Author Archives: ahs24

Recent Dairy Research Publications – January 2022

Chen, Long, Yadwinder Singh Rana, Dennis R. Heldman, and Abigail B. Snyder. “Environment, Food Residue, and Dry Cleaning Tool All Influence the Removal of Food Powders and Allergenic Residues from Stainless Steel Surfaces.” Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 75 (January 1, 2022): 102877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2021.102877.

Liu, Dasong, Tingting Yang, Yacine Hemar, Joe M. Regenstein, and Peng Zhou. “Physico-Chemical and Functional Properties of Milk Protein Concentrates Obtained Using a Two-Stage Decalcification Approach.” International Dairy Journal 126 (March 1, 2022): 105216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2021.105216.

Rivera Flores, Viviana K., Timothy A. DeMarsh, Patrick A. Gibney, and Samuel D. Alcaine. “Fermentation of Dairy-Relevant Sugars by Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, and Brettanomyces: An Exploratory Study with Implications for the Utilization of Acid Whey, Part I.” Fermentation 7, no. 4 (December 2021): 266. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation7040266.

Symposium: Towards a True Systems Approach to Reducing Food Loss and Waste from Farm-to-Table

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Symposium: Towards a True Systems Approach to Reducing Food Loss and Waste from Farm-to-Table

Tuesday, March 15, 2022	12:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST (US & Canada)
Wednesday, March 16, 2022	12:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST (US & Canada)

All sessions will be held online via Zoom

Reducing food waste and loss and enhancing the sustainability of global food systems is clearly a hot topic. However, the subject is a lot more complicated and complex than some may think. This virtual symposium will not only address different implementation ready and emerging technology solutions, but also will discuss the economics of food waste and loss reduction and the implementation challenges. The symposium is designed to provide valuable information for industry and those interested in making decisions as to how to reduce food waste and loss as well as funding agencies and academics, who would like to better understand the challenges and opportunities in this field.

Hosted by the Cornell University Department of Food Science

in partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

co-sponsored by

Cornell Atkinson

Center for Sustainability

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Business of Food Initiative

Cornell Institute for Food Systems

Industry Partnership Program

Registration required:

Please register HERE

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with Zoom link and other information to join the Symposium.

Cost:

Free

AGENDA

Roundtable panelists are listed in alphabetical order.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022, commencing at 12:00 pm (Noon) EST
12:00 – 12:30 pm	Welcome and Opening Remarks: An Overview of Current Challenges in Reducing Food Loss and Food Waste Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University
12:30 – 1:30 pm	Roundtable I: Opportunities and Challenges in Food Loss and Food Waste Reduction Moderator: Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University Caitlin Dow, Center for Science in the Public Interest Nicole Flewell, Taylor Farms Pete Pearson, World Wildlife Fund Paige Sorensen, Cargill Kathleen O’Donnell-Cahill, Wegmans
1:30 – 2:00 pm	Material Science Approaches to Reducing Food Waste and Loss Julie Goddard, Cornell University
2:00 – 2:15 pm	Bio-Break
2:15 – 2:40 pm	Upcycling approaches: Focus on Use of Bioconversions Sam Alcaine, Cornell University
2:40 – 3:05 pm	Established and Novel Approaches to Modelling Food Loss and Waste and Effectiveness of Reduction Strategies Renata Ivanek, Cornell University
3:05 – 3:45 pm	Roundtable II: Research Needs in Food Waste and Loss Reduction Moderator: Julie Goddard, Cornell University Sam Alcaine, Cornell University Renata Ivanek, Cornell University Alejandro Mazzotta, Chobani Turner Wyatt, Upcycled Food Association Abby Snyder, Cornell University
3:45 pm approx.	Day 1 Closing Remarks Martin Wiedmann
Wednesday, March 16, 2022, commencing at 12:00 pm (Noon) EST
12:00 – 12:10 pm	Day 2 Welcome; Day 1 Recap Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University
12:10 – 12:35 pm	The Economics of Food Waste Reduction Harry de Gorter, Cornell University
12:35 – 1:00 pm	Strategies to Reduce Farm-level Food Waste: Food Banks’ Gleaning Programs Miguel Gomez, Cornell University
1:00 – 1:25 pm	Addressing Food Waste in CPG Retailing Operations Vishal Gaur, Cornell University Retailers and manufacturers can undertake a number of steps in their supply chains to measure and mitigate the occurrence of food waste. Our research shows that traceability and packaging technology, innovative new business models, and using data in fulfillment and logistics decisions can be impactful in reducing food waste and creating new business value. I will describe examples from our research in this talk.
1:25 – 1:50 pm	Date Labels, Food Waste, and Implications along the Supply Chain Bradley Rickard, Cornell University We developed a survey to collect information on consumers’ intentions to discard 15 food products when exposed to different date labels including biosensors. Results show that the use of certain date labels has the capacity to reduce food waste, but the reductions would happen differentially across food groups and, in some cases, would lead to a relative decrease in household purchases of carbohydrates, sugar and lead to an increase in the relative purchases of fats, cholesterol, and protein.
1:50 – 2:05 pm	Bio-Break
2:05 – 2:30 pm	The Role of Nudges in Reducing Food Waste David Just, Cornell University
2:30 – 3:30 pm	Roundtable III: Implementation of Food Waste and Loss Reduction Strategies and How to Avoid Unintended Negative Consequences Moderating: Aaron Adalja, Cornell University Vishal Gaur, Cornell University Miguel Gomez, Cornell University Bradley Rickard, Cornell University
3:30 pm approx.	Closing Remarks Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University

This Virtual Symposium is supported in part by Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR, Washington, DC; award no. CA18-SS-0000000206). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in event are those of the participant(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research.

Speaker Biographies

Aaron Adalja is Assistant Professor in The Hotel School, SC Johnson College of Business. Dr. Adalja’s research interests include a range of topics in food and agricultural economics, drawing on consumer theory, industrial organization, and marketing to examine empirical questions in food labeling and quality certification, food safety, and agricultural marketing. Faculty Profile

Alejandro Mazzotta is Senior Vice President of Quality for Chobani. He previously worked for Campbell Soup, McDonald’s Corporation and Pillsbury. Dr. Mazzotta was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, serves on the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia and the BioMerieux Industry advisory boards and served as IAFP president. He earned a Master’s in biology from the University of Buenos Aires, and a Doctoral Degree in Food Science from Rutgers.

Sam Alcaine is Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science. Dr. Alcaine’s overall research program focuses on developing technologies that improve the quality, safety, and potential novel applications of fermented dairy products and co-products. Faculty Profile

Caitlin Dow is Senior Nutrition Scientist at Center for Science in the Public Interest. She evaluates nutrition science and translates it into useful information as a writer for Nutrition Action Healthletter, the largest circulating nutrition newsletter. She also provides scientific analysis for CSPI’s advocacy and food & nutrition policy efforts.

Abby Snyder is Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science. Her research is focused on the development of scientifically valid intervention strategies that improve food safety and microbial quality. Through research, teaching, and extension, she works to develop interventions that: 1) mitigate cross-contamination and 2) enable targeted recognition of microbial spoilage potential and environmental persistence. Faculty Profile

Nicole Flewell is Director of Sustainability at Taylor Farms. She leads the company’s national sustainability program and is an advocate of sharing best practices throughout the industry’s supply chain, from growing, to facilities, to distribution and has worked with state and local governments and utilities across the country to maximize impact of sustainability decisions.

Vishal Gaur is the Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management, and professor of operations, technology and information management at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. His research deals with data-driven analysis, modeling, and optimization of problems in retailing and supply chains. One of his current projects focuses on the reduction of food waste in supply chains through technology and analytics. Faculty Profile

Miguel Gomez is the Robert G. Tobin Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management & Director of the Food Industry Management Program. Dr. Gomez’s research program focuses on interrelated areas under the umbrella of food marketing and distribution, with respect to supply chains competitiveness, retailing and channel relationships, and sustainability. Faculty Profile

Julie Goddard is Professor, Department of Food Science. Dr. Goddard’s research program focuses on understanding the interface between food contact materials, food, and microorganisms and how to modify food contact materials to improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of our food supply. Faculty Profile

Harry de Gorter is Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. His research focuses on applied welfare economics and political economy of agricultural policy and trade. Faculty Profile

David Just is the Susan Eckert Lynch Professor in Science and Business, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. His research focuses on food and agricultural economics and behavioral economics. Faculty Profile

Renata Ivanek is Associate Professor, Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The overarching goal of her research is to advance One Health — the interconnected health of people, animals, plants and their shared environment. Her computer lab develops new and sustainable data- and model-driven approaches for improving food safety, controlling infectious diseases, and optimizing food production systems. Faculty Profile.

Paige Sorensen is a Technical Sustainability Analyst for Cargill’s Protein North America Sustainability Team. She leads Cargill Protein’s Food Waste reduction strategy, a core component of the company’s BeefUp Sustainability Program which aims to reduce the climate impact of the North American beef supply chain. Before Cargill, she received a Master of Science in Environmental Conservation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Pete Pearson is Senior Director of Food Loss and Waste at World Wildlife Fund. He works on food waste prevention and food recovery, helping businesses understand the intersection of agriculture and wildlife conservation.

Bradley Rickard is Associate Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. His research focuses on economic implications of policies, innovation, and industry-led initiatives in food and beverage markets. Faculty Profile

Martin Wiedmann is the Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University. His research interests focus on farm-to-table microbial food quality and food safety and the application of molecular and modelling tools to study the biology and transmission of foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms. Dr. Wiedmann also serves as co-director of the New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. Faculty Profile.

Kathleen O’Donnell is the Chief Food Scientist at Wegmans Food Markets. Her responsibilities include regulatory compliance, food safety, emerging issues, and developing quality/food safety programs for various operations at manufacturing and retail.

Turner Wyatt is the Co-founder and CEO of Upcycled Food Association. He is a social entrepreneur focused on reducing food waste and improving our environment and economy. He oversees capital investment strategy, attracting venture capitalists to impact investing in startups in the upcycled product space and builds revenue-generating programming to reduce reliance on philanthropy.

Dairy Foods Innovation at Cornell: Webinar Recap

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Nicole Martin, PhD

The Milk Quality Improvement Program recently hosted a series of three webinars highlighting the role that Cornell plays in dairy food innovation in New York. From resources for dairy producers to cutting edge dairy foods processing and product research, and services offered through Cornell that facilitate dairy food innovation, our series covered why NY is the home of dairy foods innovation.

The first of the three webinars, “Dairy Foods Innovation Begins at the Farm”, we featured Dr. Thomas Overton (Department Chair and Professor, Animal Science Department), Dr. Paul Virkler (Senior Extension Associate, Quality Milk Production Services) and Dr. Daryl Nydam (Professor, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Services; Faculty Director, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability). Our speakers discussed the many ways in which Cornell partners with NY dairy producers to ensure the availability of a consistent, high quality raw milk supply for dairy foods processors. A full recording of the webinar can be accessed on the Milk Quality Improvement Program (MQIP) YouTube channel here.

In the second webinar, “Dairy Foods Innovation Research at Cornell”, which featured faculty from the Department of Food Science at Cornell, including Dr. Samuel Alcaine (Assistant Professor), Dr. Carmen Moraru (Department Chair and Professor), Dr. Alireza Abbaspourrad (Assistant Professor) and Dr. Syed Rizvi (Professor), attendees were introduced to the research on new processing technologies, innovative value-added dairy ingredients, utilization of dairy by-products and more. Find the full recording of the webinar here.

In our final dairy foods innovation webinar, “Facilitating Dairy Foods Innovation through Cornell Services”, our speakers included Rob Ralyea, MS (General Manager of the Cornell Food Processing and Development Laboratory), Alina Stelick, MS (Manager of the Cornell Sensory Evaluation Center) and Phillip Owh, MS (Associate Direct, Licensing & Business Development for Life Sciences at Cornell). In this final installment of our webinar series, attendees were introduced to services available through Cornell to dairy industry stakeholders that facilitate innovation, including pilot processing facilities and consulting support, sensory evaluation by consumer and expert panels and licensing of Cornell technology. Find the full recording of the webinar here.

Processor Spotlight – Lively Run Dairy

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As a farm business, how is the Cornell Dairy Foods Extension Team a valuable resource for you?
Cornell Dairy Extension has been an invaluable partner for Lively Run as we have grown over the years. From providing support while working with NYS and Federal regulatory agencies, Third Party Food Safety certification, and training programs for Lively Run staff members, Cornell Dairy Extension has made it possible for our small company to meet the regulatory and food safety standards that are required to play in the national marketplace.

How do you interact with the dairy foods extension team?
Cornell Dairy Extension has been a great resource for Lively Run. When I run into challenges, I have been able to work with Rob Ralyea, Kim Bukowski, or Anika Zuber (and Steve Murphy, although he is now retired!) to find the best ways to address the concern in question. They are quick to respond, knowledgeable, and always helpful. Rob, in particular, has been extremely helpful over the years, always willing to tackle whatever esoteric concern I throw at him!

What services have been valuable for you? Has the team’s expertise helped you tackle unique challenges?
Some services that Cornell Dairy Extension has been able to provide include training and certification programs for Lively Run staff and guidance with developing and maintaining our Food Safety Plan. Perhaps most important, assisting with the interpretation and implementation of regulations that are often written with much larger companies in mind.

Have collaborations with the dairy extension team contributed to your successes? Please describe.
In late 2021, Lively Run completed a Third Party Food Safety Certification with Merieux Nutrisciences. This would not have been possible without the training services and guidance that Cornell Dairy Extension has provided over the years. This certification has been extremely important for the continued growth of Lively Run as it has allowed us access to larger markets and vendors.

Milk Quality Improvement Program visited Process Expo 2021 in Chicago to identify new dairy technologies.

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Part 1

Aljosa Trmcic

Last November (Nov. 2^nd-5^th, 2021), Chicago was the host of Process Expo 2021, a trade show that brought together food and beverage processors, equipment manufacturers, and other companies that offer useful solutions to the Food Industry. The Milk Quality Improvement Program was there as part of their constant mission to identify new dairy technologies and assist dairy processors in evaluating the efficacy and value of these innovations. Although at the first glance this trade show seemed dominated by solutions for the meat and poultry industry, there were number of different innovations featured that show overall progress in food processing and support technologies including the ones that might be of interest to the Dary Industry.

We start with three technologies that organizers themself identified as the top innovations within individual food and beverage segments. (i) The first is a clamp-on temperature sensor, a showcase winner within the Dairy segment as well as the winner of the People’s Choice Award. By clamping-on to any section of the product piping system this relatively simple innovation offers both a noninvasive way of measuring temperature of the product as well as flexibility in where in the piping system these measurements can be taken. Although this sensor shows a lot of potential, any potential users are advised to pay strict attention to proper calibration of the device and validation of the measurements obtained by the device. (ii) The second innovation, that was honored by the Pet Foods and Treats segment, was an in-line imaging system that uses multiple spectrums of light to identify physical contaminants, like plastic, metal, wood, rubber, as well as provide some information related to the chemical composition of the product, like water and fat content. This innovation that offers a possible alternative to classical metal and X-ray detectors might see wider use by the Food Industry in the future including some large cheese processors. (iii) The Confectionery, Candy, and Sweets segment gave the award for the top innovation to battery-less sensors that are currently still limited to monitoring only small specific niches of process parameters; for example, monitoring decrease in machine performance by measuring increase in machine vibration or monitoring decrease in steam trap performance by measuring increase in temperature of surrounding air due to steam escaping from the steam trap. Even though the use of these innovative sensors might be limited now, they are the start of what will probably very soon define how process parameters are measured and used in the future. These sensors do not need external power and are able to continuously sense, process and wirelessly transmit data which makes them one of the key components that are enabling the development of technology called Internet of Things (IoT), a technology that could one day be able to control the process of food making with no or minimal human involvement.

Another advanced piece of technology that will no doubt shape the future of the food industry is Augmented Realty (AR). The AR technology merges digital elements and real physical world elements into modified reality; for example, overlaying live video with digital imaging or animation. One innovative trade show exhibitor shared their success story with offering AR solutions to the food industry. They showed that through the use of digital glasses or headset a view of the specific piece of equipment and environment can be supplemented with interactive and step-by-step visual display of how this equipment functions, how it is assembled, and how to maintain it. The same technology can also be used to enhance effectiveness of remote instructions given by a person by providing an option of adding visual cues that are accurately placed in space for the person that is receiving the instructions; for example, the person giving the instructions can draw an arrow to point to a specific nut that needs to be removed and the arrow will remain pointing to the same nut for the person receiving the instructions regardless of the movement. This technology seems very promising since it can offer more effective employee training, more accurate execution of SOPs, reduced demand for live trainer/supervisor or demand for physical presence of the same.

Join us in the next issue of our Dairy Extension Newsletter for more exciting innovations from Process Expo 2021.

New technologies are an important component in satisfying the demand for dairy products and dairy ingredients, but these technologies need to be safe, effective, and promising for companies to invest in the implementation of these new solutions. The Milk Quality Improvement Program is continuously searching for new technologies that might be of interest to the dairy industry and evaluating them to be able to give better insight into how realistic, effective, and worthwhile these specific technologies are.

Is your business being approached by companies selling tempting new technologies, but your team isn’t sure if the investment is worth it? Our Milk Quality Improvement Program is assisting dairy processors with this question. We are seeking input on which emerging processing technologies are of interest to dairy processors to help evaluate the efficacy and value of these advancements. You can share your thoughts with us by emailing Aljosa Trmcic at at543@cornell.edu or Rob Ralyea at rdr10@cornell.edu.

Alumni Spotlight – Becca Durant

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What is your background and how did you become interested in the dairy/food industry?
I was raised on a small dairy farm in Oneida County. I did chores and milked both ends of the day from the age of 13 through commuting to Morrisville College for my AAS degree. I went back to the farm full time after graduating from Cornell. After we sold the cows I worked for Dairylea (now HP Hood) in Vernon as a lab tech before getting a job with NYS Ag&Markets.

What was your Cornell experience like? (i.e. coursework, dairy-related activities, internships, jobs, etc.)
My major was Animal Science because I had aspirations of being a vet. I was a cocktail waitress and bartender at the Royal Palm Tavern in Collegetown (now sadly torn down for another student housing building).

What is your current role in the food industry, and how does it impact the dairy industry?
I am a Dairy Products Specialist 2- supervisor for Region 4 which is the North Country and some of the Mohawk Valley. We work with new and existing dairy facilities to be sure they are producing a safe dairy product. I really enjoy working with new plants- from first contact to getting their processing permit can take months or in many cases- years, and it is rewarding to see them succeed. And I always enjoy getting back to see farms in the region- it makes me sad to see how many have gone out of business since I started with the state many years ago.

How did your Cornell training impact your career in the dairy/food industry?
Cornell can’t help but broaden your horizons. I still attend trainings when they are available, and I have been an instructor at different Cornell dairy trainings both on campus and off. The Dairy Extension team is an invaluable resource for me in all things food safety related.

2022 Training Opportunities

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The Cornell Dairy Foods Extension Program focuses on supporting the production of safe quality dairy products with specific expertise in microbial spoilage and food safety issues. Our program offers an extensive set of workshops that lead to certificates in fluid milk production, cheese production, ice cream production, and production of yogurt and cultured dairy products.

Many of our course offerings are available as a hybrid online and on-campus for a mixed classroom experience allowing participants to network with others in the dairy industry, as well as a hybrid of online session paired with teleconference sessions to maximize availability and minimize travel cost, and on-site for a more plant-specific training experience. All types of courses allow participants to concentrate on specific topics pertinent to the industry with case studies and exercises designed to apply knowledge. Core courses within our program are offered in a multi-modal format, with 6-8hours of on-line lecture-based content allowing for more a more hands-on focused campus experience.

To further meet the food industry needs, multiple courses focusing on Preventive Controls for Human Food Qualified Individual will continue to be offered in 2022. This course is also available as an on-site training for your workforce.

New courses being offered in 2022 include Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessments/Food Defense, and Artisanal Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts (Advanced Level). Courses returning the training schedule are Environmental Monitoring Programs and Cheese Grading

The 2022 training calendar is available on the Dairy Extension website and includes trainings delivered in Ithaca as well as self-paced online course and hybrid online courses. A course catalogue with detailed descriptions of our Dairy Foods Certificate Program and the associated coursework will be available in early 2022.

Current Certificate Program enrollees may verify their course progress with Program Coordinator, Louise Felker via email at lmf226@cornell.edu. Dairy Extension course credits may also be applied to in-plant Continuing Education programs.