Volume 7, Issue 1 :: July-August 2002

FY 2003 Research Program Projects Receive 1% Budget Cut Fifteen research projects began FY 2003 activities on July 1. However, due to a Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget request, all state government-funded programs’ budgets were cut by 1%. The cut was requested in response to the anticipation of a continued weak U.S. economy. Based on the announcement, FoodPAC’s leadership felt the most appropriate course of action to take was to reduce the general funding allocation of each FY 2003 research project by 1%. While Governor Barnes has indicated this 1% holdback is precautionary, FoodPAC’s leadership feels each project should treat the reduction as a permanent cut.

Traditional Industries Program Requests Equipment Inventory The Traditional Industries Program (TIP) has requested that its three research programs (FoodPAC, CCACTI, TIP3) conduct an equipment inventory. FoodPAC Executive Coordinator Gary Black mentioned in the April FoodPAC Steering Committee Meeting that TIP would be requesting an equipment inventory of the last five years. The inventory, he explained, will be part of a stewardship report and will be an ongoing recordkeeping standard. University project investigators and their research teams are currently conducting the inventory of all equipment purchased with bond funding for research project activities. FoodPAC inventories are expected to be completed by the Steering Committee’s Summer Meeting in August.

IFPA Hosts Workshop Focusing on the Basics of Fresh-cut Produce The International Fresh-cut Produce Association (IFPA) will host “Fresh-cut Technology: Basic Training” on July 25 at the Holiday Inn Airport North in Atlanta. The one-day program is designed to train managers, support personnel, and other employees about the integrated systems that ensure the quality and safety of fresh-cut produce. The program’s goal is to inform attendees of the underlying principles that govern fresh-cut produce safety and quality, while providing practical tools for application in the processing plant. The approach will be highly interactive and hands-on, with attendees sharing information and working in small groups throughout the day. Specific topics to be addressed include integrating quality across production, maintenance, receiving and sanitation; sampling incoming ingredients and setting up inspection protocols; production problem diagnosis and problem solving; sanitation effects on fresh-cut microbiology and shelf-life; and finished product quality evaluation and sensory analysis. The International Fresh-cut Produce Association is the international trade association that represents and provides technical expertise to commercial suppliers of fresh-cut produce, as well as companies affiliated with the fresh-cut industry, including equipment manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice operations. For more information, visit http://www.fresh-cuts.org. On-site registration will be available the day of the workshop. The cost is $195 for IFPA members; $295 for nonmembers.

FoodPAC Welcomes Newest Committee Members FoodPAC welcomes the following individuals who have volunteered their time and expertise to serve as members of the Food Processing Advisory Council. Steering Committee Members Andy Borem, Chickasha of Georgia Mike Giles, Georgia Poultry Federation Steve Woodruff, WHEE, Inc. Food Safety Technical Committee Members Len Cagle, Cagle’s Dairy Jim O’Bryan, GEMC Jill Webb, Excel Corp. (replaces Wes Craig) Process & Product Competitiveness Technical Committee Members Smoot Langston, Country Best Jason Prince, Excel Corp. (replaces Bradley Down) Foodfact Did You Know? Georgia is the nation’s largest supplier of pecans, with more than half the total U.S. production. An average pecan harvest is about 100 million pounds. The 2000 crop was 80 million pounds, valued at $87 million, and in 1993, the crop weighed in at a record 150 million pounds. The state’s major pecan-producing region is near Albany, in south-central Georgia, although there are large and small orchards from Atlanta southward. The 2000 farmgate value was $129.2 million. Source: Georgia Agriculture Resources

FoodPAC Upcoming Events 2002 Sep 1 Final reports for FY 2002 program are due

Remember…Submit comments and story ideas to Angela Colar, Editor at (404) 894-3412 or angela.colar@gtri.gatech.edu

For further information on FoodPAC, please contact: Steering Committee Chairman - Robert Budd, The Halifax Group Inc., (770) 452-8828 Vice Chairman - David Lee, D.L. Lee & Sons Inc., (912) 632-4406 Executive Coordinator - Gary Black, Georgia Agribusiness Council, (706) 336-6830 Environmental Technical Committee Chairman - Reggie Prime, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., (770) 989-3144 University Coordinator - Dale Threadgill, The University of Georgia, (706) 542-1653 Food Safety Technical Committee Chairman - Michael Robach, Wayne Farms LLC, (770) 538-2149 University Coordinator - Michael Doyle, The University of Georgia, (770) 228-7284 Process & Product Competitiveness Technical Committee Chairman - Wayman Hollis, Hall Equipment, (770) 534-2723 University Coordinator - Craig Wyvill, Georgia Tech, (404) 894-3412

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

Return to the What's New at FoodPAC . . . . . . . . . . Return to FoodPAC Publications Authored by the Food Processing Technology Division Georgia Tech Research Institute Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0823 USA Telephone: 404-894-3412 Make comments pertaining to this website to: Steven Thomas <steven.thomas@gtri.gatech.edu> Copyright © 2002 FoodPAC Last Modified: March 2002 URL: foodpac.gatech.edu