Free entrepreneurship training for early-stage dairy innovators. Applications (apply here) will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025

The Dairy Runway Program welcomes food entrepreneurs and dairy innovators with early-stage ideas for value-added dairy products to participate in a FREE Cornell University-hosted entrepreneurship course focused on initial product concept and customer discovery. In addition to virtual classes, the program includes prototype training and business coaching. Up to 10 teams will be selected for the cohort and participate in a multi-week virtual course that combines synchronous classes and one-on-one instructor check-ins. Throughout the course, industry experts and food entrepreneurs will discuss product branding, consumer trends, and the challenges of bringing novel products to market. Participants who successfully complete the course will advance to the program’s kitchen incubator stage to work one-on-one with Cornell Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and to test their product’s formulation with food technicians and dairy specialists. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025. Apply now.  Questions can be directed to dairyinnovation@cornell.edu.

Aljosa Trmcic

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is causing a bit of trouble for all of us dairy folks and the way information is slowly trickling in is causing a lot of headaches. In these times when the situation is still developing and there is still a lot of unknowns, we have to rely on what we do know and be careful about interpretations of what we don’t know. Here are some facts that we do know and some that we don’t:

• Infected cows that develop symptoms are segregated from the rest of the herd and the milk collected from these cows is diverted and destroyed. The prevalence of pre- or asymptomatic infections in cows and viral shedding is still being studied.
• If HPAI virus is present in raw milk it is expected to be inactivated by milk pasteurization as less heat intensive pasteurization practices used in other foods have been shown to effectively reduce HPAI viral loads.
• Raw milk represents a public health risk; however, the risk of bacterial pathogens in raw milk is much greater compared to risk of HPAI.
• Virus remnants (e.g., genetic material) from inactivated HPAI virus can still be detected in pasteurized milk using PCR; however, this presence does not represent a public health risk because only live, infectious virus can cause an illness. Studies that found PCR positive samples of pasteurized milk and dairy products, did not find live infectious virus in any of the tested samples.
• There are no documented human cases of HPAI being contracted from properly cooked or pasteurized foods.
• Data specific to aging of raw milk cheese is very limited; based on environmental persistence studies it would be hard to predict if 60-day aging required for raw milk cheese would be sufficient to inactivate all HPAI virus during aging. Regardless of the HPAI risk, the risk of bacterial pathogens is higher in raw milk cheese compared to pasteurized milk cheese.

If you need to share the information on what we do know and what we don’t, make sure you use the resources we made for you:
1. Factsheet in English: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Factsheet for the Dairy Industry and Dairy Consumers.
2. >Hoja Informativa: Virus de la Influenza Aviar Altamente Patogénico (HPAI, por sus siglas en inglés) Hoja Informativa para la Industria Láctea y sus Consumidores.
3. Recording of Dairy Foods Virtual Office Hours: Update – HPAI in Cattle – Current Status and Testing Details (May 1st, 2024)
4. Recording of Dairy Foods Virtual Office Hours: What Dairy Industry/Consumers should know about the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (April 3rd, 2024).

Virus or no virus Cornell’s Dairy Foods Extension is here for you.

By Rebecca Phillips

Picture it, you’re attending a workshop at Cornell and the very last presentation is about to start. At this point you’re tired… you’ve networked, learned technical knowledge, and practiced applying this knowledge in the Cornell pilot plant. As the end of the day approaches, you find it harder to stay focused and not think about the trip home. Sound familiar??
This was the exact challenge that Kathy Laviolette (DPS II, Labeling & Standards, NYS Ag & Markets) faced when presenting about food labeling during the recent Artisan Ice Cream Workshop. Although the class could have been distracted, the complete opposite occurred. Not only were the participants writing down notes, but they also had lots of questions for Kathy.
With allergens being the #1 cause of food recalls, it’s imperative that allergen labeling is understood and correctly implemented. That said, it’s also important to recognize that required labeling regulations span beyond allergens. To help navigate these regulations, we’re excited to announce that a labeling workshop will be offered in multiple locations throughout NYS starting in August 2024.
The lead instructor for this workshop will be Kathy Laviolette. Kathy has 20 years of experience with NYS Ag & Markets Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services. She currently serves as the sole dairy labeling expert for NYS. Kathy has vast labeling knowledge including Grade-A and Non-Grade-A Products, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). This has allowed Kathy to assist countless companies within NYS as well as other states. This workshop will also be facilitated by Rebecca Phillips. Rebecca currently works as a Regional Dairy Processing Specialist within Cornell Dairy Foods Extension. She has 10 years of food industry experience, primarily focusing on product development. Rebecca also has experience with supplier and ingredient selection, formulation development, and creation of Nutrition Facts labels.
The primary learning outcome for this workshop will be for participants to understand labeling regulations applicable to dairy products. Discussion content will include federal requirements per the CFR, regulations specific to NYS, and important considerations from the PMO. This one-day workshop will focus on the fundamentals, while also exploring real-life examples.
Participants from all experience levels both within NYS and beyond are welcome to attend. Pre-requisites are not required. This workshop is expected to be most impactful for participants in regulatory, research & development, quality assurance, procurement, and operational roles. That said, we are beyond excited to interact with you and learn how this workshop can best serve your operation.
This workshop will be held in four locations throughout NYS starting in August 2024: Albany County, Orange County, Onondaga County, and Wyoming County. Registration will be capped once capacity is reached for each venue. Click here to register online and secure your spot. We hope to see you at this upcoming workshop!

On Sunday I will be heading to New Orleans for SQF Unites, their annual meeting. I always enjoy the SQF meetings, they do a great job with speakers and topics related to improving your Food Safety Programs. The buzz this year will be Edition 10 is coming! I hope to learn if there will be any major changes and what will it look like.
SQF has lasted as a Food Safety System because they are continually improving and updating as new knowledge and experiences happen in the Food Safety World. When I was first introduced to SQF, my thought was, “This program is different from other programs because it is a system that can oversee all your food safety and quality programs.” When you set up your system, it should include everyone in the facility from quality, production, maintenance, and all other departments. It should be a team effort.
It will be another year before Edition 10 is officially rolled out but in the meantime, you should be continually trying to strive for Continuous Improvement in your programs.
A great place to start is with Food Safety Culture. Is your Food safety Culture obvious to a new employee, a customer, or an auditor?
The best way to show that you have a good food safety culture is at your opening meeting. Who is at your opening meeting? Is it just the QA staff? What does that say about your facility to an auditor? As an auditor, I would like to meet all the key managers at the opening meeting, and then when I go to their areas of the plant, they can describe to me what is happening, and I can observe and interview key employees. I can see if they are doing what the company intends them to do. I will also try to observe that the employees are doing the right thing when no one is watching.
I like to use the example of washing hands in the facility. It’s a simple way to see the employee’s commitment to doing what is right. When I go into a facility, I wash my hands at every single handwash station. The number one reason is it’s the correct thing to do, but it is also a way to check if it has proper soap, water, etc. And, finally, I know that all your employees are watching me and looking to see if I will do the right thing. Many times, I have been in facilities where I have seen senior management walk into the plant without washing their hands. What kind of message does that send to the employees?
When the auditor questions your employees, how will they respond to food safety culture questions? A lot of times, employees will get confused by the word “culture,” especially in the dairy industry when I’m in a cheese plant or a yogurt plant. I was in one facility where they told me that instead of using “culture,” they were using the word “attitude.” I really liked that because that’s really what we’re looking for. We want to have an attitude in the facility that everybody cares about food safety and quality.
The Food Safety culture in your facility once again should involve everyone. At my workshops I like to tease and pick on any Maintenance people in the room. Firstly, because they can take it, usually that don’t mind, and mostly because they are all over your plant so if they don’t come to work with Food Safety in their toolbox you will not be successful.
When is the last time you did Food Safety Culture training specifically with your Maintenance staff. Don’t ignore them because they will be your downfall. This also includes outside contractors, especially if you are doing any construction projects at your facility. A robust training program that includes inperson discussions with your maintenance and outside contractors is key to your success. By communicating with them in person that will help them understand how important Food Safety is in your facility. You need to get their buy in and help. During construction projects weekly check-in meetings are helpful to discuss any potential food safety issues.
When I get back from the SQF meeting I will share any insights I learned from the meeting but in the meantime go make some food safety connections with your maintenance staff!

A persistent issue among employers in nearly every industry is the workforce; the problem is with both numbers and talent. Industry partners have echoed this sentiment, resulting in a significant expansion of workforce development within Cornell’s Dairy Foods Extension. This includes the addition of two workforce specialists, Hannah Moyal and Taylor Pelcher. Hannah and Taylor aim to ask and answer urgent questions while addressing this seemingly insurmountable challenge. Recent accomplishments and lessons learned, plans for the upcoming year, and insights into potential solutions to the workforce crisis will be covered in this update.
The team aspires to host quarterly bootcamps, and due to the high demand, the 2024 workforce calendar is nearly full. There have been two successful three-day bootcamps in the last six months in Western New York. The bootcamp content remains relatively consistent, though each experience is tailored to the attending audience. Subject matter includes presentations on good manufacturing practices (GMP), food safety, sensory sampling, introduction to dairy science through a ‘composition of milk’ module, plant tours, a career panel with employees from dairy and food processing plants in the local area, and several other topics. The immersive educational experience in and out of the classroom effectively keeps the participants engaged and contributes to accelerated learning. Upon completion, participants earn a certificate which they can add to their resume. Though some participants may not immediately seek employment in the dairy and food processing industries, if and when they decide to do so, the certificate will give them an advantage in the candidate pool.
In August, the team traveled to Erie County, where they hosted a bootcamp tailored for under- or unemployed adults. 24 individuals successfully completed the bootcamp, gaining new skills and insights to help shape their professional trajectories. The program extended beyond the classroom setting, offering participants a unique chance to see day-to-day industry operations. Visits to Lactalis, Upstate Niagara, and Perry’s Ice Cream provided direct exposure and facilitated engaging discussions with plant representatives. Participants heard about their experiences and the benefits of pursuing employment within their companies. Amazingly, six of the participants applied for positions at the partnering plants and currently one of the participants is happily employed at Lactalis.
Again, in November, the team took the show on the road; this time to Genesee County, where they hosted another three-day Bootcamp targeting High School Seniors within the Genesee Valley BOCES region. 27 students completed the bootcamp, which provided them with ample opportunity to interact with industry representatives and encouraged them to seriously consider this career path. Partnering companies in this region included five local plants: HP Hood, Nortera, Yancey’s Fancy, Upstate, and O-AT-KA. Tours of the latter three plants added a practical aspect to their learning, allowing them to witness firsthand the work within the industry. These experiences go beyond traditional education, providing participants with tangible, real-world perspectives, and relevant experience in the food and dairy processing industry.
With the wisdom gained from experiences thus far, the team will be pivoting their future approach to facilitate even greater exposure to careers in food processing through a pilot program aimed exclusively at high school students. Hannah and Taylor will partner with a high school educator and spend a day with students to hold a condensed bootcamp. This strategy also allows for the longer bootcamps to be focused on the adult population, reaching a wider audience.
Through additional reflection, it is also clear that the commitment to providing individuals with knowledge goes hand in hand with the necessity for companies to offer support, ensuring potential employees make informed and positive career choices. The team has identified common barriers that hinder individuals from securing offered positions and sometimes even applying for work. The barriers include transportation, childcare, language barriers, and insufficient education. Many otherwise willing and able potential employees have these issues compounded by the lack of resources to help them achieve self-sufficiency.
It is important to note that these challenges do not affect everyone equally and can unfairly affect underprivileged groups, leading to disparities in employment opportunities and hindering overall workforce diversity and inclusion. Addressing these barriers requires strategies that encompass education and training initiatives, commitment to fostering an inclusive and fair work environment, and programs to aid employees who require additional support. Furthermore, the identification of these barriers emphasizes the need for companies to proactively address these challenges if they intend to successfully fill their vacancies and retain talent. Recognizing and working to lessen the burden these barriers pose is not just a moral imperative but also a strategy that is necessary for companies aiming to cultivate a skillful and diverse workforce. Companies that work towards eliminating these barriers not only contribute to a more equitable job market but also position themselves as leaders in creating an inclusive and supportive workplace. This includes investing in employee education and training and providing the necessary support structures to assist with transportation or childcare barriers. In doing so, companies not only break down barriers for individuals seeking employment, but also enhance their own organizational culture in a professional way.
The team’s ability to effectively advise on solutions is only proportionate to a company’s willingness to honestly acknowledge the workforce problems they face, whether within or outside of their control. This requires accurate assessment of shortcomings and a thorough plan to conquer them. The team’s mission is to serve the dairy industry to the best of their ability, priding themselves on completing cutting edge work, with the dairy and food processing bootcamp exemplifying that. The success experienced so far in the realm of workforce development only encourages them to continue improving as they look forward to proving their commitment to these evolving goals. Difficult problems require creative solutions and there are many exciting achievements waiting to materialize. Thanks for taking the time to read this update.