ADSA TODAY     

The Online Newsletter of the American Dairy Science Association

June, 2000 

From the President

As we approach the time for our national meeting in Baltimore, I want to call your attention to the efforts we are making to develop new services while preserving our ADSA traditions. Some of the highlights:

· ADSA only meetings on university campuses have been succeeded by combined meetings in modern convention centers. This has allowed sessions of related interest to be held in close proximity in well-equipped, comfortable rooms and a broader range of topics.

· Development of pre-meeting Workshops (1999/2000) targeted to graduate students and industry personnel that will provide fundamental information in support of planned symposia in the upcoming meeting.

· Production of an online journal (1996) and a three-year journal archive on CD Rom (1999/2000). In addition, special theme publications have been initiated with the advent of the ADSA Scientific Reader Series (2000).

· Online access of our journal for institutions (1999/2000) and integrated links in the journal to the PubMed search engine and data base (2000).

· Quarterly print Newsletters have been replaced by monthly online Newsletters with links to services, research reports and news stories.

· An enhanced web site with timely information about ADSA activities and programs, online ordering support, and links to many other dairy-related sites.

· Further development of Discover Conferences (1998) designed to provide "cutting edge" science on hot topics in a Gordon Conference-like atmosphere.

· Increasing ADSA Foundation sponsorship of student programs and services like the Genevieve Christen Award and a student Quiz Bowl at the national meeting (see below).

· Growing participation of international members in ADSA. It is our hope that enhanced electronic communications will increase our role as an international dairy science society.

Not so obvious to you as members are the changes we have made in governance that have resulted in more productive use of your money. For example, we have minimized face-to-face meetings by using more teleconferences and email for to conduct ADSA business.

Through an ADSA/ ASAS Foundation-sponsored study of the needs of industry members and supporters, the desire for new services is being documented and we anticipate further development of these in the last half of 2000. Soon, individual members will be invited to participate in a needs assessment so we can focus our efforts on developing or fine-tuning programs and services that members will truly value.

As the pace of societal change continues or even accelerates, ADSA is firmly grounded in our traditional strengths: preserving a collegial atmosphere at our meetings, a civility in our communications, and scientific quality in our publications. To maintain these standards and the value of our society to the dairy science community, members must step forward to volunteer for committee service, to run for volunteer offices, and to offer their suggestions for improvement of our service to the profession. Working together, we can change with the times without losing what has made our organization very special.

2000 Joint Annual Meeting Gaining Momentum

Hotel rooms are disappearing, registration numbers are climbing, and media interest in the annual meeting is building. Just a week after the annual meeting program mailed and less than a month after it was put online,  hundreds of registrations have rolled into the headquarters office. Here are some steps you can take to plan for a convenient and productive trip to the meeting in Baltimore:

· Preview the annual meeting program online and flag the sessions and events of interest to you.

· Plan to arrive early and attend one of the two outstanding pre-meeting workshops for dairy scientists. One of the most controversial issues facing our industry and life sciences in general--the use of transgenic organisms--will be the subject of a Monday July 24 workshop. You can read a program summary of the Agricultural Biotechnology in the Global Marketplace workshop by clicking here. Dairy foods specialists, food science graduate students, and cheese industry researchers will gain exposure to cutting-edge research and techniques by attending the Basics of Flavor Development in Cheese workshop on Monday (click here for the program)

· Get help deciding which sessions to attend by going to the www.baltimore2k.org site in mid-June and browsing through the interpretive summaries--brief, non-technical descriptions of the presentations planned by invited speakers. With 32 symposia available and more than 1,300 scientific papers or presentations on the schedule, there is a remarkable array of choices available to registrants.

· Clear your schedule for the Auction and Awards! Wednesday evening July 26 will be "ADSA night" at the convention with our awards ceremony and Foundation Auction scheduled in succession at the Hyatt-Regency. Click here for an auction catalog complete with pictures and an absentee bid form.

· Check out your lodging options and secure your housing registration online, by phone, email, or fax by clicking here

· Bring your family/spouse to the meeting this year and pay no registration fee for them! There is no charge for family members who do not plan to attend program sessions, but you are encouraged to register them so that they have a meeting badge for security purposes. They are welcome to attend the receptions and use the hospitality suite at the meeting.

· Watch for tour information. In the mail with your registration receipt and badge, you will receive descriptions of tour options available to registrants and their families. At the Baltimore Convention Center, general information about the area will be available in the Restaurant and Tourist Kiosk. If you want to meet an old friend or link with other families to take in the sites, the hospitality suite near the registration area will be a convenient place to get together. On Tuesday July 25 from 8:30 am - 10 am, a local tour provider will discuss tour options and local attractions at the hospitality suite. 

· Take advantage of travel discounts. Discounted airfares are available from the Conventions in America Travel Agency. US and Canadian registrants can call 1-800-929-4242 for information, and registrants from other countries can call 619-232-4298 (group number 708). You can also review your travel options at www.stellaraccess.com

· Click here for a summary of the Student Affiliate Division Program, including a tour of the USDA-ARS facility, the awards presentation, scientific presentations by  students, and a variety of social outings. 

· Click here for an online program listing that features Dairy Foods sessions only by. Feel free to share the online program with colleagues who may be interested in attending and to use it as an onsite guide. 

ADSA Foundation Announces Plan for Student Quiz Bowl Program

Your Support Needed!

In a conference call on May 23, the trustees of the ADSA Foundation approved a plan that ties fundraising activities at the 2000 Foundation auction to the launch of a new service program for dairy science students. You can get involved by clicking here for a pledge form in support of the  student quiz bowl (the first competition is slated for the 2001 meeting in Indianapolis). You can also make a contribution on-site at the auction display or at the Foundation booth in the exhibit hall. An outline of the plan follows:

Background

In 1995 Bob and Libby Sellars purchased a unique wooden carving by artist Glenn McCune of a cow and calf at the ADSA auction (click here for a photo of the carving). This year, Sellars volunteered to donate the item back to the auction so that more people could appreciate the beauty of the carving, and so that the proceeds from the sale could be used for a worthy cause. A committee of Foundation Trustees recommended that a bidding "syndicate" be established to purchase the item, and that the proceeds from the sale be used to fund an annual Dairy quiz bowl for student clubs representing colleges and universities. 

Purchase of Carving

A syndicate of people who support dairy students will be contacted to contribute toward purchasing the McCune Carved Cow.  Contributors will be asked to donate $50.00 or more toward the purchase of the carving.  The syndicate will then purchase the carving during the 2000 Foundation auction and establish the carving as a traveling trophy for the winner of a dairy quiz bowl.  The official name of the carved cow will be the Sellars-ADSA Foundation Traveling Trophy.

Quiz Bowl

A dairy quiz bowl for the ADSA-SAD will be conducted each year at the ADSA Annual Meeting.  This quiz bowl will create excitement for the students just as the auction does for the professional members; it will be educational, it will bring attention to the students, and it will provide recognition for students and the participating ADSA-SAD University Dairy Clubs.  Questions will be asked about the ADSA, the ADSA Foundation, dairy production, dairy processing, and dairy foods. 

Each university can enter one team.  University teams will be seeded by giving a written quiz.  The contest will be a single elimination until the final round of competition, which will be a double elimination.  Logistics and the time of the quiz bowl will be arranged during the planning of the ADSA Annual Meeting.

Presentation of Awards

The winning team, their department head, and advisor will be presented with the Sellars-ADSA Foundation Traveling Trophy at the annual ADSA Foundation Auction.  The Sellars-ADSA Foundation Traveling Trophy also will be accompanied by a printed list of donors who contributed $50.00 or more to the purchase of the Sellars carved cow when it is presented to the winning team.  The Sellars-ADSA Foundation Traveling Trophy will be encased for protection, the name of the winning university and year will be placed on the encasement material around the trophy, the trophy will be displayed in the trophy case of the winning team's department or the office of the department head, and the trophy returned the next year for presentation to the next winning university team.

The first and second place teams will be presented with a plaque engraved with names of the team members and university on it to keep at their university.  A monetary award will be provided to the first and second place teams to be used by their university dairy clubs to help with the expense of sending students to the ADSA Annual Meeting.  The amount of the monetary award will be determined by the ADSA Foundation Board.

ADSA Election Around the Corner

Don't miss your opportunity to vote in the upcoming ADSA election. US-based members should have received their ballots with the annual program mailings, and international members should have received theirs in a separate mailing due to arrive in late May. If you did not receive a ballot, please email adsa@assochq.org to obtain a replacement. National candidate officers include vice-president nominees John C. Bruhn of California and John A. Partridge of Michigan;  director, dairy foods division nominees Kathryn J. Boor of New York and Joseph J. Warthesen of Minnesota; and director, dairy production division nominees Gary F. Hartnell of Missouri and Al F. Kertz of Missouri. For information about this year's candidates, click here.  ADSA depends on strong leadership and the active participation of its members, so please be sure to get your vote in before the July 1 deadline.

Probiotics for Food Animals is the Theme of the  Fourth DISCOVER Conference

Everything you need to review the program, check out travel and lodging options, and register for the Probiotics Discover Conference is available online now. Click here to get the information you need, or email adsa@assochq.org to request additional information. Act now if you plan to attend: registration is limited and the conference is filling up quickly! 

FASS Fact Sheet Available Online

The first FASS fact sheet, entitled "Genetically Modified Crops- Impact on Meat, Milk and Eggs", has just been published and is available at the website: http://www.fass.org/ Click on NEW! FASS Fact Sheet

News/Grants/Meeting Schedule/Volunteer Opportunities

News and Notes 

Research Confirms Old Messages: Kids, Drink Your Milk!

The rising rates of childhood obesity in our country has led us to question the messages we are sending parents concerning children's health. Over the years, we have attempted to guide parents' food choices for their children by constructing concise, easy-to-understand nutrition guidelines. Debate within the nutrition community, however, often causes confusion among health care providers and parents. It's always reassuring to receive scientific confirmation on simple messages we have been hearing all our lives.

Research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, held in conjunction with Experimental Biology 2000 in San Diego, California, April 14 * 18, confirms some familiar advice most of us received from our mothers: "Drink your milk!" The Pennsylvania State University's Department of Human Development and Family Studies examined the effects of milk on diet quality and weight status of 196 five-year-old girls. Participants who consumed a high-dairy intake (more than two servings a day) had a mean score of 74.8 on the Healthy Eating Index, whereas participants in the low-dairy group (less than two servings a day) had a mean score of 70.4. Moreover, the high-dairy group was found to consume more fruits and grains than the low-dairy group and to have a higher overall nutrient profile. The high-dairy group also had lower scores for saturated fat, although total fat was not different among high- and low-dairy consumers. Furthermore, the amount of dairy intake had no relation to weight status, as measured by the body mass index.

The results of this research reinforce policy makers' efforts to increase milk consumption as a part of the school meal programs. The results also alleviate concerns that increasing consumption of dairy products will violate nutrition guidelines advising a limitation of saturated fat in the diet. All parents know, however, that simply telling a child that a food is good for them will not get them to eat it. We therefore need to support ideas that combine what children like with what is good for them, such as the proposal to make flavored, low-fat milks a part of the school lunch program. With such a program in place, children will be more willing to drink flavored milk and, in doing so, gain all the benefits of dairy consumption. Critics argue that adding sugars to milk will have adverse health consequences, yet there is no scientific evidence that consumption of sugars has a negative effect on weight gain or health status other than dental caries. As researchers, policy makers, and parents, we need to be creative in applying strong science and nutrition guidelines to our children's diets. Otherwise, the milk will turn sour before we can convince our children to drink it.

This report was provided by CeresNet which is produced by the Georgetown University Center for Food and Nutrition Policy. To subscribe to the mail list, contact the Center at 3240 Prospect Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 USA Phone: 202-965-6400; FAX: 202-965-6444 Email: Ceres@gunet.georgetown.edu

The following news articles have been forwarded from Jack Cooper's Food Industry Environmental Network Newsletter (FIEN) electronic newsletter. For subscription information, contact:

Jack L. Cooper
Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN)
33 Falling Creek Court; Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Phone: 301/384-8287 --- Fax: 301/384-8340
E-Mail: JLC@fien.com

Governors Join Biotech Food Promotion

By PHILIP BRASHER, AP Farm Writer

 WASHINGTON (AP) - Governors concerned that opposition to genetically engineered food could hurt farmers and biotech companies in their states announced plans Tuesday to use their political muscle to promote the industry.

 The 13 governors hope to reassure the public that ``this isn't just the big, bad chemical companies trying to engineer something to jam down your throats,'' said North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer. Schafer, a Republican, is co-chairing the Governors Biotechnology Partnership with Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat.

The governors have yet to finalize a strategy, but they are patterning the effort after a governors' ethanol coalition that promotes the corn-based gasoline additive, in part through sponsoring studies of the product. Along with Schafer and Vilsack, the governors forming the biotech coalition include Democrats Mel Carnahan of Missouri and Tom Carper of Delaware, whose states are home to two of the leading companies in the industry, Monsanto and DuPont. The other governors are Republicans Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho, John Engler of Michigan, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Kenny Guinn of Nevada, Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin and George Ryan of Illinois, and Democrats Frank O'Bannon of Indiana, Jim Hunt of North Carolina and Gary Locke of Washington.

 Schafer said the governors hope to coordinate their message with the biotechnology companies, who last month launched a $50 million advertising campaign to counter criticism of the industry.

 Crops have been engineered to stay fresher longer or else to resist pests and herbicides. The National Academy of Sciences concluded recently that the biotech food now on the market is safe, but critics say there isn't enough proof, and some U.S. food processing companies and fast-food companies have been turning away from the crops.

 ``I don't think they (the governors) are doing their farmers or their consumers any benefit by promoting a technology that hasn't proven to be safe,'' said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for Greenpeace, an environmental group that has led the opposition to biotech food. ``I don't think it's going to make much difference to our side.''

Vilsack, speaking Tuesday at the National Press Club, invoked the name of Henry Wallace, a liberal icon who was a pioneer in corn research and later a tireless promoter of New Deal policies while serving as agriculture secretary and vice president under Franklin Roosevelt. Genetic engineering is fundamentally no different than the conventional plant breeding done by Wallace, Vilsack said. Genetic engineering involves transferring traits from one organism to another by splicing genes, while conventional breeding methods include cross pollinating plants and inducing genetic mutations. ``It's not new science,'' Vilsack said. ``It's simply quicker science.'' 

Jane Rissler, a biotech expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said genetic engineering is ``a very powerful technology, far more powerful than traditional breeding, just as nuclear energy is far more powerful than fossil fuels.''

· FTC and FDA to be Asked by Several Food Industry Trade Associations to Establish Guidelines Addressing Claims about Modern Biotechnology; to explain some "rules of the road" for manufacturers who may want to use terms such as "GM-Free," "Non-GM," or others in food labeling - The associations will not be asking for new regulations, but for guidelines that would apply existing law to claims such as "GM Free" that imply the absence of "genetic modification" in the production of foods; Claims that a food or its ingredients, including foods such as raw agricultural commodities, are not derived from or made through the use of recombinant DNA techniques; and that Claims about the benefits related to the use or avoidance of biotechnology must be substantiated by competent and reliable evidence - The following trade associations are expected to jointly join in filing the petitions with the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration: Grocery Manufacturers Association of America, American Frozen Food Institute, Food Marketing Institute, International Dairy Foods Association, National Food Processors Association, and Snack Food Association - Copies of the petitions are expected to be posted on the GMA WWW Site at http://www.gmabrands.com/news/docs/NewsRelease.cfm?docid=568& at which a GMA May 5 News Release on the pending petition is posted.

· Joint US/EU Biotechnology Consultative Forum Reportedly Formed, according to a May 31 BridgeNews Report - Formation of the forum was announced at the conclusion of a one day May 31 EU/US Summit held in Queluz, Portugal, according to BridgeNews, which notes that the purpose of the new forum is to promote understanding about the use of new technologies and genetically modified food and agricultural products - The forum, which will comprise eminent independent experts, is expected to report at the next EU-U.S. summit in Washington in December - This information was taken from the BridgeNews report; the Reuters report on the formation of the forum is posted at the following www site: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000531/wl/clinton_biotech_2.html

· NSF Reports that Company Funding of US Industrial R&D Increased, as it has each year since 1953, to $169.2 billion in 1998 - The National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) 1998 Survey of Industrial Research and Development shows that companies spent 7 percent more than the amount spent during 1997 - Federal funding of industrial R&D in 1998 was $24.2 billion—basically unchanged from the 1997 total of $23.9 billion. After adjusting for inflation, total R&D rose 6 percent, company-funded industrial R&D rose 7 percent, and federally funded industrial R&D stayed level. Summary statistics from the 1997 and 1998 surveys are compared in the complete report - The complete report is posted at the following National Science Foundation www site:

http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/databrf/sdb00320.htm

GRANT INFORMATION 

· National Academy of Sciences Issues a Report on the USDA National Research Initiative, Titled: "National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research, 2000," which concludes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture should take steps to ensure that its National Research Initiative program of competitive research grants be given a much higher priority, and that the program should emphasize high-risk research with potential long-term payoffs, address critical issues identified by researchers as well as topics of concern to the public, and attract scientists outside the traditional agricultural disciplines - An electronic copy of the report which was issued on April 27 by the National Research Council’s Board on Agriculture’s Committee on an Evaluation of the US Department of Agriculture National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, is posted at the following NAS WWW Site:

http://www.nap.edu/books/030907083X/html/ - NAS BA Contact: Charlotte Kirk Baer, Associate Director
(202) 334-3062; e-mail: ckirk@nas.edu

· Education and Training Programs for Graduate Students at the Masters or Ph.D. Levels in the Area of Renewable Bioproducts - DOE Seeks Applications from Private and Public Institutions of Higher Learning - In announcing the call for applications, DOE noted: "The emerging biobased products industry uses crops, trees, wastes and by-products to make chemical feedstocks and a huge range of everyday consumer goods, like plastics, paints and adhesives. Contributions to this new industry would come from traditional academic programs in crop production, such as agronomy, crop and soil sciences and forestry; programs in environmental sciences, such as ecology, and water and timber management; basic science programs, such as genomics, biology and microbiology; and, programs in industrial production technologies, such as fermentation design, fluid mechanics and systems management. The objective of this new education initiative is to produce graduates who can enter the complex biobased products industry and effectively integrate the knowledge from a wide range of technologies that are necessary for this industry to grow." - Applications due to DOE by June 20 - DOE Contact: Marshall Garr, Contract Specialist at (208) 526-1536; e-mail: garrmc@id.doe.gov - DOE May 11 Federal Register:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=00-11867-filed

· USDA CSREES Seeks Research Grant Proposals in the Agency's the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program--National Food Safety Initiative for fiscal year (FY) 2000 - Research grant applications are intended to support integrated, multifunctional agricultural research, extension, and education activities that address food safety priorities in United States agriculture - Approximately $14,277,000 will be available to fund proposals in FY 2000 - Proposals are being solicited in 12 component areas: (1) Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Assessments; (2) Control Measures for Food-Borne Microbial Pathogens; (3) Sources and Incidence of Microbial Pathogens; (4) Antibiotic Resistant Microbial Pathogens; (5) Improving the Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables; (6) Food Handler Education and Training for Consumer and Youth; (7) Food Handler Education for High-risk and Hard-to-reach Audiences; (8) Food Handler Education for Commercial and Non-Commercial Audiences; (9) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Model Development, Testing and Implementation; and (10) Integrating Food Safety into Related Agricultural Problems. In addition, proposals are being solicited for (11) National Coordination of Integrated Food Safety Programs and Resources and a (12) National Center for Home Food Processing and Preservation - Proposals due to CSREES by June 6 - CSREES Contact: Dr. Jan Singleton; National Program Leader, Food Science and Food Safety; Plant and Animal Systems Unit at (202) 401-1954; fax: (202) 401-5179; e-mail: jsingleton@reeusda.gov - CSREES June 7 Federal Register:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=00-8642-filed

Upcoming Meetings

Announcing an Electronic Conference: 

"Small-scale Milk Collection and Processing in

Developing Countries"

The conference runs from May 29 - July 28, 2000.

You can register by sending a message to:-

MAILSERV@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG <mailto:MAILSERV@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG>

with the following words in the body of the message (no subject required):

SUBSCRIBE MILK-L "Your name, organization, job title, country"

e.g. SUBSCRIBE MILK-L "John Smith, FAO, Animal Production Officer, Italy"

This special format (with your name, organization and country in quotes) will put these details into the list. But you do not need to put your email address in the message.

There will be invited discussion papers on each topic and each invited paper will be supported by shorter (1-2 pages) poster papers. You are also invited to present a poster paper outlining your experiences or results. Alternatively, you may wish to simply receive papers and make comments on topics of special interest to you. The topics of the e-mail conference will be the following:

Topic 1: From Farm to Collection Point

1. Clean Milk Production and Support Services

2. Milk Collection and Preservation

3. Milk Testing, Quality Control, Hygiene and Safety

4. Milk Payments

Topic 2: Small Scale Milk Processing Technologies

1. Liquid Milk

2. Other Milk Products

Topic 3: Milk Producer Organizations (MPO)

1. Identification of Market Opportunities

2. Organization and Management of MPO's

3. Legal aspects

4. Education, Information and training

The conference is an e-mail conference, but the papers and comments will be published on the FAO Website. Papers will be released at approximately weekly intervals and discussion on each paper will be circulated. The conference will be moderated by the e-mail conference moderating team based at the Animal Production Service of FAO Rome. The proceedings will eventually be published both electronically and conventionally.

By registering, you will receive all papers by e-mail in ASCII text. The papers will also available on the Internet, you will receive the URL address soon after subscribing.

Comments and Contributions

Comments and contributions should be sent to:

Milk-L@mailserv.fao.org <Milk-L@mailserv.fao.org>

All contributions will be subject to editorial control by the conference co-ordinators before being sent to other participants. The conference co-ordinators retain the right to summarise lengthy messages and to decide which contributions are relevant to the subject of the conference. We will ensure that messages are not repeated, that errors in mailing lists do not affect you and that the discussion is controlled and directed. 

Poster Papers

Poster papers may be submitted and should be 1-2 pages long. They may be submitted in MS Word or other word processor format. They can be traditional (introduction, method, results and conclusions) or simply a description of your experiences, whatever they are). Tables and graphics and photos may be included, but should be kept to a minimum. Please use the minimum of page formatting. That is, use standard fonts and margins and do not reset margins, tabs, etc. during the paper. Portrait page format only, no headers, footers, footnotes etc.

References should take the form:

Smith, A.B. 1998. Making silage in the tropics. Journal of Tropical

Agriculture 25, 123-129.

Organizers: The Livestock Products Team, Animal Production Service, FAO Rome

Other Upcoming Conferences

Rheological Analysis of  Foods Theory and Practice, May 31 - June 2, NC State Department of Food Science, Raleigh, NC, Phone: 919-513-2092

Wisconisn Cheese Grading Short Course, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Dept. of Food Science, Madison, WI, Phone: 608-263-2015;

American Society of Agricultural Engineers Annual Conference, June 9 - 12, Milwaukee WI 616-429-0300;

Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting 2000, June 10-14, Dallas, Texas, USA Phone 312/782-8424, Fax 312/782-8348 Internet: www.ift.org

2000 Heart of America Dairy Management Conference; Theme: Problems of Heat Stress; June 21 - 22, St. Joseph, MO; contact either John Smith (jfsmith@ksu.edu or 1-785-532-1203) or Mike Brouk (mbrouk@ksu.edu or 1-875-532-1207) for more information. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_ansi/dairylin.htm

IDFA Washington Conference, June 21 - 22, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-737-4332; Fax on Demand: 888-607-7718; http://www.idfa.org

10th World Food & Agribusiness Congress--Consumers, Technology, & Environment: Creating Opportunity and Managing Risk, Fairmont Hotel, Chicago, June 26 - 28; 

Phone: 979-845-2118; E-mail: iama@tamu.edu; http://www.ifama.org

Dairy Ingredient Science 2000, June 28-30, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Biennial Cheese Conference, August 7 - 9, Utah State University Dept. of Nutrition & Food Sciences, Logan, UT, Phone: 435-797-3466;

International Association for Food Protection 87th Annual Meeting, August 6-9, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Phone: 800.369.6337; 515.276.3344

Milk Pasteurization and Control School, August 21 - 24, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Dept. of Food Science, Madison, WI, Phone: 608-263-2007;

Beltsville Symposium XXIV: Healthy Animals 2000, September 10-12, Beltsville, Maryland, USA Telephone: (301) 504-8201 Fax: (301) 504-5306

4th Discover Conference on Food Animal Agriculture:  Probiotics for Food Animals, September 10-13, Nashville, Indiana, USA phone:217-356-3182; email: adsa@assochq.org

5th International Hydrocolloids Conference, Sept. 10 - 15, NC State University, Dept. of Food Science, Raleigh, NC; phone: 919-513-2244

4th Annual Dairy Cleaning and Sanitation Short Course, Oct. 3 - 4, Cal Poly Dairy Products Technology Center, San Luis Obispo, CA; Phone: 805-756-6097

IDFT Expo 2000--International Trade Fair and Technical Seminar on Dairy & Food Technology; October 3 - 6, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India phone: 91-11-4633881; email: tafcon@def2.vsni.net.in web: http://www.tafcon.com

World Dairy Expo, October 4-8, 2000, Madison, Wisconsin 608-224-6455

Volunteer Opportunities

EXCITING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD!

Round trip airfare, housing, visa, interpreter and transportation provided.

Citizens Democracy Corps, a non for profit organization dedicated to aiding small and medium sized businesses in emerging market countries needs experts in the dairy industry. Each assignment lasts between 2-3 weeks. Of immediate interest are the following three open volunteer assignments in Russia:

1 and 2 ) Company Name: Bryansk milk processing plant (dairy plant) and Scholkovo Milk Processing Plant Type of Company: production of dairy products with short-term storing: milk, sour cream, curd cheese, cheese and dry milk products. Status Ownership: open joint stock association (closed joint stock company "ROST" owns controlling interest) Area of CDC Assistance: Strategies development on merchandising, sales techniques for increasing industrial capacity, sales volume and profitable outlet. Project of entering in dairy holding company. 

3) Company Name: "Maslosyrbaza" (cheese and butter processing plant) Type of Company: production and distribution of processed cheese. Project Description: The Advisor will be asked to analyze and give recommendations on the following aspects:

- Organization of manufacturing process;

- distribution of responsibilities and operations between workers at the production lines; 

-order and structure of works, functions of employees 

-time limits and norms of production operations 

-raw materials and final product

- record keeping and control 

-storage 

-logistics 

- remuneration of labor: incentives and penalties 

- the company organization and administration of cheese production.

Technology issues are the priority of the assignment. It would be highly appreciated if the Consultant would bring any visual aid materials he/she may feel could be of value: such as the samples of operation chart flowsheets, different cheese recipes, examples of packaging and others that can be related to this area of business.

Please join us to make a difference!

Please call 1 800 394 1945 ext. 688 and ask for Andrea Chartock or e-mail your resume to <achartock@cdc.org>. Our fax number is (202) 872 0923 and our mailing address is Citizens Democracy Corps, 1400 I St., NW Suite1125, WDC 20005. Thank you!