Baking&Snack - April 2011 - 16

NEWSFRONT
NEWS | TECHNOLOGY

Groups earmark $40 million for Ug99 research
To combat strains of Ug99, an evolving wheat pathogen that poses a threat to global food security, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in a global project As part of the effort, the organizations will invest $40 million in the form of a 5-year grant to the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW) project at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. DFID is expected to contribute approximately $15 million to the project, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donating $25 million. “We cannot overstate the importance of this for addressing the causes of poverty, hunger and disease in the developing world,” said Ronnie Coffman, Cornell professor of plant breeding and genetics and director of DRRW. “Against the backdrop of rising food prices, and wheat in particular, researchers worldwide will be able to play an increasingly vital role in protecting wheat fields from dangerous new forms of stem rust, particularly in countries whose people can ill afford the economic impact of damage to this vital crop.” The original Ug99 was discovered in Uganda in 1998, but it also has been found in Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Iran. Monitoring systems now suggest the disease may be threatening major wheat growing areas in Southern and Eastern Africa, the Central Asian republics, the Caucasus, the Indian subcontinent, South America, Australia and North America. The DRRW project was first funded in 2008 with a $26.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and in the past few years, researchers have distributed new resistant wheat varieties for testing and evaluation in 40 countries, strengthened nurseries in Kenya and Ethiopia for screening wheat for vulnerability to rusts and distributed nearly five tons of Ug99resistant seed for planting in the at-risk nations of Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. “It is important that public and private institutions work together to develop longterm, sustainable and effective solutions to make life better for the world in which we live,” said David J. Skorton, president, Cornell. — Eric Schroeder managing editor, Milling & Baking News

NEWS IN BRIEF
Custom Foods, Inc., De Soto, KS, started manufacturing on its new frozen cookie dough production line. The
company plans to add customers over time to maximize the new line’s capacity.

Fleischer’s Bagels, Inc., Macedon, NY, marked its 40th anniversary by unveiling a new corporate identity: Bakewise Brands. The
brand portfolio includes Fleischer’s bagels, Blue Rooster breakfast sandwiches and Tom Cat Bakery artisan breads. One year after launching the project,

General Mills, Minneapolis, MN, reported significant progress in connecting with potential partners around the globe with the General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network. Registered users can review details of technical challenges and submit nonconfidential proposals through the company’s Web portal.

Kronos Foods, Inc., Glendale Heights, IL, plans to double flatbread and flatbread pizza crust capacity. McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL, announced a Sustainable Land Management Commitment to ensure its food
comes from certified sustainable sources.

Mi Rancho, San Leandro, CA, replaced more than 200 overhead lights with energyefficient fixtures in its warehouse and tortilla production facility. The company expects
▲ As of August 2010, Ug99 marches both northeast and southwest, with Africa the most highly affected region.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

an annual energy savings of $32,000 for its investment of $14,000.

BAKING & SNACK / April 2011

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Baking&Snack - April 2011

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