Contact: Peggy Armstrong
parmstrong@idfa.org
(202) 220-3508

(Washington, D.C. – October 5, 2011) The International Dairy Foods Association is pleased to announce its 2011-2012 meetings and conferences calendar.

IDFA Webinar: Microbiological Testing Innovations for Dairy Plants
October 12
Pathogen testing is an important part of any Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) program, and balancing accurate results with rapid turnaround time is ideal. This webinar, sponsored by Bio-Rad Laboratories, will demonstrate how iQ-Check, Bio-Rad's trademark testing kit, allows for quicker release of product and increases productivity while providing superior results.

IDFA’s Webinar Series on Dairy Product Labeling
November 1, 2, 3
Dairy company employees must know the specific requirements for labeling dairy foods to avoid the waste and costly fines that result from mislabeling. This webinar series will provide all the information needed to produce compliant and effective labels for dairy products. The three sessions – "Introduction to Labeling," "Nutrition Labeling and Claims" and "Labeling Hot Topics" – will be interactive, allowing for participants’ questions

Dairy HACCP Course
December 7-8
Offices of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), Rosemont, Ill.
Industry and safety experts will provide comprehensive instruction on the development of HACCP food safety programs within all dairy and juice operations. They also will explain how the Food Safety Modernization Act may affect plant operations. The course is designed to meet the training requirements established for Grade A dairy plants as well as the Food and Drug Administration's juice HACCP regulation.

Dairy Forum 2012
January 15-18
La Quinta Resort & Club, La Quinta, Calif.
Dairy Forum 2012 will open with a big picture look at the global food environment and dairy's role in meeting world demand, followed by dairy policy discussions that focus on the upcoming general election, the 2012 Farm Bill and more. Dairy Forum's list of speakers to date includes Dan Glickman, former agriculture secretary and co-chair of AGree; Stuart Rothenberg, editor of The Rothenberg Report; and Anil Gupta and Haiyan Wang, global strategists and co-authors of "Getting China and India Right." 

International Sweetener Colloquium
February 12-15
The Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
This annual event provides a unique opportunity for key players from the sweetener, biofuels and ingredients sectors to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global sweetener industry. Hosted by IDFA and the Sweetener Users Association, the International Sweetener Colloquium will address the sweetener industry's latest challenges, obstacles and opportunities with presentations from a wide range of speakers, including government officials, industry executives, journalists and academics.

Ice Cream Technology Conference
March 6-7
Renaissance Vinoy, St. Petersburg, Fla.
This premier event for ice cream and frozen dessert professionals is the only meeting that focuses specifically on frozen dessert research, technology, new market trends and opportunities. Ice Cream Tech will encourage an open exchange among participants and experts on the technical and practical processing issues pertinent to the frozen dessert industry. The meeting will offer networking opportunities and product tasting during the annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition.

Milk Procurement Workshop
March 28-29
Westin O'Hare, Rosemont, Ill.
This workshop will provide an overview of dairy industry basics, including the components of milk, marketing, production, distribution and consumption. It also will cover how milk and dairy products are priced both inside and outside the Federal Milk Marketing Order system.

Milk & Cultured Dairy Products Symposium
April 24-26
Westin Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo.
Attendees will learn about the latest developments in processing technology, market trends, innovative packaging and ingredients, and discover a variety of new products in the development pipeline. They'll also judge the Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Product Competition and the Most Innovative Milk or Dairy Beverage Competition.

Dairy Accounting & Finance Workshop
May 15-16
Hilton Rosemont, Rosemont, Ill.
Efficiency, strategy and skill will be the focus of every session of this workshop. Attendees will learn the ins and outs of milk pricing, tax credits, cost segregation, federal and state milk reports, cost centers and measuring plant efficiency. Get the scoop on the latest software, best practices and industry benchmarks. Sixteen hours of Accounting and Auditing Continuing Professional Education Credits (CPE) will be awarded with the completion of this workshop.

Dairy Sustainability Symposium
May 30-31
Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
IDFA's Dairy Sustainability Symposium is designed to help attendees target ways to decrease their companies' carbon footprints, increase plant efficiency and contribute to the bottom line. Experts in the field of sustainability will present ideas and tools that dairy professionals can use to make practical and profitable changes in their companies and plants.

Washington Conference
June 20-21
The Liaison Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
This annual event provides attendees with valuable dairy policy briefings and the opportunity to meet and discuss industry priorities with policy-makers in Washington. The agenda each year includes a review of pending legislation, grassroots techniques and invaluable networking opportunities with key members of Congress. The program also includes IDFA's Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party, now in its 30th year.

Sponsorships Also Available

"Sponsorships offer companies a great way to promote their products and services to dairy industry professionals during our premier events and meetings," said Diana Carmenates, IDFA vice president of meetings and educational services. "Our event sponsors reach a wide range of audiences that include executives, operations managers and other decision-makers in the dairy industry."

More information on sponsorships is available here.

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, DC, represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85% of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.