Overview

New Products. Fresh Ideas. Industry Leaders. IDFA's Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium is calling all executives, marketing, product development personnel, plant managers, research and development/quality assurance professionals, plant engineers and operations staff to a dynamic and information-rich symposium focusing entirely on milk and cultured dairy products.

We're prepared to show you the most recent developments in ingredients, processing technology, market trends and packaging, as well as a look at a wide variety of new products in the development pipeline. Industry peers and respected experts will empower you with fresh new ideas to help your company grow and prosper.

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Agenda

Day One
Tuesday, April 24

Noon - 1:00 p.m.	Registration
1:00 - 1:15 p.m.	Welcome and Introduction
1:15 - 2:15 p.m.	Keynote Address Sweeping Changes - New Food Safety Law Implementation One year ago, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) — the most significant change in food regulation in six decades. At this session you'll learn about key regulatory developments and what's ahead in 2012 as the regulations are implemented. We will cover the legislative mandate for FDA to inspect risk-based food facilities, and what this mean for you. How will your food safety programs, inspections, training and record keeping need to change to meet these new regulations? Speaker: Joe Levitt, Partner, Hogan & Lovells
2:15 - 3:00 p.m.	Best Practices for Food Safety Preventive Control Plans – Allergen Control Programs The Food Safety Modernization Act will require that food plants must have comprehensive preventative control plans that include a well-documented allergen control program. This session will review a recent industry survey on current allergen management and will identify several areas where opportunities exist for verification of ingredients and prevention of cross contamination. The in-depth information from the survey should be a helpful tool to benchmark your current allergen control program. Speaker: Craig Henry Ph.D., Enterprise Risk Services Director, Business Risk, Deloitte & Touche LLP
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.	Break
3:30 - 4:15 p.m.	Best Practices for Food Safety Preventive Control Plans – Environmental Pathogen Monitoring Programs This session will provide an overview of the necessary components for an effective pathogen environmental monitoring program.  It will cover, risk assessment, site determination, zoning concepts, sampling techniques, corrective action and documentation. Speaker: Kristen Dixon, Vice President/General Manager, Chestnut Labs
4:15 - 5:00 p.m.	Best Practices for Food Safety Preventive Control Plans – Protection and Detection for the Dairy industry With heightened focus on food safety, there is an increasing demand on manufacturers to ensure that the food they produce is safe. This presentation will focus on analytical methods of rapid detection that are currently available and how they are used in the dairy industry. Speakers: Jerry Erdmann, Manager, Food Protection, DuPont Nutrition & Healthand Stacy K. Stoltenberg, M.S., Technical Sales Manager, Diagnostics, DuPont Nutrition and Health
5:00-6:30 p.m.	Reception

Day Two
Wednesday, April 25

7:30 - 8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
8:00 - 8:30 a.m.	Ten Steps to be Ready for a Third Party Audit Third party audits provide guidance and confirmation that systems and procedures are operating effectively and identify areas for improvements that are essential for food safety product quality.  They will be a key part component to food quality management programs especially with implementation of t the Food Safety Modernization Act regulations. This presentation will cover ten best practices for a third party audit and auditing for compliance to these industry standards. Speaker: Jan Eudy, Corporate Quality Assurance Manager, Cintas
8:30 - 9:15 a.m.	The Children are Our Future: Ensuring Dairy's Place in Healthy School Meals The U.S. dairy industry has worked together with school business and other key school stakeholders to work on future solutions for healthy school meals.  The goal is to ensure that dairy continues to have a place in the school meal plan and that dairy is acknowledged as part of a healthy solution for kids and school meals.  This panel will share information about the changing school landscape, key considerations for building the future of dairy in school meals, and insights from the work done by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Speakers: Rick Barz, Vice President, Leprino Foods Maureen Pisanick, Dietitian, Hudson City Schools Carol Blindauer, Senior Vice President, Dairy Health and Wellness, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Vince Varhabedian, Director Foodservice, Schools & Government, Borden Dairy Company
9:15 - 10:15 a.m.	Concurrent Sessions A. Milk - Chocolate Milk Lessons: Why Children Benefit from Sweetened Milk Some school systems have banned or required reformulated flavored milk to help prevent childhood obesity. However, these actions can have unintended adverse consequences. School systems where chocolate milk is eliminated experience a 35% decline in total milk consumption. That means children aren’t getting the nutrition they need. This session will feature new research from the Rippe Lifestyle Institute on the impact of added sugar in milk on weight loss. Speaker: James Rippe, Ph.D., Director, Rippe Lifestyle Institute B. Cultured – Greek Yogurt – Novel Processing and Ingredients Consumer demand for Greek style yogurt continues to surge. This session will provide an overview of different processing techniques along with varying ingredient choices that play a role in product texture. Learn about the use of modified processing technology to enzymatically modified milk protein that enables production of high protein yogurt with a simple ingredient declaration and a desired rich and creamy texture. Speaker: Marja Kanning, Project Manager & Dairy Expert, NIZO Food Research B.V.
10:15 - 11:00 a.m.	Innovative Product Contest Sponsored by: Help judge the Most Innovative Milk or Dairy Beverage and Cultured Dairy Product Competition. Taste the latest new products and vote for your favorite! Symposium attendees are invited to send one entry per company for each contest. Awards will be given for the most innovative cultured dairy product (yogurt, cultured milk, cottage cheese, dip, etc.), the most innovative milk or dairy beverage (non-cultured), and for the most innovative milk or cultured dairy prototype flavor. To submit a flavor, please complete and email the contest entry form to Paxton Styles at pstyles@idfa.org. After we receive your entry form, we will contact you with entry guidelines and shipment information
11:00 a.m. - noon	Concurrent Sessions A. Milk - Formulating Indulgent Flavored Milk Chocolate milk is a favorite among children, but adults don’t often drink it. Product formulation changes of the stabilizer system with gums can evolve chocolate milk for elementary school to appeal to older kids and adults. For dairy products taste, texture and flavored are all interrelated. This presentation will describe how manipulating texture, even slightly will make flavored milk more appealing. Speaker: Tristan Zuber, Regional Account Manager, TIC Gums B. Cultured –History of Yogurt - Before and After Greek All natural products are gaining popularity in consumer’s hearts and stomachs. The Greek yogurt category has expanded beyond expectations and now comprises more than 25 percent of the total yogurt market in US. This session will present possibilities to develop the next generation of pure, simple and natural, indulgent but healthy yogurts and fermented products. It will cover the new high texturing, mild and creamy cultures to make excellent low-fat and fat free yogurts; reducing added sugars by the right choice of cultures; broadening the high protein product category with probiotic Greek yogurt and quark and fromage frais. Speaker: Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Application Manager, Fermented Milk and Probiotics, Cultures & Enzymes, Chr. Hansen Inc.
Noon - 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.	Getting real: How dairy can capitalize on consumers' desire for real, fresh, natural foods New research shows opportunity exists for dairy companies to grow sales by marketing to the growing segment of consumers who want real, fresh, natural foods. This session will answer questions including: How big is the opportunity for dairy? Who is the target consumer and what motivates them? How can dairy products communicate real, fresh, natural appeal? How are competitive foods and beverages capitalizing on this trend? Speakers: Eva Balazs, Marketing and Contract Manufacturing Manager, Perry's Ice Cream Melinda Brunell, Vice President, Dairy Health and Wellness, Innovation Center for U.S. Cara Kelly, Director, Strategy, Insights and Planning, Dairy Management, Inc.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions A. Milk - Growing Sales with Occasion-Based Milk Products: Breakfast and After Dinner In today’s marketplace new and specialty products rule. These products are growth mechanisms in beverages and other products such as yogurt. The milk industry must capitalize on this opportunity as well. In this session milk processors will learn that occasion-based products are a big opportunity and see how industry partners are developing innovative products based on consumer needs. Consumer concept testing or product acceptance and intent to purchase will also be discussed. Speaker: Julie Buric, Vice President, Marketing, MilkPEP B. Cultured – Satiety’s Role in Weight Management How can cultured dairy products help consumer’s manage their weight?  This session will explore consumer attitudes towards weight management and how products around the world are being formulated to provide satiety benefits. Showcasing product trends targeted towards weight management, we’ll take an in-depth look at milk’s inherent nutrients and value added ingredients that impact satiety. A case study will be presented on the ingredient Fabuless™ that will address application development in dairy and yogurt, clinical studies on weight outcomes and potential claims for marketing. Speaker: Caroline Brons, Sr. Marketing Manager, DSM Nutritional Products - Human Nutrition & Health
3:30 - 4:00 p.m.	Break
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions A. Milk - Sustainability and Water Savings for the Dairy Industry Dairy processing plants need to look for innovative and cost-efficient solutions for sanitation while at the same time managing water and effluent goals. This session will provide an overview of typical effluent and water use for milk and cultured dairy plants. It will examine current technologies that are more sustainable and offer potential cost savings benefits. Speaker: Tyler Hacking, Senior Marketing Manager, Ecolab Inc. B. Cultured – A qPCR-based Method for Strain-Specific Monitoring of Yogurt Starter Strains During Fermentation Yogurt starters are typically composed of multiple strains of Streptococcus thermophius and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Since different strains have different growth temperature optima and may respond differently to changes in product composition, it would be desirable to monitor differential growth in yogurt. This sort of monitoring is impossible using conventional plating methods, but could be possible with qPCR. Development of a strain-specific qPCR-based method will be described and various applications will be discussed. Speaker: Robert F. Roberts, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Food Science, Penn State University.

Day Three
Thursday, April 26

7:30 - 8:15 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
8:15 - 9:15 a.m.	Product and Marketing Innovations: a Global Overview Now more than ever, we are operating in a global marketplace. See how marketing campaigns from around the world are increasing demand for dairy products. Learn what consumer and nutrition trends are influencing milk and cultured dairy product development in the States. Speaker: Donna Berry, Consultant, Editor, Food Guru Dairy & Food Communications, Inc.
9:15 - 10:00 a.m.	Nutrition Policy Update Current nutrition policies and recommendations are setting lower limits on calories, saturated fat and added sugars. These changes will impact how fluid milk and cultured dairy can be marketed to children, sold at schools or labeled in the grocery store. This session will review the existing and proposed nutrition regulations and standards to determine what challenges and possible opportunities exist for the dairy industry. Speaker: Michelle Matto, Principal, AM Food & Nutrition
10:00 - 10:30 a.m.	Break
10:30 - 11:15 a.m.	Update on FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Milk Sampling Assignment The Food and Drug Administration drug residue sampling survey was developed to determine if farms with previous drug residue violations in market-bound meat from dairy cows have farm management practices that may lead to drug residues in milk. This presentation will provide an overview of FDA’s ongoing milk sampling survey including how we arrived at this point, discussion of the objectives, methodology, and projected timeline for completion.  Speaker: Dr. Bill Flynn DVM, MS, Deputy Director, Science Policy, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine
11:15 a.m. - noon	An Animal Welfare Program for the Dairy Industry Developing an effective animal welfare program requires that we understand both the root of consumer concerns and fundamentals of animal welfare.  This session explore the development of society's concern for the welfare of animals and how it shapes their expectations of animal care. We will begin to understand how consumer expectations of animal care influence how we do business today and what is essential in developing a program that can effectively ensure the good welfare of dairy cattle. Speaker: Jennifer Walker, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVPM, Director of Stewardship, Dean Foods
Noon	Adjourn

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Hotel and Travel Information

The 2012 Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium will be held at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The award-winning Westin Crown Center features 724 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites. Directly connected to Union Station via The Link and just minutes from Liberty Memorial, you couldn't ask for a more central location. One of the nation’s first mixed-use redevelopments, Crown Center is an 85-acre complex that welcomes more than five million visitors each year.

The deadline to secure a room at IDFA's special room rate of $139 has passed. If you still require a room, please contact Paxton Styles at pstyles@idfa.org or 202-220-3532.

Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12:00 p.m.

Address

1 East Pershing Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64108
Tel: (816) 474-4400
Fax: (816) 391-4438

Website
http://www.crowncenter.com/Hotel-Westin/Index.htm

Services and Amenities

• 24-Hour Business Center
• Free Shuttle Service within Surrounding Area (Limited)
• 24-Hour Valet & Self Parking Facilities
• Concierge Desk
• WestinWORKOUT® Gym
• Health Club Tennis Courts
• Heated Outdoor Swimming Pool
• Sauna
• Jogging Track
• Indoor Whirlpool
• Car Rental Desk
• Safe Deposit Boxes
• Currency Exchange
• Service Express®
• Laundry Service
• Multilingual Staff
• 24-Hour Security
• 24-Hour Front Desk
• Barber/Beauty Salon

Dining

Benton's Prime Steakhouse

Your dining experience begins with spectacular city views from the 20th floor amid a carefully-crafted ambience—but the restaurant is best known for its food. Choose one of the prime steaks, aged to perfection and expertly grilled, or another selection from the extensive menu. Enjoy attentive service and complimentary valet parking. Live jazz is played from 6:30pm to 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays

Hours:	Tuesday - Saturday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Phone:	(816) 391-4460

The Brasserie

Enjoy contemporary American cuisine throughout the day at this casual dining restaurant and bar. The elegant dining room features hardwood floors, glass walls, mirrors, and large, French-themed paintings by a local artist — creating an incredibly warm and welcoming atmosphere for casual dining. Guests can begin their morning with the $14 breakfast buffet featuring SuperFoodsRx™ items or menu items like a smoked salmon bagel with avocado, or stop by for lunch and enjoy the Kansas City steak soup or the signature Westin Cobb salad off the seasonal menu. Sustainable options like the all-natural bison burger, Westin-grown herbs, and tomatoes, showcase the commitment to staying environmentally friendly. Younger guests will find several delicious options on the kids menu. Children eat for $1 every day with purchase.

Hours:	6:30 AM - 11:00 PM; Lounge: 11:30 AM - 12:45 AM
Phone:	(816) 391-4404

Local Attractions

• Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
• Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
• American Jazz Museum

 

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Travel and Transportation

Getting to Kansas City

Getting There By Air

Kansas City is served by the Kansas City International Airport. We are pleased to announce that American, Delta and United Airlines are our official carriers for the IDFA Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium.

American Airlines
IDFA has partnered with American Airlines to provide our attendees a 5 percent discount for the 2012 Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri. The valid travel dates for this discount are April 21 to April 29, 2012. You can easily access American's fares and apply this discount by going to www.aa.com to book your flight. Place Promotion Code 1542BN in the promotion code box and your discount will be calculated automatically. This special discount is valid off any applicable published fares listed for American Airlines, American Eagle, and American Connection. International originating guests will need to contact your local reservation number and refer to the Promotion Code.

You may also call (800) 433-1790 to book your flights, please refer to promotion code 1542BN when you call. Please note there is a reservation service charge for all tickets issued by phone. Please use our preferred partner, American Airlines when you can because of the benefits provided to you as a traveler and to IDFA for extended partner value.

Promotion Code: 1542BN

Delta Airlines
Delta is pleased to offer discounted airfares. Use WorldFile/Ticket Designator NM8D7 to purchase your tickets online and discounts from 2 to 7 percent will be applied. Please call (800) 328-1111 for reservations.

United/Continental Airlines
United/Continental Airlines offer discounts off published fares of 2 to 10 percent.  Valid travel dates are April 21 - 29, 2012. Book your reservations online at www.united.com for maximum savings and receive an additional 3 percent discount off the published fares. Click on www.united.com, choose your flight times and access your meeting discounts by inserting ZKZC496527 in the offer code box. Or you may call your travel professional or United Meetings at (800) 468-7022 ($25 service fee). Refer to Z Code ZKZC and Agreement Code 496527. This information applies to both United and Continental Airlines reservations.

Getting to the Westin Crown Center

From Kansas City International Airport (3.2 miles):

Driving Directions:

Head east on International/International Square toward East Dr/North Dr, Turn right onto East Dr, Turn left onto International Cir/South Dr Continue to follow International Cir, Slight right onto L P Cookingham Dr, Continue onto NW 120th St, Merge onto I-29 S/US-71 S via the ramp to Kansas City, Take the exit onto US-169 S, Turn left onto W 6th St, Turn right onto Grand Blvd, Turn right onto E Pershing Rd, Make a U-turn Destination will be on the right

Shuttle Service: $18 one-way/ $30 round-trip

 

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Registration Tips

1. When will the 2012 Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium be held?
The Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium will be held Tuesday, April 24, through Thursday, April 26, 2012.  

2. Why should I attend the 2012 Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium?
The Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium is an annual event that will explore cutting-edge innovations in the use of ingredients, processing technology, analytical methods, packaging, new products for cultured products (yogurt, sour creams, buttermilk, cottage cheese, etc.) and milk and dairy beverages.

3. Who attends the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium?
This program will benefit milk and cultured products executives, product development personnel, plant managers, research & development/quality assurance professionals, plant engineers and operations staff.

4. Will there be exhibits?
Yes, there are table-top exhibits. Table top exhibits cost $500. This price does not include the cost of registration. If you would like to exhibit at the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium, please complete the exhibit registration form.

5. Where will the Symposium be held? What is the hotel room rate?
The Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium will be held at the Westin Crown Center, in Kansas City, Missouri. IDFA has a special room rate of $139 per night.

6. Can I make my hotel reservations now?
Yes, you can make your reservation directly on the hotel website or call the hotel at (816) 474-4400 to reserve your room today. When calling, refer to IDFA's Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium to receive the special room rate.

7. What is the schedule for the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium?
The agenda with program and activities schedule is available online. Please note that the program schedule is subject to change.

8. How do I register for the Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium?
The fastest and easiest way to register is online.

You may also email your registration to registrar@idfa.org, fax it to (202) 331-7820 or mail it to: IDFA Registrar, 1250H St, NW, Suite 900, Washington, D.C. 20005.

9. What is the registration fee?
The Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium registration fee is based on membership. If you are a member, the early bird registration price is $795, and if you are not a member the early bird registration price is $995. Early Bird registration ends March 20th, 2012. After March 20th, the registration fees will be $895 for members and $1095 for non-members. If you have any questions about membership please email membership@idfa.org.

10. What does my registration fee include?
Your registration fee includes two continental breakfasts, a plated lunch, coffee breaks, and a networking reception with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. You will also receive conference materials with printed PowerPoint presentations from each of the sessions.

11. Will I receive a confirmation for my registration?
Yes, you will receive a confirmation for your registration via email or fax. It will contain detailed information about this year's Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium.

12. What is the registration cancellation/refund policy?
Full refunds will be granted for written cancellations received up to three weeks before the meeting. Cancellations received one to three weeks before the meeting will be eligible for a 50 percent refund. No registration refunds will be granted after April 17, 2012. All cancellations must be received in writing. Substitutions may be made without penalty.

13. I am a member of the news media, do you have press registration?
Yes. The registration fee is $350.

14. Are there any airfare discounts?
Yes. IDFA has partnered with four different airlines to offer discounts to attendees. We are pleased to announce discounts with American, Delta and United Airlines. Visit the hotel and travel section for more information.

15. What is the dress code?
Business casual attire is recommended. Average temperatures in Kansas City in April are 65F high, 44F low.

16. My question is not here! Who should I contact?
If you have any further questions about the 2012 Milk and Cultured Dairy Products Symposium, please contact Patrick Crosson, Meetings Assistant & Registrar at 202-220-3557 or pcrosson@idfa.org

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How to Register

• Register Online
  
• Download a Registration Form
  1. Email the form to registrar@idfa.org
  2. Fax the form to (202) 331-7820
  3. Mail the form and check to IDFA, 1250 H St, NW, Ste. 900, Washington, DC 20005

For more information, contact the IDFA meetings registrar at registrar@idfa.org.

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