YOUR OPINION

Are nuts fattening?

• Yes
• No
• I don’t know

 

The INC exhibited at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo in McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from 18 to 20 July 2010, where thousands of food scientists, suppliers, and marketers around the globe encountered innovations, from new health and safety benefits and product innovations to the latest consumer favorites, fears, and trends.

The participation of the INC at the IFT Meeting and Food Expo was a great chance to provide valuable information about nuts and dried fruits, to meet with INC members and to expand business contacts.

Tree nuts and peanuts were also highlighted in several scientific sessions:

• Nuts: Phytochemicals, health effects and flavor.
  Moderators: Fereidoon Shahidi (Memorial Univ., St. John's, Canada), and Cesarettin Alasalvar (TUBITAK Marmara Res. Ctr., Turkey).
  Guest Speakers: Cyril W. Kendall (Univ. of Toronto, Canada), Karen Lapsley (Almond Board of California), Ronald B. Pegg (Univ. of Georgia), Patricia M. Kearney (The Peanut Inst, Albany), Ronald R. Eitenmiller (Univ. of Georgia), Keith Cadwallader (Univ of Illinois).

• Nut food safety: Challenges and considerations when developing controls to address pathogen contamination in nuts as well as other low water activity foods and feed.
  Moderators: Michelle D. Danyluk (Univ. of Florida-CREC), and Karen G. Lapsley (Almond Board of California).
  Guest Speakers: Larry Beuchat (Univ. of Georgia), Linda J. Harris (Univ. of California), Timothy H. Sanders (USDA-ARS-SAA), Paul A. Hall (AIV Microbiology & Food Safety Consultants, IL).

• Process validation and verification of current and new nut pasteurization processes.
  Moderators: Cindy M. Stewart (Silliker Inc., IL), and Larry Keener (Intl. Product Safety Consultants, WA).
  Guest Speakers: Erdogan Ceylan (Silliker Inc., IL), Erdal U. Tuncan (Consultant, NE), Brian Dunning (Blue Diamond Growers, CA), John W. Larkin (FDA, Summit-Argo, IL).

• Using a risk based approach, performance criteria and defined food safety objectives to determine the “right” amount of lethality for your process.
  Moderators: Kathiravan Krishnamurthy (Natl. Ctr. for Food Safety and Technology, Summit Argo, IL), and Guangwei Huang (Almond Board of California).
  Guest Speakers: Richard C. Whiting (Exponent, Bowie, MD), Nathan Anderson (USDA, Summit-Argo, IL), Donald W. Schaffner (Univ. of New Jersey, NJ), and Linda J. Harris (Univ. of California).