Volume 3, Issue 5 – March-April 1999 . .
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FoodPAC Committees Schedule Meetings to Select FY 2000 Research Agenda FoodPAC’s three Technical Committees (Process and Product Competitiveness, Environmental, and Food Safety) are scheduled to meet separately during the month of March to review 25 FY 2000 proposals that include 13 Process and Product Competitiveness, 7 Environmental, and 5 Food Safety projects. These proposals request funding totaling $4,434,253. The anticipated state funding budget for FoodPAC will be $1,960,000. Therefore, the committees will have to help select a portion of the proposals for funding. During the selection process, each committee will compare the proposals for their responsiveness to the Proposal Call. The committees will then give each proposal a numerical rating using a 20-point criteria scheme (10 points for Technical Merit, 5 points for Collaboration, and 5 points for Funding). Each criterion asks three questions: Technical Merit Does it address a priority of the initiative? Does it have the potential of solving a problem? Is it of value to the industry as a whole? Collaboration Is more than one research unit involved? Is there industry leadership in the effort? Does industry play a strong role in the initiative? Funding Is the funding requested reasonable for the effort proposed? Is there suitable cost sharing? Is there industrial funding support? After each proposal is rated, the committees will rank order the submissions (by overall score) and put together a final recommendation on their selections for the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will review, adjust, and approve the FY 2000 research agenda in early April. All proposal submitters will be notified of the final selections by April 16. Upcoming Food-Related Workshop The Georgia Environmental Technical Assistance Program (GETAP) will host a Risk Management Program Development & Product Recovery/Pollution Prevention Teleconference for Georgia Food Processors on Monday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 23. Monday’s session will focus on topics relating to Waste Management, P2, and Product Recovery, while Tuesday’s focus will be on Risk Management Programs (RMPs) and Process Safety Management for Food Processors. The teleconference will be broadcast from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 22 and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on March 23 at the following satellite download sites: The University of Georgia in Athens, GA Augusta Technical Institute in Augusta, GA Carrollton Technical Institute in Carrollton, GA Coca-Cola Space Center in Columbus, GA Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA Using the GSAMS (Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System) with compressed signals transmitted over telephone lines, attendees can see and talk with each other in all locations carrying the broadcast. This exchange will provide an exciting forum for food processors throughout Georgia to discuss and resolve common questions concerning RMPs and P2 issues. Cosponsors of the teleconference include: Food Processing Advisory Council (FoodPAC) Georgia Environmental Partnership (GEP) Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD) The University of Georgia Departments of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Food Science and Technology, and Poultry Science Georgia Tech Research Institute Georgia Southern University Valdosta State University, The South Georgia Institute Small Business Development Center Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute Augusta Technical Institute Carrollton Technical Institute Columbus State University, Coca-Cola Space Science Center The cost of the teleconference is $195 if you register by Monday, March 8. After March 8, the cost is $225. For more information, contact Brian Kiepper in The University of Georgia’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at (706) 542-6907 or e-mail: bkiepper@bae.uga.edu	.	Project Spotlight The U.S. Food Experts Alliance for Strategic Technology (USFEAST) has established a goal of developing environmentally friendly technologies for reducing waste generated during food processing. The key to this is identifying methods to recover by-product material either during or after processing. A FY 1998 FoodPAC project, By-Products Recovery Research and Pilot Plant, addressed this concern. The projects objective was to research and develop state-of-the-art processes for recovering by-products directly from food processing waste streams. Research activities focused on four areas: adding value to poultry feathers by their use as building insulation, upgrading solid carbohydrate waste, recovering and upgrading waste soft drink effluent, and extracting chemical products from pecan pith. Research studies revealed that poultry feathers are equivalent to at least R-11 fiberglass insulation at one-fifth the cost, in addition to having several environmental and health advantages. This technology may impact the value of the state’s feather waste by some $15–20 million annually. Researchers developed a fermentation process to convert a portion of solid carbohydrate waste (generated from bakeries and processors of sauces and creams) into lysine. Further research is planned to convert the waste into ethanol. Researchers compared the chemical hydrolysis of mixed (raw) bakery waste using 12 different methods. Studies showed that more than 80% of the total carbohydrates were hydrolyzed to reducing sugars. Investigations of the enzymatic hydrolysis of mixed bakery waste seemed to demonstrate that the enzymatic process is more economical than chemical hydrolysis. Hydrolyzed starches were successfully converted into lysine and ethanol with a yield of about 30% (normal for the fermentation process used). A process was also developed to convert soft drink into lysine. Researchers studied the fermentation of a variety of soft drinks and juice drinks from a local bottler. Final concentrations of 15 g/L lysine were achieved, corresponding to a yield of 30%. This amounts to approximately $200,000 of revenue annually, for a difference of $400,000 annually for the bottler. Researchers also began preliminary studies focused on recovering value-added materials from pecan pith. More than one million pounds of the material could be recovered annually from pecan pith in Georgia, with a value of several million dollars. Project participants are Mark Eiteman, principal investigator, and Tom Adams, The University of Georgia. Legislative Funding Update The Budget Committees of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate recently approved FoodPAC’s FY 2000 bond funding requests as recommended by the Governor. Funding includes $4.2 million for additions (laboratories and space for industry use) to The University of Georgia’s Food Science Building, $4.11 million for the construction of a Food Processing Technology Research Building at Georgia Tech, and $1 million for research project equipment purchases. As of this writing, however, the bill covering this funding was still awaiting final passage. FoodPAC Dates to Remember April 1–15 Steering Committee meets to select FY 2000 research agenda April 16 FY 2000 research program announced June 30 FY 1999 research projects completed September 1 FY 1999 final project reports due Remember… Submit comments and story ideas to the Editor at (404) 894-3412 or angela.colar@gtri.gatech.edu

For further information on FoodPAC, please contact: Executive Coordinator: Mr. Gary Black Georgia - Agribusiness Council, (770) 242-3834 Environmental Coordinator: Dr. Dale Threadgill - University of Georgia, (706) 542-1653 Food Safety Coordinator: Dr. Michael Doyle - University of Georgia, (770) 228-7284 Product/Process Competitiveness Coordinator: Mr. Craig Wyvill - Georgia Tech, (404) 894-3412

Making Georgia the national and international leader in the food processing industry in the 21st century

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