The updated Speaker Programme for the 2013 edition of the International Potato Processing and Storage Convention – slated to take place in Philadelphia, USA, between June 4 and 6 – was announced. It is expected to bring speakers from industry and academia together under one roof.
The event is expected to kick off with a discussion on developments in storage, and processing technologies is also on the agenda. It will also feature three end-of-day discussion forums – Sprout Control, Sanitation and Sustainability.
As on December 11, 2012, the June 4 slot is dedicated to five speakers – John Walsh, McCain Foods Canada; Nora Olsen, University of Idaho, USA; Pace international, USA; Sastry Jayanty, Colorado State University, USA, and John Immaraju, AMVAC Chemical, USA.
Walsh will speak on McCain Foods' sprout control philosophy going forward; Olsen's topic is 'Update on potato sprout inhibitors: Export considerations', and Pace International will delve into clove oil – the safe, smart solution to using less CIPC.
Jayanty will speak on the latest research on pressure bruising in storage, and Immaraju will speak on the recent advancements in post-harvest sprout control technology. Seven topics will be dealt with on June 5.
Key Technology will talk about technologies for detection of physical and physiological properties and defects in potatoes, and Mary LeMere of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will speak about the development of storage chipping varieties.
Gefu Wang-Pruski, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, will speak about biotic and abiotic stresses related to the tuber quality during storage and processing, while Todd Forbush, Techmark, USA, will speak about the growing season factors affecting solids and sugar accumulation in potatoes stored for processing.
Joe Sowokinos of CMM Consulting, USA, will speak about chemical maturity monitoring (CMM), a tool to maintain the long-term processing quality of stored potatoes, and George Ooko Abong of the University of Nairobi, Kenya, will speak on potential food hazards in fried potato products in Kenya.
Irisa Murniece of the University of Agriculture, Latvia, is the last speaker on the second day. She will speak about current research into the effect of cultivating and storage conditions on potato quality.
On June 6, Frank Magazine of Emerald Foam Control, USA, will speak about the effects of the new US FSMA (Food Safety Modernisation Act) on your use of processing aids, and Trevor Howard of FMC FoodTech, UK, will speak about oil management for effective frying systems.
Novozymes will speak about Asparaginase for acrylamide mitigation in potato products, and Jaspreet Singh of Massey University, New Zealand, will speak on future potatoes – processing, chemistry and nutrition.
Kevin Keener of Purdue University, USA, will speak on producing 'healthier' fried foods using Radiant Frying, and Scott Vallette of Buhler Aeroglide, UK, will speak on updates in sustainability and food safe design for processing equipment.
Very Early Bird registrations can avail a 25 per cent discount. Registration for the same are now open. These, however, are not the final details of the Speaker Programme, which is subject to change.
