Monday, November 30, 2020

December's Membership Midweek Mixer will be hosted by the Edible Applications Technology (EAT) Division


EAT Division leaders, Kaustuv Bhattacharya of DuPont Nutrition & Health and Andrew Gravelle of the University of Guelph will host a social gathering for AOCS members to network, connect and learn to navigate your AOCS member benefits! 

The theme for this Mixer will be seasonal recipes — it is after all hosted by the EAT Division. Whatever season it is where you are, what do you like to make/bake/cook for yourself, family, friends and loved ones! Bonus points if you bring a dish that is rich in fats, oils and/or proteins!

To start the exchange here is an olive-oil cake that reminiscent of summer in a long winter. The olive oil gives this cake a luxurious texture.

By attending this Mixer, you will be entered to win an iPad!

Come prepared to tell us what you hope to get out of EAT Division membership or, if you are a long-time member, what you have found valuable about your EAT Division membership

This Midweek Mixer will occur on December 8 at 8 a.m. CST (UTC–06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including those who are not AOCS members! Invite friends and colleagues to network with other AOCS and EAT Division members and get to know AOCS more generally.


Get to know your hosts!


Kaustuv Bhattacharya
DuPont Nutrition and Health
Vice Chair of the EAT Division
Born in City of Joy, Calcutta, India, Kaustuv Bhattacharya quickly realized that cricket is his religion and marine corals and fish are his passion! Based in Denmark, for the last 15 years, he is with DuPont as Principal Application Specialist, Oils & Fats working with emulsifiers and hydrocolloids in food emulsion systems. Kaustuv has been to about 50 countries for extensive customer interactions and conducting training courses. His current role as the Vice-Chair of the EAT division helps him thrive on acquiring and sharing knowledge and remain motivated. He firmly believes that the 'human mind is like a parachute...it does not work unless open!




Andrew Gravelle
University of Guelph
Newsletter Editor 
for the EAT Division

Andrew Gravelle completed his M.Sc. in biophysics in 2010, after which he began his professional career as a research associate in the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph. In this role, Andrew led numerous projects broadly focusing on two main topics: characterizing and improving the functionality of edible oleogels structured using the polymer ethylcellulose and investigating the use of particulate fillers as a means of modulating functionality in food protein gels. The overarching theme of this work has been to identify methods of recovering or enhancing food structure via non-traditional routes. Andrew has been a major contributing author to numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in the field of food structure and has presented his work at a variety of international conferences.




Register for this Midweek Mixer free. 


*Domestic winners only. If an international winner is selected, an equivalent prize will be awarded. Must be present at time of drawing to win.

Innovations in Protein Extrusion: a spotlight on Soybean 360 moderator Scott Bloomer, Ph.D.

 Meet Scott Bloomer, Ph.D. 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium.  The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Scott Bloomer, an AOCS member since 1995. Dr. Bloomer has been very involved with AOCS through its journals, writing a patents column for INFORM magazine and more.

Read on to learn more about the session Scott Bloomer is involved with, how he got involved with AOCS, and what most excites him about his work.


The Soybean 360 session Scott Bloomer, Ph.D. will moderate

Innovations in Protein Extrusion will occur on Friday, December 4, 2020. The process of extrusion-aided screw pressing and the different products that can result will be reviewed in this session. Researchers and industry executives will review applications, technical advice for efficiency and effectiveness and frameworks for the development of DINES criteria extruded foods.  View presentations and speaker information.

Meet Scott Bloomer, Ph.D. 

Scott Bloomer started his research career in 1973 in the laboratories of Honeywell, Incorporated doing research in humidity sensors. Since then he has been privileged to do research on smoke detectors, biosensors, enzymatic interesterification of lipids, basic oilseed processing and the application of enzymes to milk compounds. He has written a dozen peer-reviewed papers and is a contributing editor for the AOCS trade magazine, INFORM.  Bloomer managed the fats and oils patent portfolio of ADM for several years, drafting and defending patents. He is currently the Director of Technical Services at the American Oil Chemists’ Society.


1) How does your work intersection with Soybean 360 as a whole, or how does it intersect with the specific session with which you are involved?

The Symposium’s focus intersects with the work of the AOCS Technical Department in that we have a large number of methods and many of them are directly related to proteins and co-products and oil, which is central to our many members. Soy protein has a number of methods and we are the keeper and developer of these methods.

In addition, we have programs for laboratory professionals to test protein samples and compare their results with other laboratories in the world. Through this Laboratory Proficiency Program we find AOCS Approved Chemists, which are the very best of the best. We play a central role in certifying laboratories for NOPA (National Oilseed Producers Association).for legal disputes over soy protein levels.

This session with which I am involved has to do with the extrusion of soy. Soybeans have anti-institutional factors that may not be completely neutralized in the desolventizer-toaster step of soybean processing. In order to increase the soy digestibility and ensure that anti-nutritional factors are neutralized, the extrusion step is really important. This, in fact, is the way textured vegetable proteins are made, soy burgers were originally made this way, and many puffed products are made using this method.

So, among AOCS members, there are many experts in this technology.

2) How did you get involved with AOCS?

When I was doing my graduate research, the first place that my professor identified as the best place for me to submit my first paper was the Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (JAOCS), with which I was already familiar because I read a large number of articles and I kept tabs on what was coming out each month, because there so many interesting papers about fats and oils.

I eventually became a reviewer and Associate Editor for the journal. I also organized sessions of the annual meeting and attended those meetings as well

After I became a registered patent agent, I decided that the INFORM trade magazine most needed more information about patents of interest to AOCS members.

3) How has AOCS contributed to your work?

One of the sore points of being a research scientist that when you are working on a project, you become the specialist on that project. At your company or institution, there are few colleagues that you can talk about your project, where they can come to on an informed level and help you design experiments or frame the questions. AOCS provides a community of experts to turn to and interact with to help advance one’s research. And the meetings are an essential place where you meet them, correspond with them and, maybe, you get one of their papers to review. AOCS courses are taught by very high-level scientists. In AOCS the collegial atmosphere is very strong. There was always a sense of being welcomed by the veteran scientists, that you are part of the AOCS community and that your research is respected. That is something that you normally do not get in a laboratory work setting, but you do get through AOCS – this sense of belonging, a sense of recognition, the sense of people respecting your research.

4) What excites you most about your work?

The opportunity to work with members, to interact with bright people, to bring the methods of these bright scientists into published reality, to help analytical chemists succeed in the Laboratory Proficiency Program and become certified Approved Chemists.

I also relish the chance that I get to represent the interests of AOCS members and stakeholders before the international standardization organization and Codex Alimentarius because these are the world level organizations. 

5) What do you like to do when you are not at work or participating in meetings?

I have been training martial arts for over 40 years and continue to practice Kung Fu every morning. I also train in Japanese martial arts with nostalgic weapons like swords. I have an old British sports car that usually requires some tinkering with. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Registration discount for the Society of Cosmetic Chemists’ 74th Annual Scientific Meeting & Showcase




The Society of Cosmetic Chemists' 74th Annual Meeting & Showcase will take place online, December 7-11. AOCS members can take advantage of the discounted rate offered to SCC Members when you use the code AOCS20SCC

Five full days of cosmetic science education, two keynotes and eight scientific sessions, a virtual poster and showcase floor. With full meeting registration, you will receive access to all sessions across the five-day meeting including presentations on formulation, sustainability, regulatory, safety and/or claims specific to the following topics: 

  • Beauty Personalization & Technology; 
  • Color & Optical Effects; 
  • Cosmetic Dermatology: 
  • Skin Microbiome  & Epigenetics; 
  • Hair Care Innovation & Market Trends; 
  • Natural/Sustainable in Cosmetics & Personal Care; 
  • Personal Care/Cosmetics Impact & the COVID-19 Pandemic; 
  • Sun Care & Beyond; 
  • Technologies & Trends In Ingredients

The Low-Grade Energy Dilemma: How Vertical Plate Technology is Solving an Age-Old Problem: A spotlight on Soybean 360 speaker Stan Pala

 Learn about Stan Pala's Soybean 360 presentation | Meet Stan Pala 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium. The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Stan Pala, an AOCS member since 2020. 

Read on to learn more about Stan Pala's Soybean 360 presentation, the biggest problem he encountered in his most recent project, and how he got involved with AOCS.

Stan Pala's Soybean 360 presentation

"The Low-Grade Energy Dilemma: How Vertical Plate Technology is Solving an Age-Old Problem" will be part of the session Efficiencies in Processing and Production on Monday, December 7, 2020.

Presentation description: The transformation of low-grade energy available in most soybean and other common oilseeds processing plants (as waste energy or byproduct) offers a unique opportunity for plants to increase processing margins, reduce overall energy consumption and emissions. However, low-grade energy has historically posed challenges when looking to transform and re-use it in the crushing process. It has also been associated with the need for large heat transfer areas and high associated installation costs.

Vertical plate technology addresses these challenges – first by offering twice as much heat transfer area than traditional tube technology that is currently used in many vertical seed conditioners, and second, doing so within the same volume. The pattern, typical for plates, benefits from high turbulent flow inside the plates. This allows decreasing flow rate in the recovery loop to maximize efficiency of the heat recovery.

Meet Stan Pala

For nearly a decade, Stan has played an integral role in championing Solex Thermal’s efforts within the world’s oilseeds market. Initially focused on canola applications in Canada, he moved to Europe in 2016 where he led the company’s expansion into applications such as rapeseed and sunflower. As global director of oilseeds, Stan is now focused on applying indirect plate heat transfer technology to new regions, as well as developing more robust conditioning, cooling and heat-recovery solutions throughout the oilseeds processing steps.

1) What discoveries from your previous research inform the work you plan to discuss at Soybean 360? 

With more than 60 installations involving conditioning rapeseed, soybean and sunflower conditioners around the world, Solex Thermal has a proven solution that allows for the recovery of waste, low-grade energy. This solution is a relatively simple concept that involves identifying and assessing the source of waste energy, and then matching it with the technology for recovery purposes. 

2) What is the significance of the research you plan to discuss at Soybean 360, either for future research routes or for real-world applications? 

Recovering waste, low-grade energy in oilseeds needs to be well-considered and balanced. The sweet spot between energy recovery efficiency and investment costs ensures a reasonable return on investment. The final concept will define the technology used for recovery. 

3) Describe the biggest problem you encountered and solved during your most recent project? 

Reasonable payback time that is needed to budget and approve the project. While the payback time varies between companies, government or environmental subsidies, this technology can often help to improve the rate at which companies can realize the benefits. That said, this is not the case for all countries where companies still lack the proper support needed to move these important carbon-reducing projects forward.

4) How did you get involved with AOCS? 

Solex has a long-term relationship with AOCS, including as an active member within the Canadian division and as a participant in many of the organization’s educational sessions throughout the year. We appreciate how AOCS provides a common platform for organizations like Solex to communicate with potential processors and share innovative industry solutions. 

5) What excites you most about your work?

Each installation means a reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into atmosphere. Our work helps create a more sustainable future.

Registration for the symposium is free.

Monday, November 23, 2020

School Lunch Programs: Opportunities for Soy Nutrition: A spotlight on Dr. Juan Andrade Laborde

  Learn about Dr. Andrade Laborde's Soybean 360 presentation | Meet Dr. Andrade Laborde 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium. The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Dr. Juan Andrade Laborde, an AOCS member since 2020. 

Read on to learn more about Dr. Andrade Laborde's Soybean 360 presentation, the biggest problem he encountered in his most recent project, and how AOCS has contributed to his career.

Dr. Andrade Laborde's Soybean 360 presentation

"School Lunch Programs: Opportunities for Soy Nutrition" will be part of the session Opportunities to Expand Nutrition at Scale in the School Feeding Market on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

Presentation description: The benefits of school feeding programs have been well documented and fit well with our global sustainable development goals. School programs reduce absenteeism, short-term hunger, and alleviate the effects of undernutrition on cognitive performance as the midday lunches can offer high energy, quality protein and missing micronutrient for children. Day meals can cover at least 40% of the energy needs of children, however, it often provides less than 30% of the daily caloric requirement. Meal programs can also increase the amount of quality protein per weight. Most of the protein is mostly from staples such as maize and sorghum and not legumes or animal sources. School meals can be targeted to bring a large quota of micronutrients (>50% of EAR) for children, especially of iodine, vitamin A, iron, and vitamin D; all of which are important for growth, development and immunity. Current programs could benefit from additional fortification beyond what staples might already bring. Finally, programs could be better entry points for behavior change to enhance health and nutrition outcomes of teenage girls who normally are not targeted by large intervention programs. Soybeans can bring nutrition to school programs in a cost-effective manner. Soybeans are energy-dense legumes, are unique sources of complete protein, and rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Soybeans can complement the menus of many school lunch programs either as flour, texturized protein versions, or as processed products such as soy milk, tofu, or fried and baked goods. Soybeans can bring nutrition at a cost, and thus, complement the value of other plant- and animal-based items in school menus.

Meet Dr. Andrade Laborde

A brief biography: Juan E. Andrade Laborde is an associate professor of global food and nutrition at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville. He holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences from Zamorano University, Honduras, and a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from Purdue University. Dr. Andrade's long-term goal is to develop sustainable strategies that can be used to deliver adequate nutrition, especially micronutrients, to residents of low-resource countries and thereby help to promote human health and economic development. His research interests are focused on innovative concepts for food fortification, point-of-use sensing technologies for micronutrients in fortified foods, reformulation of relief food products, and service, experiential learning education programs. Dr. Andrade Laborde is an affiliated faculty in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Food Systems Institute, the Center for Latin American Studies and the Center for African Studies at UF. He is also a research affiliate at the USAID’s Livestock Innovation Lab (LSIL – hosted at UF) and the PI of the Human Nutrition Team at the USAID’s Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL – hosted at Illinois). Dr. Andrade Laborde is a member of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the American Society for Nutrition.

1) What discoveries from your previous research will inform the work you plan to discuss at Soybean 360?

I will talk about improving school nutrition at a scale using soybeans. Some of the work that I have done in the past at the University of Illinois, my previous institution, dealt with micronutrient malnutrition. A couple of years ago, I started working with the Soybean Innovation Lab, one of USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative research for development laboratories. Our nutrition team focuses on how we can improve the utilization of soybeans for human nutrition. This role matches quite well with the line of work on improving the delivery of micronutrients in foods. 

Legumes are extremely nutrient-dense foods. Importantly, a differentiating factor between soybeans and other legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils and fava beans, is that soybeans are more nutritious from the angle of quality protein content. They are also rich in unsaturated oils, which are good for brain function and prebiotic fiber that could help the growth of good bacteria. They also contain a good quota of vitamins, like K and E as well as folic acid, which is important for women of a reproductive age.

So, the work at SIL is a great transition from thinking about specific delivery vehicles and then thinking about wholefoods; in this case, soybeans. It is something I am trying to understand in my work not just through AOCS but also through IFT (the Institute of Food Technologist) and the American Society of Nutrition (ASN). There are other organizations and the overall goal is to bring these whole nutritious foods to scale to improve diets in low- and middle-income countries.

It is good to know that these populations are reaching nutrients, macro and micronutrients, but the challenge is how we can continue to make this nutrition cost-effective. The conversation that I am bringing to the symposium is about how we can make it cost-effective for these niche populations, and we argue soybeans can be part of this solution.

2) What is the significance of the research you plan to discuss at the Symposium, either for future research routes or real-world applications?

With the work, we are trying to do with the Soybean Innovation Lab, our focus is translational, which is relevant to the funds we receive through the U.S. Government. What I mean by translation is that we take those bench applications and just tweak it with a little bit more funding, to add that research that is The work at the Soybean Innovation Lab is translational, which is relevant to the intention of the funds we receive from the U.S. Government. What I mean by translation is that we take those bench applications as evidenced in the literature and just tweak them, with a little bit of more funding, to bring these applications to the populations that can use them and benefit from them, and thus result in  larger impacts.

In the case of human nutrition, the conversation is about diets. Nobody talks about nutrients. People talk about diets, but then you have to understand the sources of nutrition to strategize how to pull them together into a wholesome diet. This is the challenge for school feeding programs in countries, i.e. how to make meal plans that are scalable, inexpensive, delicious and yet nutritious.  

Our goal is for soybeans to be part of institutional feeding as well as for the whole population. In some cases, some countries have accepted soybeans as part of their diet to the point that there is a lot of growers producing soybeans. The key is how to link these growers to processors in order to make the incorporation of this legume scalable.

Soybeans are one of the most processed legumes in the world, compared to chickpeas lentils and any other type of legumes that normally require boiling cooking, and then eat. So, why not soybeans? You can do many things with them.

Other research that we are also doing in my laboratory is understanding, for example, how germination and extrusion can increase the digestibility of starch and protein while reducing inhibitors of nutrient absorption, which could help with their inclusion in school lunches.

Most processing companies in Sub-Saharan Africa might have access to some of the basic operations like milling, heating, crushing, etc., but extrusion seems to be something harder to do. But the argument here is that how we can expand these concepts of making different products that include soybeans as ingredients. Cereal and legume blends could be used in several staple dishes, which might be more advantageous flavor- and cost-wise, and for scalability to have very low-cost foods that probably are easier to prepare and eat.

These elements contribute to designing foodstuffs that can better be accepted by populations should be included in this equation. If people do not like it or are unable to access it, regardless of how nutritious it is, the food will not have any desired effect.


3) Describe the biggest problems you encountered during your most recent project.

In my laboratory, we have many projects ongoing, which means we encounter many problems. One of the things that we started testing is the issue of soybean flour instability. That is something that we find the AOCS community can help us with resources to guide and tell us which direction to go. 

Soybeans are made of about 17-18% oil, which is very useful and can make a very profitable business by selling the oil. The remaining material is highly proteinaceous, about 50% protein, which is great for feeding humans or animals, but it depends on the process.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the great majority of soybean oil crushing companies are still expelling oil mechanically; which renders the protein product of lesser value. This is not the case for companies using solvent to extract oil. So, this may present a significant technological problem that the countries such as the United States do not have to deal with because we have built-in structures to extract oil using solvents and processes down the pipeline that maximizes the use of this proteinaceous leftover.

In the lower-income countries, you start finding that these operations are less common, and normally processors do not have access to them because of their cost. Our goal is to find ways to make these kinds of processing more accessible. So, we started looking at how we can use full-fat soy flour, for example, as a way to blend into different complementary foods.

Complementary foods are given to infants after six months of exclusive breastfeeding. We argue that soybeans are more nutritious before extensive processing. As soon as we split soybeans for oil or other specific applications, you dilute its initial nutrition value.

These considerations then led to the conversation on how we can make it more stable, more or less flavorful, using different blends of other cereals such as maize, or in the case of complementary foods, mixed with orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and fish meal. The goal here is to increase protein content while limiting the changes to the foods people are used to.

Perhaps more importantly, we have to consider how long it will last under the conditions of high temperature and humidity that are prevalent in most of the tropic and subtropics. You are dealing with something that has a significant amount of oxidizable oil, which limits its use as oxidation affects its shelf life. 

So, successful products must have a good flavor and bring ample nutrition to the families that will buy these products. But we have to be sure the end products are not too offensive to the palates or their pockets.

Another concern associated with preservation is food safety and waste management. 

Some companies deal with physical safety concerns, not pathogen, bacterial or viral infections or contamination of their products, but actually removing stones, removing plastic removing metals from the food supply. 

Once the industry becomes more sophisticated in terms of processing, they can create more sophisticated products, which benefits the whole population and is scalable so that it does not hurt family budgets. 

Combined with the expertise professionals based in higher-income countries with processors in Sub-Saharan Africa, we think that we may arrive at practical ideas and simple switches that these companies can make, adopting new technologies, or sourcing technologies from other countries. For example, the great majority of companies in Sub-Saharan Africa bring equipment from India and China.

We hope this symposium will inspire processors to find new methods to increase nutrition and safety, while remaining energy efficient. The symposium is an opportunity for them to understand the newest innovations and more pragmatic ideas for them to start changing behaviors towards producing more delicious, nutritious, inexpensive, culturally acceptable, and safer products. At SIL, we argue that the companies in Africa are ready for that, they are ready for the challenge. They want to be part of the solution but they want to be heard and need our help. And I think this Symposium will help us with that.

4) How did you get involved with AOCS?

As a scientist, I knew of AOCS, however, I am a member of two other societies, the Institute of Food Technologies and also the American Society for Nutrition. In terms of finding enough extracurricular activities and presenting to knowledge networks, all of these groups are great.

AOCS is a great group for my work given its specific focus on oils and to, some degree, protein and protein extraction. Before I left the University of Illinois, after a number of conversations with Patrick Donnelly, I got a tour of AOCS’ headquarters and had the opportunity to talk with some of the folks there. The diversity of the members in the Society from chemistry to applied sciences got me thinking that – maybe there are other opportunities for us to work in these niche areas and bring them together to consider whole soy, including protein, oils, etc.

That made me think that this group is potentially more assertive about bringing these pragmatic solutions because the great majority of the members are from the food industry. Often companies do not have time to do much basic research and are driven to make decisions and make things happen. 

When beginning to plan the Symposium, the most positive response I received was from AOCS. That support is something I value tremendously. It has taken no time at all to feel part of an organization that is accomplishing things with real-world implications.

5) How has AOCS contributed to the advancement of your research?

Once we became members, I told my Ph.D. Students to become members and that has allowed us to access a lot of information in AOCS journals, which is helping us to catch up to scientists in the United States, Europe and other countries. We can ask questions to the larger network and the members are quick to reply. I wish I can meet these colleagues. They have really impacted our work.

Interestingly, this information about soybeans is not new, it has been out there for a while. AOCS’s libraries and journals and their overall content curation have been immensely helpful in pushing our research forward. Nonetheless, this information is not context-specific and here is where our job is to make it relevant for those communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

So, that is very direct way that we have been able to benefit significantly from these partnerships and participating as members.

6) What excites you most about your work?

In my work, I wear many hats, but the reward I get from working with the Soybean Innovation Lab is immense. I can see things that we are developing with partners in Sub-Saharan Africa that can have larger impact. I am just one piece of this puzzle that facilitates changes because we have access to funds to facilitate research.

The families can apply these technologies and use these materials to make complementary foods at home, for example, and that brings nutrition to a household. Of course, we are thousands of miles away from these places, so the whole credit is theirs and unfortunately, we do not get to see these impacts directly.

Now, we are joining the processors that can bring applications to scale. Maybe there are hurdles that seem difficult at first. Nonetheless, with the AOCS’s cadre of experts from different parts of the world, with the support of these partnerships and the support of these networks, we can successfully address these challenges.

7) What do you like to do when you are not in the lab or presenting your work at symposia or meetings?

Actually, when I can, I sleep!  I guess that's the case for most scientists nowadays.

It seems that we are inundated with all these meetings – more people join meetings via Zoom, but we only have one ear in the meeting, the other ear is actually on the phone or doing something else. It just incredible how much multitasking occurs now, and that leads to a lot of stress. Resilience and mental health is something that we have not focused enough on, not as academics or as a society. 

To recharge, we as a family, which includes two kids, play board games as much as we can.

We bring it to a table in a park to play, just to see people! We binge watch shows that are quite calming such as on aspects of culture or food, or that makes us laugh as it seems we need more of it.  

I also love sci-fi shows and books, because more often than not they predict the future.

They also deal with interesting questions like how we can deal with limited resources or consider how the next pandemic could start and how we should better prepare ourselves.

Before the pandemic, we loved to entertain, bringing colleagues, friends and students together. We love to cookout. Food is a tremendous presence in our lives. I could talk about food for forever, it is so tied to memories of our childhood, of our family and friends. 

Registration for the symposium is free.

Opportunities to Expand Nutrition at Scale in the School Feeding Market: a spotlight on Soybean 360 moderator Fabiola Dionisi, Ph.D.

Meet Dr. Dionisi 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium. The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Dr. Fabiola Dionisi, an AOCS member since 2014. Dr. Dionisi has been very involved with the Health and Nutrition Division as a Chair; she is also part of the AOCS Governing Board.

Read on to learn more about the session Dr. Dionisi is involved with, how she got involved with the symposium, and what most excites her about her work.

The Soybean 360 session Dr. Dionisi will moderate

Opportunities to Expand Nutrition at Scale in the School Feeding Market will occur on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Current academic research, field opportunities and characteristics of successful school feeding programs enhanced with soybeans in Sub-Saharan Africa will be shared in this session. Presenters from research and development institutions will review economic case studies from school systems, in addition to a review of processor lessons learned. Additionally, researchers will review key nutrition information and thoughts on improving school protein availability in schools at scale, and in smaller communities. Read more about this session.

Meet Dr. Dionisi


Fabiola Dionisi holds an MSc in Food Science and Technology, an MSc in Nutritional Medicine and a Ph.D. in Food Biotechnologies. After two years spent in the research and development (R&D) sector of the cosmetics industry, she joined Nestlé in 1994 where she has occupied different positions, such as Group Leader, Department Head and Network Leader. As a Lipid Senior Expert, Fabiola has contributed to the scientific content and the business impact of numerous R&D projects in the area of Quality, Nutrition and Food Material Science. She is part of the AOCS Governing Board and the Chair of the Health & Nutrition Division.

1) How did you get involved with Soybean 360?

Through AOCS, I have met a few people involved in Soybean 360. On few different occasions, we had very interesting scientific discussions and that was how I got introduced to Soybean 360.

2) How does your work intersect with Soybean 360 as a whole or how does it intersect with the specific session with which you are involved?

At Nestlé Research, I am leading the Lipid Network, a virtual team of lipid experts from all over Nestlé R&D. Part of our work consists of keeping abreast on development and innovation in the field of fats and oils for food applications. Soybean oil is an important raw material as a source of both proteins and lipids. Soybean 360 is an excellent platform to understand more about this topic and relevant recent innovations as well as a fantastic opportunity to discuss key features and challenges for affordable, nutritious and sustainable products for Sub-Saharan Africa.

3) How did you get involved with AOCS? 

AOCS has been part of my professional experience since the beginning of my career. Already as young student I looked at AOCS as the reference in my area of expertise, fats and oils. Since 1997, I have regularly participated in AOCS annual meetings as a speaker, session chair and judge for several AOCS Awards. I am the Chair of the Health & Nutrition Division and a member of the AOCS Governing Board. Within AOCS I have developed interesting professional relationships and friendships – it feels like home.

4) How has AOCS contributed to the advancement of your research?

AOCS represents a fantastic platform of networking and exchanges where representatives from academia, government and industry can meet and discuss. The technical programs of different AOCS meetings have been extremely relevant for my scientific development and the participants are key for the development of my network. 

5) What excites you most about your work?

From a young age, I was interested in science and aspired to be a scientist. Then I started to be interested in food and that is when I discovered an incredible universe that deeply touches our lives. Through my work I feel I can do the right thing for consumers, providing products that are safe, tasty, nutritious and good for the planet. 

The large variety of topics covered in my work excites me the most, as well as the possibility to look at food in a holistic way, from quality, safety, technology, nutrition and sustainability.

6) What do you like to do when you are not participating in meetings?

I like all aspects of food from cooking to reading about food to exploring new tastes and textures. I also enjoy photography and generally discussing food products. Of course, I enjoy sharing all that with my family and friends. I also like to take long walks in nature with my husband and I am looking forward to getting back to travelling once the Covid 19 pandemic is over.

Registration for the symposium is free.

30th Annual Practical Short Course on Feeds & Pet Food Extrusion; Feb. 1-5, 2021

As several events continue to be postponed, moved online, or canceled altogether as a result of COVID-19 concerns in the United States, Texas A&M University (TAMU) has announced its 30th  Annual Practical Short Course on Feeds & Pet Food Extrusion will be held live, online from Feb. 1-5, 2021.

A one-week Practical Short Course on Feeds & Pet Food Extrusion will be presented on Feb. 1-5, 2021 at Texas A&M University live online by staff, industry representatives, and consultants. The program will cover information on different extrusion systems such as Dry extruder, Expander, Single and Twin Screw extruder, designing new feed mills and selecting conveying, drying, grinding, conditioning and feed mixing equipment. Current practices for production of pet foods, preparing full-fat soy meal; recycling by-products and secondary resources; spraying and coating fats, digests and preservatives; use of encapsulated ingredients and preparation of premixes are reviewed. Reservations are accepted on a first-come basis. For more information, programs and application forms, contact:

Mian N. Riaz, Ph.D., CFS

mnriaz@tamu.edu

Holder of the Professorship in Food Diversity

Food Science and Technology Dept.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Request for participants in collaborative trial for ISO TS 23942: Animal and vegetable fats and oils – “Determination of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol in extra virgin olive oils – Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)”

 


ISO TS 23942 was published as a Technical Standard in July 2020 because there was insufficient validation data available that represented international countries and regions. The Ballot to approve the project to convert ISO TS 23942 to an International Standard after international validation data has been obtained is currently in progress (Draft Res N 1560). Should the ballot be approved (ending 8 January 2021) an international collaboration study will be performed.  

The UNI mirror Committee on Oils and Fats is preparing to organize the international collaborative validation study to obtain the required international validation data. The project, in brief, will entail the following:

  • 6 test samples of olive oil are expected to be dispatched by 8 March 2021
  • One of the 6 samples will be a pre-analyzed sample with a known hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol content and the chromatogram will be enclosed to be used by the laboratories as a trial sample
  • Results are to be reported within 8 weeks after sample arrival (around 3 May 2021)

Laboratories who are interested in taking part in the international validation of this method are invited to contact Project Leader, Dr Peirangela Rovellini, at pierangela.rovellini@mi.camcom.it and will need to fill out a participant form by 14 January 2021

Kailee Tkacz Buller named President of Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, Robert Collette to Retire

Kailee Tkacz Buller

The Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO) announced today that effective December 14, 2020 Kailee Tkacz Buller will join ISEO as the President. Tkacz Buller will succeed Robert Collette who is retiring after serving at the ISEO helm for over 13 successful years.  

Over the last three years Tkacz Buller has served various leadership roles at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) most recently as the Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky where she helped drive transformational change and operational efficiencies in human resources, budget, information technology, contracting, and customer service across the 100,000 employee Department. She has played pivotal roles in the 2018 Farm Bill negotiations and implementation, renewable fuel policy, and departmental strategy on COVID-19. She served as the Chief of Staff of the Research, Education, and Economics Department as well as a Policy and Congressional Advisor to Secretary Sonny Perdue.  

Prior to her time at USDA Tkacz Buller served in a variety of legislative and regulatory leadership roles at the Corn Refiners Association, SNAC International, and the National Grocers Association where she oversaw numerous committees, coalitions, and policy initiatives. She holds a Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives and a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Buffalo. 

"We are pleased to welcome Kailee to ISEO. She is a recognized strategic leader and visionary throughout the food industry supply chain. She understands our industry, our customers, and is well respected across Washington, D.C. She is the ideal person to lead ISEO into our next chapter in this increasingly challenging legislative and regulatory environment.”  said ISEO Advisory Committee Chair and Commercial Vice President of AAK USA Inc., Dennis Tagarelli.

Tagarelli continued, “On behalf of the ISEO Board and member companies Bob has been a tremendous advocate for ISEO members throughout his tenure leading our segment of the food industry through a major transition away from partially hydrogenated oils containing trans fat to a wide variety of technically innovative alternative products. He also worked tirelessly to help assure that the implementing rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act and National Bioengineered Disclosure Standard were fair, reasonable and achievable for our industry.  I want to sincerely thank Bob for his dedication and service and wish him the very best as he embarks on the next chapter of his life in retirement”.

Collette said, “It has been an honor to work for the ISEO organization and its members. The support from ISEO’s Board and Committee members has been incredibly strong resulting in a truly collaborative association-wide effort on advocacy initiatives. Kailee, with her impressive skill set and experience will be excellent fit and will undoubtedly allow ISEO to not only continue but also expand upon its mission.”

Tkacz Buller said “I look forward to building on Bob’s successful legacy and for the opportunity to work alongside ISEO member companies to navigate both the opportunities and challenges ahead for the fats and oils industry in this ever-changing complex customer and regulatory environment. From the local level to the international level, I will tirelessly advocate for this industry and for the needs of its member companies that represent such an essential component of the food industry supply chain”. 

Paul Miller and Michael Cooper, Managing Directors at Global Executive Search Firm Kincannon & Reed, conducted the 4-month search for ISEO President.

The Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO) is the national trade association representing the refiners of edible fats and oils in the United States. ISEO member companies produce over 21 billion pounds annually of domestic edible fats and oils used in baking and frying fats, cooking and salad oils, margarines, spreads, confections, toppings, and ingredients in a wide variety of foods. To learn more about ISEO visit www.iseo.org


Technical Innovations in Edible Oil Processing: a spotlight on Mark Matlock

 Meet Mark Matlock 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium. The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Mark Matlock, an AOCS member since 1991. Mark has been very involved with the Edible Applications Technology Division, is a past AOCS Governing Board President and is also an AOCS Fellow.

Read on to learn more about the session Mark Matlock is involved with, how he got involved with the symposium, and what most excites him about his work.

The Soybean 360 session Mark Matlock will moderate

Technical Innovations in Edible Oil Processing will occur on Thursday, December 3, 2020. Presented by industry experts, this session will review trends and potential opportunities in global edible oil processing and technical innovations in soybean and other edible oilseed processing. The process of extracting will be reviewed as well as different solutions to extraction challenges, including nanotechnology. Read more about this session.

Meet Mark Matlock 

Mark Matlock joined ADM in 1980, where he developed an analytical instrument to measure vegetable oil stability (OSI) that is widely used today. He has conducted enzymatic research leading to new soy protein ingredients and managed research that led to trans-free fats via an enzymatic interesterification technology. Mark Matlock is a past-president of the American Oil Chemists’ Society and an AOCS Fellow. He retired from ADM in 2019 as Sr. Vice President Food Research.

1) How did you get involved with Soybean 360?

I am a past AOCS Governing Board President and learned of Soybean 360 through AOCS CEO Patrick Donnelly and his wife Annette, who is a Visiting Research Specialist at Feed the Future, Soybean Innovation Lab.

2) How does your work intersect with Soybean 360 as a whole or how does it intersect with the specific session with which you are involved?

I worked at ADM Research for just under 40 years where I did research on soybean processing including oil refining and soy proteins for human consumption. I also developed an analytical instrument to measure the oxidative stability of vegetable oils.

3) How did you get involved with AOCS? 

I attended my first AOCS meeting in 1981 and all others since except for one in the 1990s. I became an AOCS Governing Board member through technical activities committee chairmanship and became AOCS Governing President in 2003. Through the years I have been involved in AOCS headquarters building selection as well as AOCS CEO and Technical Director recruitment and selection.

4) How has AOCS contributed to the advancement of your research?

Many of the analytical methods for fats and oils needed to become AOCS official methods to provide statistically accurate results for my industry. The AOCS annual meetings also are a forum to learn about the latest technical advances in oilseed processing. 

5) What excites you most about your work?

My work is all about improving nutrition globally, by for example eliminating trans fats with enzymatic interesterification technology or through healthier meat analogs from soy protein that also improve the sustainability of the food supply – having this kind of impact on so many people’s lives is what excites me about my work.

6) What do you like to do when you are not participating in meetings?

One of my hobbies is collecting and repairing vintage minicomputers from the 1970s. These were large rack-mounted systems that were used in laboratories to digitally integrate chromatography peaks, instead of cutting the paper shapes from strip chart recorders and weighing them.

Registration for the symposium is free.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Protein and Starch Interactions to Create Structure in Plant Based Foods: a spotlight on Soybean 360 presenter Alejandro Marangoni, Ph.D.

 Learn about Dr. Marangoni's Soybean 360 presentation | Meet Dr. Marangoni 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium. The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Dr. Alejandro Marangoni, an AOCS member since 1993. Dr. Marangoni has been very involved with the Edible Applications Technology Division as well as the Lipid Library and AOCS journals.

Read on to learn more about Dr. Marangoni's Soybean 360 presentation, the biggest problem he encountered in his most recent project, and how AOCS has contributed to his career.

Dr. Marangoni's Soybean 360 presentation

"Protein and Starch Interactions to Create Structure in Plant Based Foods" will be part of the session Innovations in Plant Protein Technology on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.

Learning objectives

  • Establish structural and mechanical requirements for plant-based meat analogues
  • Outline the design principles for the manufacture of plant-based meat products
  • Discuss technologies used for the manufacture of plant-based meat products.

Meet Dr. Marangoni

Alejandro G. Marangoni, Ph.D., FRSC, FAOCS, FIFT, FRSC (U.K.), is a Professor and Tier I Canada Research Chair in Food, Health and Aging at the University of Guelph, Canada.  His work concentrates on the physical properties of soft materials in foods, cosmetics and biolubricants. A prolific scientist with over 400 research papers, 85 book chapters, 13 books and 40 patents to his name, he is the recipient of many scientific awards throughout the world.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (The National Academy of Sciences), the American Oil Chemists’ Society, the Institute of Food Technologists and the Royal Society of Chemistry (U.K.).  He is the Editor in Chief of Current Opinion in Food Science and Current Research in Food Science. Marangoni was honored as one of the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians in 2012.

1) What discoveries from your previous research inform the work you plan to discuss at Soybean 360?
AM: My presentation will focus on the design principles for producing fibrous plant-based meat analogues to partially replace animal meat. This will allow us to live more sustainably, mitigate global warming and improve nutrition.

2) What is the significance of the research you plan to discuss at Soybean 360, either for future research routes or for real-world applications?
AM: We would aim to decrease the need for tropical rainforest destruction, both in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, for beef production. 

3) Describe the biggest problem you encountered and solved during your most recent project? 
AM: The biggest problem I encountered would likely be the general lack of knowledge on the physical and chemical characteristics of plant proteins responsible for their functionality, their availability and cost.  Specialty starches are very difficult to obtain too. 

4) How did you get involved with AOCS? 
AM: Back in 1993, I attended my first AOCS annual meeting.  I was working on enzymatic reactions in reverse micelles. 

5) How has AOCS contributed to the advancement of your research?
AM: AOCS is the place to come and learn about the latest and greatest research in lipid science, including chemistry, physics and engineering, from oil extraction, refining and transformation to the latest work on lipid nutrition.  

6) What excites you most about your work?
AM: The combination of practicality and fundamental science – you can study a system at the highest scientific level one day and find yourself working on a mundane applied problem the next, helping the industry, as a whole, advance and grow; it is very exciting. 

7) What do you like to do when you are not in the lab or presenting your work?
AM: I climb mountains, ride my bike in the forest or on trails, and keep in shape as much as I can.

Registration for the symposium is free.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Developing low-cost soy protein concentrates for expanding soy protein utilization: a spotlight on Soybean 360 speaker Dr. Keshun Liu

Meet Dr. Liu 

Soybean 360 is an international symposium organized by the Soybean Innovation Lab in partnership with AOCS. The symposium's vision is to share better practices and innovations with processors in Sub Saharan Africa and elsewhere, for efficient processing of food in the soybean value chain that meet DINES criteria: Delicious, Inexpensive, Nutritious, Environmentally and culturally sustainable, and Safe. Processors for both human and animal foods can benefit from the research and industry innovations, and networking opportunities available in this symposium. The symposium will occur November 30–December 11 from 8-11 a.m. CST (UTC-06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including nonmembers.

Leading up to the symposium, AOCS is spotlighting AOCS members participating in the event. This week we are featuring Dr. Keshun Liu, an AOCS member since 1992; in that time, he has been involved with the Protein and Co-Products Division as a newsletter editor, treasurer, vice chair and chairperson. 

Read on to learn more about Dr. Liu's Soybean 360 presentation, the biggest problem he encountered in his most recent project, and how AOCS has contributed to his career.

Dr. Liu's presentation, "Developing low-cost soy protein concentrates for expanding soy protein utilization," will be part of the session Innovations in Plant Protein Technology on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.

Meet Dr. Liu

Keshun Liu, Ph.D. is a Research Chemist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS).  Born in rural China, he received his M.S and Ph.D. degrees in Food Science from Michigan State University (USA) in 1986 and 1989, respectively, and did post-doctoral work at Coca-Cola Co. and the University of Georgia (USA) thereafter.  Prior to joining USDA-ARS in 2005, he was employed at Monsanto Co. and the University of Missouri.  Dr. Liu’s expertise in chemistry, processing and value-added utilization of soybeans has spanned over 35 years of his research career at academic institutions, private industry and governmental agency.  Over the years, Dr. Liu has authored or co-authored 137 publications, co-organized six international conferences, organized/co-organized 52 symposia for scientific meetings, and gave 110 technical presentations to domestic and international audiences. In addition, he has written, edited or co-edited four English reference books, including two on soybeans: Soybeans as functional foods and ingredients (AOCS Press, 2005) and Soybeans chemistry, technology and utilization (Chapman & Hall, 1997).  For his scientific achievements and contributions, Dr. Liu has received several prestigious awards, including the American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) Award of Merit (2010), AOCS Fellow (2011), Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Fellow (2014), and AOCS Protein & Co-Products Division Lifetime Achievement Award (2020).


1) What discoveries from your previous research do you plan to discuss at Soybean 360?

KL:  A few years ago, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, my colleagues and I worked on developing the low-cost soybean protein concentrates to expand soybean protein utilization. The work was partially sponsored by Indiana Soybean Alliance. At Soybean 360, I plan to discuss some results of this work, with emphasis on its relevance and food applications in the Sub-Saharan African region.

2) What is the significance of the research you plan to discuss at Soybean 360, either for future research routes or for real-world applications?

KL: Soybeans are used as food in many ways. Traditional soyfoods developed in the Far East are nutritious and delicious but unfortunately appeals less to the rest of the world.  Consequently, most of the annual global production (estimated at 360 million metric tons for 2020) is crushed and solvent-extracted into oil and defatted meal. The latter can be processed into soy flour, protein concentrate and protein isolate. These soy protein ingredients can then be incorporated into various local foods to suit broad tastes. 

In the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region, soybeans are also mechanically processed into oil and soy cake.  Although soy flour made from defatted soy meal or soy cake is least processed, its high content of oligosaccharides and phytate and characteristic beany flavor limit inclusion levels.  Soybean oligosaccharides cause flatulence while phytate reduces mineral absorption.  In contrast, soy protein concentrate (SPC) is better suited for protein enrichment and nutritional improvement in foods, since additional processing increases its protein content and reduces antinutrients and beany flavor.  Yet, there are two major constraints limiting SPC use in SSA: high production costs associated with current processing methods and limited availability. 

Therefore, I strongly believe that, with some modification, the method we developed for producing low-cost SPC is particularly suited in the SSA region.  Our strategies included choosing low-cost raw materials available in SSA (such as partially defatted soy cake), using alternative and environment-friendly solvents and employing low-cost drying methods.  Although, compared with the traditional SPC, the low-cost SPC is less functional and slightly lower in protein content, it is still superior over soy flour in terms of increased protein content, reduced oligosaccharide and phytate contents and less of a beany flavor.  More importantly, the low-cost SPC can be used in various local foods for protein enrichments, including but not limited to breakfast cereals, bakery products, patties, meatballs, and sausages, etc. Hopefully, it meets the DINES criteria for the SSA region: delicious, inexpensive, nutritious, environmentally and culturally sustainable and safe.   

3) Describe the biggest problem you encountered and solved during your most recent project? 

KL: My most recent research project was to improve assay methods for measuring trypsin inhibitor activity in soybeans and other products, carry out an international collaborative study and work with Dr. Scott Bloomer, Director of Technical Service, and his AOCS Method Committee to replace the current AOCS Ba 12-75 with the new proposed method, Ba 12a-20.  Toward the end of the project, we arrived at our biggest problem: at present, three units have commonly been used for expressing measured results: trypsin unit inhibited (an arbitrary unit)/mg sample, mg trypsin inhibited/g sample, and mg trypsin inhibitors/g sample. This makes comparing results among studies difficult and in some cases impossible. This problem has bothered many analysts for many years.  So, during the pandemic, my USDA lab has been very busy and we eventually were able to solve the problem.  A new manuscript entitled “Trypsin inhibitor assay: expressing, calculating and standardizing inhibitor activity in absolute amounts of trypsin or trypsin inhibitors” was submitted to the Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society in early September. It is currently under review.

4) How did you get involved with AOCS? 

KL: I first joined AOCS in 1992 after I met Dr. Frank Ortheofer, a well-known oil chemist.  Soon after joining, I met many AOCS colleagues, who were leaders of many AOCS Divisions at that time, including Drs. Tim Mounts (sadly who died a few years later), Gary List, John Power, Fred Shih, Peter Wong, Richard Wilson, Mark Matlock, Larry Johnson, Deland Myers and Fereidoon Shahidi, to name a few. They all encouraged me to get involved.  So, I started serving the AOCS Protein and Co-Products Division as a newsletter editor.  I then moved on to serve as a member-at-large, treasurer, vice chair and all the way up to the Division chairperson.  

5) How has AOCS contributed to the advancement of your research?

KL: Over the years, my membership and volunteer experiences at AOCS have enhanced my knowledge, broadened my connections and contributed to my research achievements in many ways. By attending AOCS annual meetings and interacting with AOCS colleagues, I learn what peers are doing on oilseeds and protein products relating to my research. This in turn helps me identify new research areas and use the most up-to-date research tools. The support and encouragement I have received from AOCS colleagues over the years have also been very important. Furthermore, the achievement awards I have received over the years, including the AOCS Award of Merit, AOCS Fellow Award, and the most recent award, the Proteins and Co-Products Division Lifetime Achievement Award, have brought much-deserved recognition to my employer, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, for supporting scientists’ success in their areas of interest.

6) What excites you most about your work?

KL:  In one case, you have an idea or hypothesis, then your lab observation proves it.  In another case, your research observation does not confirm what you have anticipated or hypothesized.  Yet, your unexpected result turns out to be a new finding.   

7) What do you like to do when you are not in the lab or presenting your work?

KL: At work, I read journal articles, review manuscripts, draft new manuscripts, revise manuscripts, interact with my technician and write research grant proposals, etc. When off work, I grow and care for fruits and vegetables in my backyard garden, jog along my neighborhood streets, watch the news, read magazines, etc.


Registration for the symposium is free.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

AOCS Corporate Member Spotlight: DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences



Sterling Bollman, the head of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales at AOCS, talked with David Guilfoyle, the Senior Group Manager in the Bakery, Fats and Oils Division of DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences based in Delaware, USA. 

In this conversation, AOCS learned about innovations DuPont has developed and what really sets them apart from their competitors. So, please enjoy our next installment in the Corporate Member Spotlight series and learn more about DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences.

Thanks for joining me David and thanks for continuing our “Corporate Member” series with DuPont. My first question is a basic, background one. What types of products and services does your company provide?

DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences provides technical, functional ingredients to improve and enhance the products that customers are bringing to the marketplace. We are the only food ingredient supplier of in-house global production network of enzymes, probiotics and cultures, plant-based proteins, emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, antimicrobials and antioxidants.

DuPont also provides technical services and training for the use of our ingredients and is available to provide initial start-up of production when using our ingredients. 

Dealing in the nutrition and bioscience field, you must have your fair share of competitors. What would you say sets DuPont apart from others that offer similar products and services?

Most other ingredient suppliers are blending houses and do not manufacture their own ingredient materials. DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences not only manufactures our own ingredients, but we also have a full understanding of how those ingredients work from a molecular level, thus providing a deep-level understanding of how the ingredients function within each of the different application areas. 

DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences is also able to redesign many of the ingredients to fit within the consumer expectations. For example, DuPont manufactures and sells not only the synthetic ingredients that have been used for many years, but we also have a deep understanding for what those ingredients do and how they function. We can manufacture and sell “Clean Label” options from our extensive portfolio as well. 

Thanks for that breakdown! With all the focus on quality, there must be plenty of opportunities for innovation. What’s an innovation you are proud to offer at DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences? 

At DuPont, we recently created and launched a new emulsifier that not only functions better than its counterparts but is also made for sustainability, improving costs at the customer and improving the environment with reduced logistics and storage. The recent innovation is called GRINDSTED® NG-100, which is a non-GMO emulsifier that replaces monoglyceride hydrates.

We also have a new range of enzymes and are continually improving enzyme technology for all application areas within the food industry. The newest range of enzymes has the capacity to replace synthetic ingredients and allow customers to go “Clean Label” in their formulations. In Bakery applications, this is called the POWERBake® 6000 range. 

An emphasis on innovation is incredibly important, especially during these tough times. In what ways has the COVID19 situation affected DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences and what do you foresee being your biggest challenges in the upcoming year?

COVID-19 is an unfortunate situation, globally, and DuPont has been on the forefront to bring solutions across all industries affected by the pandemic. DuPont is the creator and manufacturer of Tyvek®, which protects the healthcare workers on the frontlines of this massive pandemic. 

We have taken measures to protect our employees and customers by requiring PPE in our facilities, plus multiple temperature checks throughout the workday. DuPont takes employee safety very seriously as that is one of the CORE values that we live by daily. COVID-19 has created a unique demand from our customers all the way to the consumers and, so far, our plants continue to operate safely and effectively. 

As far as challenges, DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences always looks forward to the next challenge, as those challenges bring opportunities for solutions. The biggest challenge for us will be the merger with IFF (the food flavorings producer) in early 2021 and that integration will bring loads of new opportunities, not only internally, but also externally for our customers. 

It is good to know that DuPont values employee safety as highly as it does while still being able to provide for your customer base. Thank you so much David for taking time out of your day to speak to me more about your company. This will be a great opportunity for people to learn more about what you do. Before I let you go, I do have one more important question. Why is being a Corporate Member of AOCS important to you? 

Corporate membership with AOCS is incredibly important to Dupont Nutrition and Biosciences! It brings new networking opportunities and allows us to get out in the marketplace with our story about what we do and how we can help companies with solving their problems. Without AOCS, we may not have access to those markets. 

Thanks again for reading and thanks to David Guilfoyle and his colleagues at DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences for taking part in our AOCS Corporate Member Spotlight Series. Make sure to visit their website and learn more information! You can also connect with them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Join us next time to see who we feature next!