The Association for Dressings and Sauces’ (ADS) 2019 Technical Meeting was a great success, with sessions focused on e-commerce trends, product formulation innovations and leadership principles, while updating attendees on the latest regulatory changes.
ADS’ Technical Meeting, held in Louisville, Kentucky at the Seelbach Hilton Louisville, April 28 – April 30, included valuable industry information and a host of networking opportunities. As the home of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville provided an environment where members could focus on
In addition to the variety of education topics, also featured at the Technical Meeting was the much-anticipated Information Open House (IOH), ADS’ annual informal tabletop exhibit designed for manufacturers and suppliers to meet and review a multitude of products, services and needs.
Meeting attendees also had the opportunity to vote for the 2019 Dressing, Sauce and Package of the Year. Look for the winners to be revealed in October during the ADS 2019 Annual Meeting, Oct 5-7 in Austin, Texas.
As always, we couldn’t have done it without ADS members who devoted their time and expertise to the program. A special “thanks” goes out to them!
Monday, April 29 — Sessions
Monday’s session opened with ADS’ Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs Pat Faison welcoming all members to the meeting.
Executive Technical Board (ETB) Chair, Tom McGirty of T. Marzetti Company provided an overview of ADS initiatives, committee work and a look at the Technical Meeting program to come. ADS Communication Manager Stan Samples reviewed the progress to date in building awareness for the dressings, mayonnaise and sauces categories, including Dressings-Sauces.org’s 42% increase in organic website search traffic (e.g. Google). Mr. Samples also directed the audience towards the new ADS website, launched in December 2018.
The winner of the ADS Technical Service Award was announced and the winner is … Dr. Ritu Mishra (pictured be
low), known for her strong leadership and commitment to the technical advances of ADS. Dr. Mishra also serves on the ADS Executive Technical Board.
The recipients of ADS’ 2019 Technical Achievement Award also were announced and include: Lou Belmont, Sonoco; Merrily Blasi, Joni Fagan and John Perry, Ken’s Foods, Inc.; Cecilia Brock, The C.F. Sauer Company; Tim Ferrel and Brian Smith, Ring Container Technologies; Mark Griffin, Winpak, Ltd; Greg Halfmann, Litehouse, Inc.; and David O’Keefe, LANGGUTH AMERICA Ltd.
(Pictured from left: Lou Belmont, Tim Ferrel, Cecilia Brock, David O’Keefe and Mark Griffin)
Session presentations that are available can be found on the Members-Only section of the ADS website. Please note that not all presentations were made available to ADS. Contact ADS Headquarters if you need the user name and password.
Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.) of Lippold Strategies presented “Leadership and Accountability when it Matters”. He presented the five pillars of leadership – integrity, vision, personal responsibility and accountability, trust and invest, and professional competence. As Commanding Officer of the USS Cole, Lippold described the series of events that unfolded on October 12, 2000 when the destroyer was attacked by al-Qaeda terrorists during a refueling stop, killing 17 U.S. sailors.
Dr. Jeannie Perron of Covington & Burling and ADS legal counsel presented the “Food Regulatory Update,” including updates on bioengineered food regulations, FSMA’s Intentional Adulteration Rule and final nutritional labeling guidance.
Dr. Samir Amin of California Polytechnic State University shared insight on “E-Commerce Trends for Dressings & Sauces and Packaging Requirements”, pinpointing trends among Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers as well as new flavors such as Yuzu Kosho, Chamoy, and Koji. Packaging trends were also reviewed.
During the Association for Dressings & Sauces (ADS) 2019 Technical Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, attendees of the New Products and Services Presentations selected the top products deemed to be the most relevant to the dressings and sauces industry. The products were evaluated based on the following criteria: The product is new to the dressings and sauces industry, is innovative, and is of benefit to the dressings and sauces industry.
AptarGroup and Glenroy, Inc. – STANDCAP Premade Inverted Pouch
The premade STANDCAP Pouch is an easy-to-use lightweight package providing mess-free dispensing, 99% product evacuation, and instant shelf impact. Proven in the marketplace, this package allowed a leading brand to achieve a 69.7% increase in sales. Available as a turnkey solution with no capital expenditures required, low cost-of-entry, and fast time-to-market. Visit www.glenroy.com/standcap to learn more.
Neogen Corporation – Listeria Right NowTM
Neogen’s® Listeria Right Now™ gives the food industry peace of mind by assuring their sanitation procedures have eliminated Listeria from the tested food production environment, helping to keep the pathogen out of food we eat every day. Unlike others, this one-hour test doesn’t grow any pathogens — just helps eradicate them. It’s simple, safe and effective in the fight against Listeria. Visit Neogen Corporation to learn more.
Fiberstar, Inc. – Citri-Fi® Natural Citrus Fiber
Citri-Fi® natural citrus fiber provides high water holding and emulsification properties that improve texture, stability and mouthfeel of dressing and sauces. Citri-Fi® can be labeled as citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour. This clean label, plant-based ingredient is non-GMO, gluten-free and allergen-free. Click here to learn more.
Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc – Savorboost™ BK
Savorboost™ BK is the newest way of bringing roasted, meaty notes and mouthfeel to applications that are lacking in savory characteristics such as plant-based and vegetarian products. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to create the kokumi effect in addition to high flavor enhancement. Click here to learn more or request a sample!
Also presented during the New Products & Services Presentations session were:
- “Foil Alternatives” by Dennis Redding and Chaphanie Chai of Bemis Company
- “Grande Primo G60 Greek Yogurt Powder” by Brad Nielsen of Grande Custom Ingredients
- “Homecraft® Create 835 and 865 Multi-Functional Rice Flours” by Diane Nieto Velez of Ingredion.
- “Verasweet™ Low-Sugar Glucose Syrups” by Yeni Pena of Ingredion
- NaturFort RSGT Dry” by Chandra Ankolekar of Kemin Food Technologies
- “Caramelized Onion Puree” by Dr. Adrian Pollard of Pacific Farms
- “Tasteva® M Stevia Sweetener (Rebaudioside M)” by Adrienne Pohrte of Tate & Lyle
Finally, Monday was topped off by the Information Open House (IOH), flanked by 90 supplier companies, providing an informative and exciting look at member products, processes and services for the dressing and sauce industry.
Tuesday, April 30 — Sessions
The first presentation on Tuesday morning was “Cleaning and Sanitation Challenges in the Dressings & Sauces Industry” given by Ronda Dunson, of Food Systems Consulting Group. Ronda discussed challenges in physical cleaning as well as organizational effectiveness, both major factors in sanitation.
Dr. Fred Breidt of the United States Department of Agriculture and North Carolina State University provided an update on the “USDA Buffering Capacity Study,” which included dressing and sauce ingredients. He outlined the modeling, methods, and math involved. Also, he included the impact of composition and concentration and low acid ingredient titrations on the study.
George Pilgrim of the Pilgrim Food Group shared insight on “To File or Not to File a Scheduled Process for Dressings and Sauces”. He included requirements for a filed process, the decision tree on whether a file process is necessary, and how pH levels can impact the decision.
Dr. Bruno Xavier, Cornell University, provided a “Food Processing Authority Guidance on Filing a Scheduled Process for Acidified Foods”, with details on filing a Form 2541. In addition, he made recommendations on the scheduled process procedures as well as preventative controls for fermentation.
“Hurdle Technology & Formulating for Longer Shelf Life” was presented by Jerry Erdmann, DuPont Nutrition & Health. The presentation outlines what you need to know about clean label antimicrobials and introduced the concept of hurdle technology, the leveraging of multiple hurdles to compound control over microbial growth and improve safety and stability of the product.
Tuesday afternoon’s Ingredient Functionality & Quality Workshop moderated by Dr. Ritu Mishra of The Clorox Company included the following presentations:
- “Formulating with Fibers” by Dr. Brina Govindarajan and Anu Kampurath of Tate & Lyle.
- “Functional Starches and Flours in Savory Applications” by Dr. Bicheng Wu and Yeni Pena of Ingredion.
- “Spices 101” by Elizabeth Kurpe and Liz Morris of Elite Spice
ADS’ Closing Reception and Dinner
Attendees concluded the conference at the Muhammad Ali Center. World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, who many call the greatest boxer of all time, was born in Louisville. Attendees on the tour experienced Ali’s legacy and his ability to inspire people – regardless of one’s culture, age, color, ethnicity or religion. Attendees then enjoyed a reception and dinner.
“Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville” by aacool is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Saturday, April 27 — Committees
Packaging Committee
The Packaging Committee Meeting completed the development of two troubleshooting guides with a focus on flexible and rigid packaging. Both of these guides are located on the Members-Only section of the ADS website in the Packaging Reference Manual. The Committee is beginning to develop another troubleshooting guide with a focus on semi-rigid cups, lids and equipment.
Sunday, April 28 — Committees
Technical Committee
The Technical Committee undertakes research projects with a focus on ingredients, finished products, methods, equipment and instrumentation to advance the knowledge of the dressings and sauces industry. The Technical Committee reviewed three research projects for 2019:
- “Caramel Color Replacement in Dressings and Sauces”
Speakers: Zach Bender, Brooks’ Bottling Co.; Amanda Cypher, Wisconsin Spice, Inc.; Karen Jensen, Reily Foods Company; Alysha Kane, Ken’s Foods, Inc.; and Jim Patacchiola, Brooks’ Bottling Co. - “Extra Mustard – Development of ADS Standardized Mustard Formulation”
Speakers: Seth Hinton, TreeHouse Foods and Allen Sass, Wisconsin Spice, Inc. - “Pump Options: What, When and Where”
Speaker: Colm Swan, Socius Ingredients
Quality Assurance Committee
The Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) reviews new instrumentation and analyses for dressings and sauces, and ensures that the ADS technical manuals – Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG) Manual and the Methods and Procedures Manual (MAPMAN) – remain current and progressive.
The Committee heard from Rod Wheeler of The Global Food Defense Institute about Food Defense and Intentional Adulteration. The Committee also reviewed the Shelf Life and Sensory Testing section of the MAPMAN as well as the Microbiological Guidelines of the QAG Manual. Additionally, attendees reviewed a new document with a focus on development of a food safety plan.
Executive Technical Board (ETB)
The Executive Technical Board (ETB) works with staff to direct and supervise the ADS Technical Program, which ensures that Association members remain proactive on technical issues affecting the industry (e.g., labeling, food safety, processing, and preservation).
The ETB reviewed updates from various ADS committees, plans for the April 26-28, 2020 Technical Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana and other issues of importance to the dressing and sauce industry.
Membership Advisory Council
The ADS Membership Advisory Council promotes membership in the Association through member retention, satisfaction and endorsement. The Council also capitalizes on member talent to improve Association programs for the benefit of ADS members. There have been 18 new member companies that have joined ADS in 2019 and almost $1,000 was awarded in ADS Bucks to say thank you and recognize those members who provided referrals and were instrumental in bringing those members to ADS. Again, a big thank you to the following:
- Ben Rucker of CRB for his referral of Alfa Laval
- David Horowitz of DuPont Nutrition & Health for his referral of Beneo, Inc.
- Pete Leitner of Admix, Inc., for his referrals of Paradigm Foodworks, SPX Flow, Inc. and Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group
- Joel Minkoff of California Garlic Company – Garlic King for his referral of Sky Valley Foods
- Vince Pasquale of Accurate Ingredients, Inc. for his referrals of R2H Flavor Technology, LLC and Traina Foods
- Ryan Schuelke of Enercon industries Corporation for his referral of Glenroy, Inc.
Another winner at this year’s Technical Meeting was Angus McLeod of Vanee Foods whose business card was drawn for the $500 donation to the charity of his choice! A check to the Greater Chicago Food Depository will be made in his name.
Future Updates
ADS Members: Look for additional committee updates in upcoming issues of ADS’ Heads Up! newsletter and in the ADS Members Group in LinkedIn, as well as in your email box.
For more information, please log onto the Members-Only section of the ADS website at www.adsmembers.org. Please contact Headquarters if you need the username and password.
