metabolic processes to occur and time restricted eating could be beneficial for health.

At the end of the day, energy burned must exceed energy consumed and a healthy, balanced diet is still the best choice.

Professor Annette Cowie from NSW Department of Primary Industries presented ‘Meeting the climate change challenge.’ Professor Cowie presented the very real and very eminent threat of climate change – 2015-2019 were the five hottest years ever recorded. Climate change is making our climate more variable with overall increased temperatures, more variable and more intense rainfall, more hot days, more storms and more droughts. All of which cause increasing challenges for agriculture and lifestyle. 

The sooner we act, the lower the consequences of climate change will be, but drastic cuts are needed to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Australia’s emissions come predominantly from energy and transport, but there is an urgent need to reduce emissions in all sectors.

Professor Cowie stated that bioenergy, using organic renewable materials (biomass) to produce energy, and other renewable energy sources will be important. Advanced biofuels will be needed to decarbonise transport (trucking, aviation and shipping). On top of this, active carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere will be needed alongside reductions in emissions to meet targets.
Significant gains can be made through sustainable land management – climate change is contributing to land degradation, but by building soil organic matter we can capture carbon from the atmosphere whilst improving soil quality and reducing degradation.

Professor Cowie reported opportunities for oilseeds, both in increasing diversity in sustainable farming systems and in the development of biofuels to support energy system transformation.
Overall, climate change is a critical threat and urgent action is required across all sectors. Bioenergy, reforestation and biochar are an important part of the climate solution. Effective policy should simultaneously encourage climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and sustainable land management. 

Dr. Allan Green from AGRENEW/CSIRO presented the final talk: ‘Rethinking oil production systems.’ Dr. Green provided a compelling breakdown of current plant oil production, future demand for food oils and how we can meet future demands primarily through increased oil content in oil crops.

He then moved to address the bigger problem of replacing crude oils used for fuels. Currently petroleum provides one third of all energy and accounts for 30% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. To what extent can this be replaced by bio-based (plant and algal) oils? There is a massive market, so how can we meet it, 1) without competing with food; 2) in a sustainable way; 3) at suitable scale; and 4) at a competitive price?

Dr. Green described how cutting-edge oil technology solutions can drive a solution. Increased plant oil production through increasing oil content in seeds and the production of oil in plant biomass. High oil biomass tobacco has already been produced and the technology is transferrable to other crops. Importantly, this would not be reliant on increased acreage. 

These novel biomass oil crops have potential to greatly expand oil production, contribute to replacing petroleum and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite the challenges described by the three speakers, all were ultimately optimistic that we have the science and the tools to overcome these obstacles, but we must act now. 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

AOCS Corporate member spotlight: Barrow Agee Laboratories



Sterling Bollman, the head of Advertising, Sponsorship Sales at AOCS, had a conversation with Roger Beers, CEO of Barrow-Agee Laboratories. In this conversation, we learned about innovations Barrow-Agee has developed and what really sets them apart from their competitors. So, please enjoy our inaugural Corporate Member Spotlight and learn more about Barrow-Agee Laboratories.





Thanks for taking some time to learn more about Barrow-Agee! In your own words, what products or services does Barrow-Agee Laboratories offer? 


Barrow-Agee Laboratories provides more than 1,000 accredited tests and analytical services pertaining to quality, safety and composition of Animal Feed & Human Food. We specialize in end-to-end support for the feed/food industry and partner with processors, distributors and businesses throughout the United States.



What would you say differentiates Barrow-Agee Laboratories from companies in the same space as yours? 

Barrow-Agee Laboratories has been a leading food-safety testing services provider for more than 100 years. Our advanced facilities, testing equipment and internal processes allow us to start most tests within a few hours of receipt and complete them in only 3 to5 business days, with expedited testing available. Each year, our team completes approximately 2,000,000 tests — a benchmark that we are on course to lift even higher this year. We are also one of only 10 NOPA/AOCS certified referee laboratories in the United States.

Perhaps, most notable is Barrow-Agee Laboratories can partner with our clients in a variety of ways. From serving as an extension of our clients’ internal labs during high-demand times to providing complete, managed testing for all our clients’ needs, our company has the flexibility to scale flexibly with our clients and meet their needs regardless of circumstance.



What is a recent innovation of Barrow-Agee Laboratories that you would like to draw attention to? 

Most recently, Barrow-Agee Laboratories invested in a new laboratory information management system (LIMS). This new system translates into better overall experiences for our customers by giving them better access to reporting, a streamlined user interface, immediate access to test results, notifications and alerts, customized reporting, and more.

Obviously, this has been a challenging year for many companies. What do you view as the biggest challenge for Barrow-Agee in the coming months? 

We believe that our greatest challenge is also our greatest opportunity. The food industry is under greater scrutiny than ever, and other recent events have necessitated more frequent and transparent testing and reporting. This translates into increased demand, and we have already modified our internal operations to support that demand. The impact of COVID-19 also spans beyond individual health and into our clients’ industries. We believe that a response will be greater scrutiny of those industries to ensure consumer safety.


Well Roger, thank you so much for your time! I hope everyone has learned a bit more about Barrow-Agee Laboratories. One final question before I let you go, why is being a corporate member of AOCS important to you and your company? 

Barrow-Agee Laboratories considers our role in the food industry and among other labs as one of social responsibility. Our services help to keep consumers across the country safe and healthy — whether that is through food products, animal feeds or other goods. Membership with AOCS enables us to not only share our learnings and perspective with industry partners but also learn from them. Together, we collectively elevate the industry to new heights, protect and enhance critical standards, advance our capabilities through innovation and preparation and ensure the well-being of those we serve. 

Thanks for reading and a big thank you to Roger Beers and his colleagues at Barrow-Agee Laboratories for taking the time to be the first Corporate Member Spotlight! Be sure to check back next month to see who we feature next! Make sure to follow Barrow Agee Laboratories on LinkedIn, Facebook or sign up for their newsletter! 

Thursday, May 21, 2020

AOCS Corporate Member Spotlight: JST Global


We took some time to speak with Tony Mendez, the JST Global’s Corporate Member Representative, to learn more about what JST Global, LLC does and what the company hopes to gain from joining AOCS.

Tell AOCS a bit about your company: 

Founded in 1857, Jacob Stern & Sons is among the longest-running family-owned businesses in America. Having evolved from its roots in hide trading, Jacob Stern is a leading distributor of oleochemicals through its Acme-Hardesty division, located in Blue Bell, PA, and is the largest US exporter of tallow. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, Jacob Stern is built upon the values passed down from its founder: respect, integrity and dependability. Those values, which are ingrained in the company’s culture, have been rewarded with long-standing relationships and an impeccable reputation. “Jacob Stern and Tyson Fresh Meats have enjoyed a strong relationship for over 50 years. Combining Tyson’s vast supply of animal fats with Jacob Stern’s Texas operations is a natural evolution and positions JST Global to meet growing worldwide demand,” sancid Phil Bernstein, Chairman, Jacob Stern & Sons.

Why did you join AOCS as a Bronze Member? 

Taking on the role of Quality Control manager, I joined to enhance my knowledge through networking, journals and all the resources available.

What do you hope to accomplish by joining AOCS? 

JST Global hopes to get AOCS Certification and networking opportunities out of our new AOCS membership.

Describe your work and explain what big challenge or problem your work is trying to solve. How do you hope or how has AOCS helped in solving this challenge? 

I oversee quality control for our facility in Houston, I have two Lab Techs that are in training and look forward to when they are also AOCS Certified Technicians for “Tallow and Grease”. We have been viewed as the lab to go to when you have questions about tallow. Rob Poullard has been with the company for 41 years and will be retiring soon. Someone will need to fill his shoes. He is continuing as Chairperson with AOCS for Tallow and Grease.

How has your company been affected by COVID-19? And what are you doing to combat that change? 

COVID-19 has affected our supply chain as meat packing houses close around the US. We expect it to be only temporary and being a commodities-based business, prices fluctuate with the swings in supply and demand. For us, it has been business as usual.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with AOCS. We are thrilled to have you as part of our community.


Monday, May 11, 2020

Welcome to our newest members — there's still time to spread the word about AOCS resources!


AOCS would like to welcome our newest members from April. This group of brand-new contributors is from all over the globe, and we are so excited that they are a part of the AOCS family. Don't forget, June 30 is our Q2 deadline for this recruitment period. It's a better time than ever to encourage your peers and colleagues to join our community to access all our member content. We've spent the last several weeks prioritizing our webinar schedule, and we're proud to have numerous upcoming webinars to add to the calendar - and AOCS members have exclusive access to our webinar archive.
Plus, as you know, AOCS membership includes a plethora of resources in the Premium Content Library, AOCS journals, and more. Invite your colleagues into the AOCS world today!

View the listing of our newest members on the AOCS Premium Content Library.

This #Webinar Wednesday: How Vertical Plate Conditioners are Changing the Game for Seed Processors




Don’t forget, @solexthermal will be hosting a webinar this Wednesday where you can learn more about vertical plate technology, a solution to help seed processors increase production capacity and reduce operating costs.

Register here for free: https://bit.ly/2yF4Cqc
#heatexchangers #bulksolids #oilseeds #canola #soybeans #sunflowers

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Upcoming Webinars and Trainings with AOCS (free!)

Hi everyone! We have several upcoming webinars -hope you can join us! Registration is free to both AOCS members and non-members.
Members -remember you have access to all webinar recordings on demand-the new webinar library is located within the member benefits section of your AOCS account.

Upcoming Webinars

Effective Scientific Communication and Networking Strategies **TODAY! 12:30 USA/Chicago**
May 6, 2020 | 12:30 noon CT (Chicago USA)

This webinar will help you enhance your communication and networking skills to enrich your career development. In a field focused on lab work and research seminars, the importance of communication skills can get lost. In this webinar, you will learn various strategies and queries from both a student’s and professor’s perspective. You will also learn, more generally, how to make lasting connections with fellow professionals.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details/productId/313929866

How Vertical Plate Conditioners are Changing the Game for Seed Processors
May 13, 2020 | 12:00 noon CT (Chicago USA)

Looking for a solution to the challenges and limitations seed processor face when attempting to increase production capacity and reduce operating costs? In this webinar, Solex Thermal will tell you about highlight vertical plate technology, a solution that addresses these challenges by creating a larger heat transfer area, which can handle more product. Further, this plate’s modular design allows for low-cost retrofits, a reduction in steam consumption, as well as minimal maintenance costs. Plus, this technology has a renewable energy capabilities during the seed conditioning process, which also help to reduce energy costs.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details/productId/313929866

Statistical Treatment of Proficiency Testing Data — How to Interpret Laboratory Proficiency Program Reports
May 14, 2020 | 10:00 a.m. CT (Chicago USA)

In this webinar, Xin Wu, Technical Services Manager for AOCS, will explain the contents provided in the reports from the AOCS Laboratory Proficiency Program (LPP ) — including the test result summary, summary of z-scores, chart of z-scores and kernel density plot — and how to easily locate your submitted results in the report. You’ll also learn how the LPP report can help you interpret your z-score and graphically compare your results to the results of other labs.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details?productId=317986202

Draw Chemical Structures and Formulas with ChemDraw - Basics Tutorial
May 20, 2020 | 12:00 noon CT (Chicago USA)

In the first part of this two-part webinar series, you’ll learn about ChemDraw, the drawing tool of choice for chemists to create scientifically intelligent, publication-ready chemical drawings. Jinsoo Kim, Field Application Scientist at PerkinElmer, will provide a brief history of the tool and a tutorial on how to use the basic drawing tools for bonds, rings, reactions, and the Periodic Table, how to manipulate structures and align objects, and how to embed your drawings into Microsoft Office. You’ll also get a clearer sense of the tool’s templates, analytical information capabilities, NMR predictions, and more.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details/productId/315456275

Draw Chemical Structures and Formulas with ChemDraw - Advanced Tips and Tricks
May 27, 2020 | 12:00 noon CT (Chicago USA)

In the second part of this two-part webinar series, you’ll continue building upon your knowledge of ChemDraw. In this webinar, Jinsoo Kim, Field Application Scientist at PerkinElmer, will walk you through what’s new in version 19. You’ll learn about hotkeys for heteroatoms, atoms, and bonds. You’ll also learn shortcuts for molecules and reactions, document settings, and how to align and scale. Further, you’ll learn how to clean-up functions, draw cycles, create labels, nicknames, and templates, and much more.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details/productId/315456276

The Development of a Robust Spectrometer for Online and Real-time Monitoring of Oil Quality
June 3, 2020 | 12:00 noon CT (Chicago USA)

In this webinar, you will learn about the development of a robust spectrometer for online and real-time monitoring of oil quality from Keit Spectrometers’ Product and Applications Manager Jonathan Speed. The previous limitations of online process analytical technology (PAT) have made the real-time monitoring of oil quality difficult to navigate. You’ll learn more about the use of online PAT, based on Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) technology. Dr. Speed will explain how the FTIR instrument can be calibrated into a sensor for a wide range of various properties including free fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters and more. Finally, he will present laboratory study results for calibration and online plant data of real processes monitoring of actual industrial product.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details/productId/315456277

Minitab Introductory Training
June 10, 2020 | 12:00 noon CT (Chicago USA)

Marilyn Wheatley, Solutions Architect at Minitab, will present the first part of a two-part webinar series to help you familiarize yourself with Minitab's statistical software. In the first webinar, users will be given an overview of Minitab and its features. This session is designed for non-experienced and beginner users. With Minitab, you can look at current and past data to predict patterns and uncover trends. You can also discover hidden relationships between variables, visualize data interactions, and identify key factors to help answer the questions and problems you find most challenging. Minitab believes that pairing visualizations with analytics empowers data interpretation.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details?productId=315729206

Minitab Advanced Training
June 24, 2020 | 12:00 noon CT (Chicago USA)

Marilyn Wheatley, Solutions Architect at Minitab, will present the second part of a two-part webinar series to build upon existing knowledge of their statistical software. In this webinar, users will be given an overview of what’s new in version 19. This session is designed for intermediate to more experienced users. With Minitab, you can look at current and past data to predict patterns and uncover trends. You can also discover hidden relationships between variables, visualize data interactions, and identify key factors to help answer the questions and problems you find most challenging. Minitab believes that pairing visualizations with analytics empowers data interpretation.

Register here: https://myaccount.aocs.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Meeting-Details?productId=315740781Have a request for a topic or training? I want to hear from you! Please email me at amy.garren@aocs.org

Want to present? We are open to a variety of topics and formats. Complete the proposal form.
Find out more about AOCS webinars here: https://www.aocs.org/stay-informed/webinarwednesday

Hope to "see" you all today for the webinar today. Please take care.

Amy Garren
AOCS
Director, Brand and Digital Strategy
Urbana IL
amy.garren@aocs.org | +1 217-693-4836

Friday, May 1, 2020

Young Professional Common Interest Group GOAT-Together

Join us for our first-ever GOAT-Together for a little bit of business and a little bit of fun! We’re not KIDding!


With Leann Barden of RXBAR, Helen Hernandez of Flotek, Hari Kran Kotapati of Washington State University and a surprisingly furry guest at the helm, it’s sure to be a great time where you can connect with your Young Professional Common Interest Group community, via Zoom!

Here’s the plan:

We’ll take some time to get to know each other to continue forging this community despite the distance. You might want to start thinking about the weirdest new foods you’ve made or tried since sheltering in place or the best advice you’ve been given for getting through sheltering in place at work or at home!

For the business side of things, we’re excited to brainstorm webinar ideas, discuss volunteer opportunities with the CIG and with Divisions, let you know about awards that are particularly relevant to young professionals and more.

Reach out to Victoria Santo, victoria@aocs.org, with your RSVP to not miss out on this GOAT-To-Meeting GOAT-Together on Thursday, May 7, 3:30 – 4:30 pm CDT.

Introducing the 2020–2022 Asian Section Leadership Team

During a recent AOCS Asian Section meeting, a new leadership team was finalized.

The Asian Section, comprised of nearly 70 individuals, meets twice a year and is very supportive of individuals and companies attending and presenting at AOCS Annual Meetings, especially the Biotechnology Division’s events.

AOCS appreciates the time and commitment outgoing officers have given to the section: Kazuo Miyashita, Suk Hoo Yoon and Ching Hou.

AOCS would also like to welcome Dr. Ahmad Parveez and In-Hwan Kim to the Asian Section’s leadership team.

Want to get involved or meet other section members? Contact a member of the leadership team.

The 2020 Asian Section Leadership Team
Chair: Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, Director General, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysia
Vice-Chair: Jun Ogawa, Professor, Kyoto University, Japan
Secretary/Treasurer: In-Hwan Kim, Professor, Korea University, Korea

Here we would like to highlight the newest members of the Asian Section’s leadership team:

Dr. Ahmad Parveez is currently the Director General of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). In addition to his position as Chairperson for the Asian Section of AOCS, he is also very active in other professional societies, as president of the International Society for Oil Palm Breeders. Born in King Edward VII, Taiping, Dr. Parveez has a Bachelor of Science (UKM) in Genetics, Master of Science (UKM) in Molecular Genetics as well as a PhD (UPM) in Plant Genetic Engineering. His primary interest is in the genetic modification of oil palm, biosafety of living modified organisms and oil palm sustainability. Dr. Parveez has received numerous awards, been granted 6 of the 15 patents he has filed and has authored and co-authored more than 80 papers published in peer-reviewed journals in addition to 250 conference papers. He is excited to volunteer as a member of the committee to share his knowledge and experience with fellow members of the Asian Section and AOCS and to help the provide section members with avenues to learn more and share their knowledge through meetings and seminars at AOCS events. In his spare time, Dr. Parveez likes to travel, fish, jog, and work with social and professional NGOs.


In-Hwan Kim is currently a Professor in the School of Biosystems and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Health Science at Korea University. He holds an MSc and PhD in Food Science and Engineering from the same institution. His research primarily focuses on lipid modification for food and non-food with enzymatic methods. He’s also interested in supercritical extraction regarding bioactive compounds. He decided to volunteer as a member of the committee as a result of his active participation, presenting papers in this section and hopes to help the Biotechnology Division grow. In this role, he further looks forward to networking with fellow researchers and learning about their research endeavors.