The Online Newsletter of the American Dairy Science
Association
May, 2002
2002 Annual Meeting
UPDATE FROM
HEADQUARTERS 
Meeting Highlights -- Over 1600 abstracts were
submitted for the first joint meeting of ADSA-ASAS-CSAS. Over 30 symposia are also scheduled
throughout the meeting. The posters will be on display from Monday at 8:00 a.m. until Wednesday
noon. Poster presenters will be present for a set time period, so please check the program
for the scheduled time if you wish to view the poster at that time.
Program -- The 2002 ADSA-ASAS-CSAS Joint Meeting Program is now online.
Click here for all the events and
programs organized for the meeting. Also, watch for an email notification that will
show you how to build your own personalized program/itinerary for the
meeting.
Meeting Registration -- The early registration deadline is June 14; so register early
to save money by clicking here!
Housing -- Reserve Room Now: To ensure your choice of hotel in Quebec City, book your room now. Click here for the housing
form.
Tours -- For tour descriptions in Quebec City, click
here. To register for one of the
wonderful tours planned by Forum Quebec, click
here.
Media Training Planned for Students --
Members of the ADSA Student Affiliate Division and other
interested students are invited to participate in this summer’s SAD Career
Symposium on Media Training, held Tuesday, July 23 at 9:30 a.m. during the
ADSA-ASAS Joint Meeting in Quebec City, Canada. This 90-minute program will
lead by a group of ADSA members and others who have received extensive media
training. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of media training topics
and tactics including sound bites, testimonials, key points of interview
preparation, role playing, demonstrations of effective and less effective
interviews, and exposure to friendly and hostile media, as well as given the
opportunity to break out into smaller groups to actually prepare for an
interview on an assigned topic.
In advance of the meeting, each participating club will be
asked to select a topic relative to animal agriculture, prepare a one-page
overview, and bring it to the Media Training program. These overviews will then
be distributed to the breakout teams for their use in their interview
preparation.
The goal of the program is to give students exposure to
media training and provide them with some tools to take back to their campus’
so they may more effectively address issues facing them related to animal
agriculture. Each registered student will receive a comprehensive take-home
media guide.
VOTE TODAY -- June 1st is the deadline to vote for the 2002-2003 ADSA
candidates for vice president and directors from the Dairy Foods and Production Divisions.
So, vote today to ensure your ballot is postmarked by June 1, 2002.
CD-ROM Library of Various Disciplines -- Due to the
popularity of our CD-ROM collections of the Journal of Dairy Science and
the Journal of Animal Science, we have decided to collaborate on a series
of CDs specific to certain disciplines on common interest. The material will be
drawn from both journals (1995-2001) and arranged by scientific section. These
include breeding and genetics, dairy foods, physiology, contemporary issues,
teaching, environmental issues, and more! Each CD-ROM is available for only
$25.00. We will also offer the complete 2001 volume (January-December) of
Journal of Dairy Science and the Journal of Animal Science for
just $25 each. The expected delivery date is mid-March 2002.
CAST
Joint CAST for 2002! -- Consider becoming a personal member of CAST to assist CAST in its effort to ensure that science has a seat at the public policy table and to continue to provide your with publications, "Friday Notes" (weekly email update on the current activities in Washington, DC) and the quarterly NewsCAST newsletter. As a nonprofit entity, CAST depends upon a combination of sustaining members, individual members, subscribers, and grants to provide the financial support for their services.
CAST publishes several issue papers throughout the year such as the latest one on Invavsive Pest Species: Impacts on Agricultural Production, Natural Resources, and the Environment to provide clear and credible scientific information to the nonscientists on a topic of national and global importance. During 2002, CAST hopes to publish three issue papers and three full reports.
Join CAST today by clicking here or going to www.cast-science.org/membership/index.html
CAST Report to ADSA
by William Sandine, ADSA's Representative to Cast
The Spring CAST Board of Director’s meeting was held March 12-16, 2002 at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. Spring meetings are always held in Washington, DC area to allow Board members to visit congressional offices and to facilitate attendance at the CAST meeting by staffers from Congress and other government connected personnel.
CAST has one new member society, the American Economics Association. CAST has also made five personnel and office changes: 1) Kelvin Koong, the ASAS representative, was seated as president of CAST at the end of the September 2001 Board meeting; 2) Tom Holtzer was elected individual representative to the CAST Board; 3) Brad Inman of CH2M-Hill moved into the past-president position; 4) Steve Halloran is the new Membership Director (Halloran is located at CAST’s Ames, Iowa office); and 5) CAST established a Washington, DC office. The Executive Vice President, Teresa Gruber and Cindy L. Richard, Biotechnology Communications Coordinator are located in the DC office at, CAST, 505 Capitol Court, NE, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20002; phone 202-675-8333; fax 202-675-8334.
CAST has been asked by USDA CREES to develop and implement a national agriculture essay contest for junior high school students, grades 6, 7, and 8. The Science Education Committee of CAST will manage the project. CSREES will pay CAST $7,500 for the project. Members of Congress will be asked to establish a judging committee likely made up of university faculty and graduate students. Monetary awards will be made at the state ($100) and national ($500, $1,000, and $3,000) levels.
For the complete summary of the meeting of special interest to ADSA, please click here.
FASS Biotechnology Web Site
FASS Animal Biotechnology Web Site: Current Scientific Information! -- Do you want the latest information on biotechnology related to livestock and poultry? A new web site, http://www.animalbiotechnology.org/, has been developed by FASS to provide up-to-date information on both domestic and international scientific research, reviews, reference materials, and media reports on the impact of crop biotechnology on the production of meat, milk, and eggs. The site focuses on the effects of consumption of biotech crops on animal production, performance, and health. Information on transgenics research, regulatory issues, and safety assessment is also provided.(Click here to visit the website)
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Recognitions -- Dr. Mary Anne Drake of North Carolina State University judged the World Cheese Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, March 19-22, 2002. The World Cheese Championship is held every two years and has been hosted by the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association since 1957. This year, 1,132 cheeses from 19 different countries were entered and were judged in only three days. Judging is by invitation only and consists of national and international experts on cheese flavor and quality.
Christine M. Bruhn, University of California, Davis, has been elected an International Food Technologists Fellow.National Mastitis Council (NMC) Elects New Officers -- Steve Nickerson, Professor and Head of the Dairy Science Department at Virginia Tech University, is the newly-elected President of the National Mastitis Council. 1st Vice President is Andy Johnson, Total Herd Management Services. Leo Timms, Iowa State University, will serve as 2nd Vice Presiden. Paul Rapnicki, University of Minnesota, is the new Secretary. The Treasurer's position will be filled by Pam Ruegg, University of Wisconsin. Anne Saeman, NMC, Madison, Wisconsin serves at the Executive Director for NMC.
NOTE: If you or a member you know has been recognized for an award, achievement, etc. please forward the information to ADSA Headquarters for inclusion in a future issue of ADSA Today.
Dairy Issues in the News
DAIRY
International Standards for Milk and Milk Products - The US Codex Office Announces that " ... Issues on the agenda for the fifth session of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products will be discussed at a public meeting March 20 [in Washington, DC]... This committee was established to elaborate codes and standards for milk and milk products. The fifth session of CCMMP will meet April 8 - 12, Wellington, New Zealand ... The documents [to be reviewed during the meeting] are available electronically at …” http://www.codexalimentarius.net/ccmmp5/mm02_01e.htm - The US Codex Office may be contacted at 202 205 7760; e-mail: uscodex@usda.gov
BIOTECHNOLOGYFARM BILL
The Farm Bill was signed by President Bush on Monday Morning, May 13 - The
President's statement during the signing ceremony is posted at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/05/print/20020513-2.html
- The Farm Bill, HR 2546, "The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002," is posted at http://www.agriculture.house.gov/farmbill.htm
FOOD LABELING
Labeling Requirements for USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Regulated Products - FSIS announces that the Agency's FSIS Labeling and Consumer Protection Web Site has been updated to include the following three items: Staff Directory; Ten Most Commonly Asked Questions; and Labeling Situations That Cannot have a Temporary Approval - The updated web site is posted at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/larc/Index.htmMicrobial Food Safety Issues are addressed in a new report issued by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), titled "Emerging Microbiological Food Safety Issues: Implications for Control in the 21st Century" - The text of the report was posted on February 26 on IFT's home page - According to the IFT February 26 News Release on the report: " ... current science providing the foundation for the safety of our food is not sufficient to protect everyone against all the emerging health issues associated with a diverse food supply. And with increasing populations of elderly consumers, individuals dependent upon immunosuppressant drugs, children and others, the likelihood of illness among susceptible groups is growing …” – The report is posted at www.ift.org/govtrelations/microfs/
The Prepared Remarks of FDA Deputy Commissioner, Les Crawford, DVM, PhD, before the attendees of the National Food Processors Association Food Safety Summit on March 14 are now posted on the FDA www site at http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2002/nfpa0314.html
Egg Safety - FDA Releases ... a new brochure, 'Assuring the Safety of Eggs and Menu and Deli Items Made From Raw, Shell Eggs,' and a new poster, 'Key Temperatures for Egg Safety,' to … provide food service and food retail managers with the information they need to make sure that fresh shell eggs and foods that contain them are safe. Developed by FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), these new materials explain FDA's regulations as well as the recommendations of the Food Code concerning egg safety. The brochure covers receiving eggs and egg products, preventing contamination, cooking and serving, cooling, and hot or cold holding, as well as additional precautions for establishments that serve populations especially susceptible to foodborne illness such as young children, elderly persons and individuals with weakened immune
systems. The poster illustrates temperatures and times for refrigeration, preparation, cooling and holding of eggs and egg-containing foods. FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs is providing bulk copies of the new brochure and poster to FDA field offices and state food safety regulators for distribution to food service and food retailing establishments. Free individual copies of the brochure and poster are available by sending a toll-free fax, including name and mailing address, to CFSAN’s Outreach and Information Center at 1-877-366-3322 ..." - Taken from the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition April 12 Food Safety Constituent Update.1st International Conference on Microbiological Risk Assessment: Foodborne Hazards Set for July 24 - 26 at the University of Maryland University College in Adelphi, Maryland - According to information on the Conference web site " ... The goals of this conference are to develop a network of key professionals worldwide in microbiological food safety risk assessment, to provide a forum for exchange of new concepts and advances in the field, and to evaluate the current status and future needs and directions of this burgeoning science. The conference will be the first international conference on this subject, and will be limited to 250 - 300 international scientists in the food risk assessment field. Presentations by international experts on the current status of microbiological risk assessment, recent advances, and available resources will serve as the basis for subsequent discussions on future directions and research needs. Details are posted at http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/RACconference1stannouncement.html on the Food Safety Risk Analysis Clearinghouse, a program of the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/index.htm
Distinguishing between E. coli strains in Humans and Animals - According to a report in the April 29 Issue of Sea Grant News and Notes, researchers with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program are now able to " ... create DNA fingerprints for human and animal sources ... [using] a computer-based E. coli DNA profile database, which allowed them to identify similarities among the host species. Using the database, a model can be formed to trace the source of E.coli. Ultimately, the new technology will be transferred to environmental agencies and organizations ..." - Questions may be directed to Charles Tseng, Professor of Biology, Purdue University at 219 989 2403; e-mail: Tseng@calumet.purdue.edu or W.T.Evert Ting, Professor of Biology, Purdue University at 219 989 2490; e-mail: Ting@calumet.purdue.edu - The information should be available soon at http://www.seagrantnews.org/index.html
Food Parasites - IFT Issues A Scientific Status Summary, titled "Parasites and the Food Supply," a copy of which is included in the April issue of Food Technology magazine, the monthly magazine of the Institute of Food Technologists - The authors of the summary are FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition parasitologists Palmer A. Orlandi, Dan-My T. Chu, Jeffrey W. Bier and George J. Jackson - According to an IFT April 16 News Release " ... The summary lists more than 100 known parasites that can be found in the food supply and where they originate. It also lists more than a dozen outbreaks of foodborne illness since the mid-1980s that are associated with parasitic invasion ... This Scientific Status Summary follows IFT's release in February of its comprehensive Expert Report Emerging Microbiological Food Safety Issues. These and other IFT documents are accessible at www.ift.org/publications ..." - The IFT April 16 News Release should be posted soon at http://www.ift.org/press/releases/
- A copy of the IFT Scientific Status Summary is posted at http://www.ift.org/publications/docshop/ft_shop/04-02/04_02_pdfs/04-02-sss-parasites.pdf - An editorial, titled "The 'Shrouded Threat' of Foodborne Parasites,' by E. Spence Garrett, Director, National Seafood Inspection Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Pascagoula, Mississippi is also published in the April issue of Food Technology at http://www.ift.org/publications/sss/ed-parasites.pdfAGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
Financial Health of US Farms and Ranches - USDA Economics Research Service on March 5 released its report, titled: "Agricultural Income and Finance Situation and Outlook," which " ... Provides historical estimates and forecasts of farm sector financial information that allows readers to gauge the financial health of the nation's farmers and ranchers ..." - A copy of the report is posted at http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/so/view.asp?f=economics/ais-bb/
Use of Science in EPA Decision Making - The full US House of Representatives is considering a bill, HR 64, the "Strengthening Science at the Environmental Protection Agency Act," that would, according to one of its sponsors, Representative Ehlers, " ... establish a new Deputy Administrator for Science and Technology to serve as an advocate for, and reviewer of, sciences at the most senior levels of the Agency. Second, the legislation would convert the position of the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development to a set term and give that position the title of Chief Scientist for the Agency. The Deputy Administrator position will bring a much-needed change to the culture of the EPA and ensure that science has a higher profile in the Agency's decision-making process. For a copy of the bill and a transcript of the House floor discussion, go to http://thomas.loc then to the Congressional Record and look up the May 1 issue and scroll down to the House debate on HR 64.
GLOBAL ISSUES
International Regulation of Animal Feed - The US Codex Office has
set a June 4 Washington, DC Public Meeting to Address the Items that are the
Agenda of the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding (TAF),
which will be meeting June 17 - 20 in Copenhagen, Denmark - Specific Agenda
Items for the Denmark meeting include: "information on lists established
by different governments to control the use of prohibited and undesirable
substances in animal feedingstuffs or other approaches;" "Information
paper on Establishment of Codex maximum levels and residues limits for
feedingstuffs and foods;" and "Revised Proposed Draft Code
of Practice on Good Animal Feeding;" including a section on "On-Farm
Production and Use of Feedingstuffs" - The complete agenda for the
Denmark meeting is posted at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/ccaf03/af02_01e.htm
from which electronic access to the documents to be considered during the
meeting are available - Details of the June 4 US Codex meeting are posted at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/codex/meeting.htm - Questions may be directed to the
US Codex Office at 202 205 7760; fax: 202 720 3157; e-mail: USCodex@fsis.usda.gov
Food Irradiation in the European Union - The European Commission
has updated the information on its www site concerning Food Irradiation - The
information is posted at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/fi_index_en.html
Animal Transport in the European Union - The European
Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare on March
11 adopted a report on the welfare of animals during transport (details for
horses, pigs, sheep and cattle), a copy of which is posted at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scah/out71_en.pdf
Foot and Mouth Disease in the European Union - On March 25, the EC
Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection made a presentation before the
European Parliament's Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease, titled: "Experiences
of the Foot and Mouth Epidemic," a copy of which is posted at:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=SPEECH/02/131|0|
RAPID&lg=EN&display=
Marketing of Ag Biotech Products in China
- On March 7 the USDA Secretary and the US Trade Representative issued the
following statement regarding U.S.-China discussions in Beijing on American
exports of biotech farm products: "We're pleased that China appears to
appreciate our concerns and has said that it is developing an interim
arrangement to reduce trade disruptions and address our specific concerns
including approvals, market access, and labeling. It's a step in the right
direction. China has indicated that it will publish the details of the
arrangement soon, and we look forward to reviewing them closely. China is a key
market for American farmers - we exported over $1 billion in soybeans to China
last year. President Bush visited China last month where a major part of his
discussions with Chinese leaders was agriculture and the importance of
biotechnology. China's entry into the WTO offers the potential for even greater
opportunities for U.S. exports. The United States has sought to ensure that
trade is not disrupted when China's new biotech regulations go into effect on
March 20th. Following up on President Bush's discussions in China recently, an inter-agency team from USTR, USDA, and the State
Department has been meeting with their Chinese counterparts." - A copy of
the statement is posted at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2002/03/02-31.htm
Animal Welfare in the European Union - On April 18, the European Commission updated the animal Welfare section of the home page of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General - According to an April 18 announcement, " ... Together with the update of these pages we intended to make them more user-friendly by providing a clear presentation and overview of the Commission's activities in this field. You'll find two main sections, 'general issues', such as pages on policy objectives or on the scientific background of the Commission's measures, and second 'specific issues', explaining the legislation specific to farming, transport or slaughter issues and the animals concerned. A table listing the relevant legislation in 11 languages completes the pages ..." - For details go to http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/whatsnew/index_en.html and scroll down to the April 18 date or go to http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/aw/index_en.html
GRANTS, INTERNSHIPS, AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICES
GRANTS
EPA Seeks Research Grant Proposals in the areas of Climate Change, Ecological Indicators, Corporate Environmental Behavior and Environmental Management - EPA notes that the research funding applications are sought under the Agency's Investigator Initiated Grants Program in the areas of "Air Quality to Climate Change and Future Global Impacts;" "Ecological Indicators for the Great Rivers of the Central Basin;" "Corporate Environmental Behavior: Examining the Effectiveness of Government Interventions and Voluntary Incentives;" and "Market Mechanisms and Incentives for Environmental Management" - Receipt dates vary depending on the specific research areas within the solicitations - EPA e-mail Contacts: Global Change: Turner.Vivian@epa.gov; Great Rivers of the Central Basin: Levinson.Barbara@epa.gov; Corporate Environmental Behavior: Carrillo.Susan@epa.gov; and Market Mechanisms and Incentives: Clark.Matthew@epa.gov - The complete program announcement is posted at http://www.epa.gov/ncer under "announcements" - The required forms for applications with instructions are posted at http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/forms/downlf.html - EPA May 8 Federal Register: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2002_register&docid=02-11452-filed
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
USDA FSIS Seeks a "Microbiologist" at the GS-11 to 13 Level to work in the Agency's Office of Public Health and Science, Biosciences Division, Microbiology Branch in Washington, DC - Details are available on the FSIS Fax on Demand System at 800 370 3747, ext 2002; enter index #2062 or visit the following FSIS www site: http://jsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/ftva.asp?OPMControl=IC0215 - Questions may be directed to FSIS' Brian Wedding at 202-720-5464.
NOMINATIONS
USDA Seek Nominations of Individuals to Serve on the Agency's National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) from " ... individuals with scientific expertise in the fields of epidemiology, food technology, microbiology (food, clinical, and predictive), risk assessment, infectious disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. Persons from State and Federal governments, industry, consumer groups, and academia, as well as all other interested persons, are invited to submit nominations ... The current Charter for the NACMCF and other information about the Committee are available for viewing on the NACMCF homepage at www.fsis.usda.gov/ophs/nacmcf/ ..." - Nominations are due to USDA within 30 days of May 9 - USDA Contact:. Karen Thomas at 202 690 6620 - USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service May 9 Federal Register: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2002_register&docid=02-11626-filed
USDA National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board - USDA Seeks the Nomination of Individuals to fill eleven vacancies on the Board - Nominations are sought by June 3 for the following vacancies: Category B. Farm Cooperatives; Category D. Plant Commodity Producers; Category G. National Aquaculture Associations; Category J. National Food Science Organizations; Category L. National Nutritional Science Societies; Category M. 1862 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities; Category R. Scientific Community not closely associated with Agriculture; Category U. Food and Fiber Processors (1-year term); Category AA. An Agency of USDA lacking Research Capabilities; Category BB. Research Agency of the Federal Government other than USDA; and Category DD. National Organization directly concerned with REE - USDA notes that " ... The Board is composed of 30 members, each representing a specific category related to farming or ranching, food production and processing, forestry research, crop and animal science, land-grant institutions, food retailing and marketing, rural economic development, and natural resource and consumer interest groups, among many others. The Board was first appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture in September 1996 and one-third of the 30 members were appointed for a 1, 2, and 3-year term, respectively. As a result of the staggered appointments, the terms for 10 of the 30 members who represent 10 specific categories will expire September 30, 2002. Nominations for a 3-year appointment for all 10 of the vacant categories are sought. In addition, the current member of Category U. Food and Fiber Processors, will not be serving out the remainder of his term. Therefore, this slot will be vacant as well and available for a 1-year term nomination …" - USDA Contact: Deborah Hanfman, Board Executive Director at 202 720 3684; fax: 202 720 6199; e-mail: Deborah.Hanfman@usda.gov - USDA March 15 Federal Register:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2002_register&docid=02-6208-filed
Professional Meeting Calendar
Click here for complete list of ADSA Future Annual
Meetings