The 92nd Annual NAFFS Convention featured informative presentations from industry leaders in the beverages and ingredients markets. The presentations, in conjunction with abundant networking opportunities, made it a productive and enjoyable event for all.

Convention attendees heard enlightening presentations on beverage trends, the role of flavors in product preference, developing healthy products for kids, formulating with flavors in baked goods, changing regulations and country of origin marking requirements. Look for copies of several of the presentations which will be made available on the NAFFS web site.

The program closed with a dinner dance where numerous awards were presented to winners of the golf and fishing tournaments.

Look to www.naffs.org for pictures from the convention.

JOE MORAN
RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE

Incoming president Bill Becker of Advanced Biotech presented a plaque to Joe Moran of Allen Flavors to recognize Joe’s service to the organization over the past year while serving as president of NAFFS.
The plaque praised Joe for his strong commitment and leadership while serving the association as president and for his long history of service to NAFFS.

NAFFS THANKS EXITING
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS

The Board of Directors and the NAFFS staff thank Bill Baugher of Blue Mountain Flavors, Christine Daley of Treatt USA, Al Roth of Sethness Products, John Nobile of Arome America and Bob Weeks of Virgo Publishing/Food Product Design for their service to the organization during just-completed terms as directors.

Thanks are also expressed to Phil Parisi of David Michael & Co., who most recently served as chairman of the Board of Directors.

MEMBERS ELECT
OFFICERS, DIRECTORS

New officers were elected October 3 at the annual meeting held during the NAFFS Convention. The new NAFFS officers are: President - Bill Becker, Advanced Biotech; President-Elect - Scott Riefler, TIC Gums; Vice Presidents - Chris English, Bontoux, Inc. and Arthur Curran, Citrus & Allied Essences; Treasurer – Dave Adams, Savoury Systems International; and Secretary Christine Daley of Treatt USA. Joe Moran of Allen Flavors, who served as president for the past year, becomes chairman of the NAFFS Board of Directors.

Elected to three-year terms as members of the NAFFS Board of Directors were: Zena Bell of Pepsi, Katrina Neale of Global Essence, John Nobile of Arome America, Phil Parisi of David Michael & Co. and Al Roth of Sethness Products Company.

DSHEA NOT ENFORCED FOR
NEARLY A DECADE

The FDA took virtually no enforcement action under DSHEA for nearly a decade as the result of an order from former commissioner David Kessler, M.D., to not enforce the new law, reported Natural Products INSIDER.

In an article written for Natural Products INSIDER, Peter Barton Hutt, Senior Partner at Covington & Burling LLP and former FDA Chief Counsel (1971-75) states “Kessler was so infuriated by the enactment of DSHEA, however, that he ordered FDA not to enforce the new law. Initially, this was not widely understood As time has gone on, however, former FDA enforcement officials have admitted that, for the first full decade under DSHEA, FDA took virtually no enforcement action because of Kessler’s policy. Kessler was convinced that if the law was not enforced and the worst elements of the dietary supplement industry were allowed to run wild, Congress would repeal the law.”

ELECTRONIC TONGUE
IDENTIFIES SWEETNESS

Scientists have developed an electronic tongue on a chip that quickly and accurately identifies sweetness, reported Food Navigator.

Findings presented at American Chemical Society’s national meeting showed 100 percent accuracy over the full range of natural and artificial sweet substances, including 14 common sweeteners. The new sensor, which is about the size of a business card, can also identify sweeteners used in solid foods such as cakes, cookies and chewing gum, according to the researchers.

The “sensory sweet tooth” could be a simple quality control test to ensure a consistent, predictable flavor for soft drinks, beer and other beverages, according to developers led by Kenneth Suslick from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Earlier devices generally suffered from a difficulty to distinguish one chemical flavor from another, particularly in a complex mixture. The new technique, however, uses colorimetric sensor arrays, consisting of a tough, glass-like container with up to 36 tiny printed dye spots. When the chemicals in each spot react with sweet substances a color change occurs which varies with the type and intensity of the sweetener present.

The sensor can distinguish between 14 different natural and artificial sweeteners, including sucrose, xylitol, sorbitol, aspartame and saccharin, according to the researchers. And it can produce results in about two minutes.

More research is needed before the device could be considered a true “electronic tongue” that is able to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, said the developers.

AD/CVD INVESTIGATION ON
SALTS FROM CHINA

Commerce has initiated an antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on certain sodium and potassium phosphate salts from China.

The product covered by this investigation includes anhydrous MKP and DKP without regard to the physical form, whether crushed, granule, powder or fines. Also covered are all forms of STPP and TKPP, whether crushed, granule, powder, fines or solution. The HTS classifications include 2835.24.0000, 2835.31.0000 and 2835.39.1000. For more details, contact NAFFS.

NAFFS CALENDAR

Be sure to save these dates when updating your calendar:

March 11, 2010 – NAFFS California Meeting, Crowne Plaza, Anaheim, Cal.