Baking & Snack - March 2015 - 99

SPECIAL REPORT
Meeting Preview: AACCI

AACCI's Milling & Baking Division explores the next possible trend in baked foods
at its Spring Technical Conference in Savannah, GA, April 15-17.
by Laurie Gorton

Can whole grains make good on their nutritional benefits to claim superfood status? Will they be able to
generate the next big wave of consumer excitement?
The Milling & Baking Division of AACC International
(AACCI) invites the cereal foods industry to find out at
its 2015 Spring Technical Conference (STC).
Taking the theme "Whole Grains ... the Next
Superfood," the division will convene its STC in
Savannah, GA, on April 15-17. The division planned its
program to educate, challenge and inspire formulators,
product developers and technical specialists from baking, milling and the allied trades
An introduction to whole grains and a related look at
consumer trends open the conference. The group gets
down to nuts and bolts with separate examinations of
bran's properties, its bioactivity, enzyme activity and
lipids. A report on lab-scale milling of whole wheat is
offered, too. Formulating consumer-pleasing products
with whole grains also will be addressed.
Speaking to the interests of millers and bakers alike,
Craig Morris, PhD, director of the Western Wheat
Quality Laboratory at USDA's Agricultural Research Lab
in Pullman, WA, will describe how milling has changed
over the past 100 years and what those changes mean to
flour's functionality. A live debate follows, giving millers' perspectives on wheat improvement from the standpoint of farm yield vs. milling and baking performance.
The division invited a well-known nutrition scientist
- Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD, professor, department of food

science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul - to deliver
the Halverson Award lectureship. Dr. Slavin served on
the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is
closely following the work of the 2015 committee.
On the regulatory side, presentations will examine the interaction between the Global Food Safety
Initiative and regulations carrying out the Food Safety
Modernization Act. Participants will also get a briefing
about potential changes in the Nutrition Facts panel on
packaged foods.
A report about AACCI's pilot project to train students
and young professionals will address how to develop careers and foster industry leadership.
Conference events take place at the Embassy Suites located in Savannah's historic downtown, the nation's largest
National Landmark Historic District. A golf outing at the
nearby Crosswinds Golf Club leads out the conference,
providing participants with networking opportunities
as well as time to relax in Savannah as a preview of next
year's 2016 AACCI annual meeting.
The Milling & Baking Division was formed in 1970 and
held its first STC at Minneapolis, the city for this year's
annual meeting, Oct. 18-21, which also marks AACCI's
centennial year. That first STC, like all those since then,
was held to provide a forum for individuals in the fields of
milling and baking to examine topics of mutual interest.
STC registration and housing is now open, and
event sponsorships are still available. For details,
visit www.aaccnet.org.

Savannah boasts the country's
largest National Historic
Landmark District. It was
America's first planned city,
established in 1733 as the first
settlement in Georgia, the 13th
and final American colony.
Savannah Area CVB

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