In our last feature, we highlighted the diversity of services offered by our extension and laboratory teams that can help your organization. Our team members’ vast expertise in a broad range of categories makes these services possible. Our team’s collaboration with industry has allowed us to focus our skills and resources on what is needed in the field. If you have a question or would like to utilize our resources, reach out to any member of our team- chances are we can help. Read more about our team members and their expertise below:

• Dr. Martin Wiedmann- Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety: With his training as both a veterinarian and food scientist, Martin’s programs focus on a comprehensive and interdisciplinary farm-to-table approach to food safety and quality. Martin also serves as co-director of the New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. Extension efforts in the area of dairy processing and dairy microbiology focus on the production of safe and high quality fluid milk, cheese, yogurt, and other fermented dairy products in New York State. Food safety extension efforts cut across commodities and include training as well as applied field research with dairy, seafood, meat, and produce producers as well as processors as well as retail establishments. Expertise: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, whole genome sequencing, environmental monitoring, microbial sampling and testing. He regularly visits plants to audit or help develop pathogen environmental programs or to do mock FDA swabathons and mock outbreak investigations. Companies also often ask him to be on calls with FDA, particularly if the calls involve Listeria and/or whole genome sequencing.

• Dr. Nicole Martin– Associate Director of the Milk Quality Improvement Program: Nicole’s research interests include the transmission, control and detection of dairy-associated spoilage microorganisms and pathogens. Specific areas of focus include; i) characterization and tracking of sporeforming bacteria from the farm environment throughout dairy foods processing systems; ii) detection and evaluation of post-processing contaminants in dairy foods; iii) development of environmental monitoring programs for pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in dairy processing facilities, and; iv) development of molecular methods for characterization of dairy associated fungal contaminants. Expertise: Sporeforming bacteria, Indicator organisms, raw milk quality, processed dairy product quality, spoilage

• Dr. Sam Alcaine– Assistant Professor:  Sam’s research program focuses on enhancing dairy sustainability through microbiology. His lab focuses on two key areas: i) the use of bacteria, phage, and their metabolic products (enzymes, bacteriocins, organic acids, etc) to control spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms and thus prevent dairy product loss and waste; and ii) the use microbial fermentations to transform underutilized or wasted dairy by-products into valued-added foods and ingredients.  Expertise:  Dairy microbiology; food safety; microbial fermentations; protective cultures and enzymes.

• Dr. Aljosa Trmcic– Extension Associate: Al is an experienced food microbiologist specializing in dairy quality and safety with a demonstrated history of serving the dairy industry domestically and abroad through work in academia and government. As part of his support to the dairy industry, he is involved in research on reducing the spoilage of fluid milk and cheese with a large focus on how predictive mathematical modeling can help in this process. Expertise: Dairy microbiology; dairy processing; dairy chemistry; food fermentation; starter and protective cultures; food safety; environmental monitoring; mathematical modeling and risk assessment.

• Kimberly Bukowski– Extension Professional: ​ Kimberly Bukowski is part of the Dairy Food Science Extension team at Cornell University where she provides leadership for the Dairy Foods Certificate Program, including program oversight, marketing, and development. Kim also provides Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) consulting and training to the industry. She is a certified Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Auditor and Trainer. She is a lead instructor for FSPCA Preventive Controls and FSVP and has performed workshops for the “Preventive controls qualified individual” and FSVP. Kim’s career in the dairy food industry includes working in dairy quality and processing, plant management, brand development, and building a facility to manufacture and sell ice cream.  She managed the Borden’s Ice Cream Plant, the Cornell Dairy Plant, Kimberly’s Ice Cream and has performed 3^rd party audits in over 150 plants in the US. Expertise: Dairy plant auditing; food safety systems; GFSI-Safe Quality Foods; good manufacturing practices; dairy manufacturing; ice cream; FSMA Preventive Controls

• Rob Ralyea– Senior Extension Associate: Rob offers individual assistance to processors and milk plant operators to help troubleshoot specific problems to improve the safety, quality, and consumer acceptability of milk and milk products. He works with NYS Agriculture and Markets in providing annual updates for dairy specialists, conducts training programs for Dairy Processing Plant Superintendents, provides resource information for small entrepreneurs starting dairy processing businesses involving cows, goats or sheep and participates on dairy industry committees concerned with equipment, processing and the environment. Rob also oversees the Food Production and Development Laboratory, Cornell University’s state-of-the-art food research space. Expertise: Dairy systems environmental microbiology, dairy processing microbiology, product processing and regulations; small-scale dairy production, food defense and risk assessment, FSMA Preventive Controls Trainer, recognized Process Authority, cheese processing, cheese judging, dairy product development.

•  Anika Gianforte– Dairy Processing Specialist: Anika works directly with dairy processors to assist them with troubleshooting issues and developing food safety and quality tools for the production of superior and safe dairy products. She works with both new and established processors to communicate resources, develop programs, or provide training. She also focuses on assisting fluid milk manufacturers in expanding the shelf-life of their products through processing best practices. Anika works collaboratively with dairy processors, regulatory agencies, economic development agencies, and suppliers to promote economic development in dairy foods manufacturing and to deliver additional economic resources to dairy plants. Anika received her BS in Food Science and MPS in Food and Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. Expertise: Dairy foods systems; dairy product manufacturing; food safety systems; FSMA Preventive Controls Trainer; economic development

• Karen Ospina– Dairy Processing Specialist: ​ Karen is a native of Colombia, and a graduate of Veterinary school from Universidad San Martin in Bogota – Colombia. She has a background in milk production quality control and uses her dairy experience to assist new and existing dairy processors in reaching their goals. Karen focuses on assisting dairy manufacturers with the development of improved good manufacturing practices and standard operating procedures, and assists in troubleshooting quality issues. She also works specifically with fluid milk manufacturers on continuous improvement of fluid milk shelf-life. Leveraging her Spanish language skills, Karen is also able to assist processors in New York and beyond by translating important resources and training material. By delivering dairy processing workshops in Spanish, Karen is able to reach an audience that is currently underserved.  Expertise: Spanish translation; food safety systems; good manufacturing practices