Milling & Baking News - February 9, 2021 - 28

Industry Activities

Amid continuing pandemic, ABA annual meeting
to be all virtual for second straight year

ORLANDO WALDORF ASTORIA

WASHINGTON - " Out of an abundance of caution, " the
American Bakers Association said the 2021 annual convention
will be completely virtual. Concerned about the health and
safety of ABA members and industry partners amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the group decided its previously planned hybrid convention model would not be possible.
The virtual event will be held March 22-23.
" While we know the baking community would love

The 2021 annual convention of the American Bakers Association had been scheduled to be held March 21-24 at the Waldorf
Astoria in Orlando, Fla.

Since 1929, Knappen Milling Company
has been producing soft wheat
products that have been exceeding
customers' expectations. Throughout
the years we have expanded our
milling capabilities and product mix to
meet our expanding customer needs.
Today we mill soft white and red
wheat ﬂour and clean soft white, red,
and hard red wheats. Let us put our
expertise to work for you. Get exactly
what you are looking for in a miller.

KNAPPEN MILLING COMPANY
110 S. Water Street | Augusta, MI 49012
269-731-4141 or 1-800-KNAPPEN | Fax: 269-731-5441
www.knappen.com

28 / February 9, 2021

Milling & Baking News

nothing more than to gather in person, the reality of the
ongoing public health emergency and the need to protect
essential employees dictates otherwise, " said Robb MacKie, president and chief executive officer of the ABA. " The
innovative programming and networking opportunities
for which the ABA Convention is known will remain but in
a different format. As a silver lining, the virtual event will
allow us to reach those members who have not attended
the convention in the past, giving them the opportunity to
experience top-notch, valuable content for the first time. "
The ABA said its virtual convention will feature trends
presentations, customer panels and business-to-business
networking for bakers, suppliers and industry partners.
Registration will open in early February.
It will be the second consecutive year the ABA annual
convention will be virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 annual convention had been scheduled for March
21-24 at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, Fla. ABA's 2020
convention, which was to have been held in Scottsdale,
Ariz., was canceled. MBN

ABA outlines key considerations
for COVID-19 vaccine programs
WASHINGTON - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended essential workers in the food
and agriculture sector, including bakers, be included in phase
1b of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination rollout. Phase
1b ensures frontline essential workers and persons 75 years
and older have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines. According to CDC recommendations, phase 1a recommended
health care personnel and long-term care facilities residents
be vaccinated first. This initial phase began in December and
was anticipated to be completed by the end of January.
" American Bakers Association (ABA) members have been
operating on the front lines of the COVID-19 public health
emergency, " said Robb MacKie, president and chief executive officer of the ABA. " Since the start, they have worked
tirelessly to protect their workers and keep production operational to provide American families access to safe, nutritious, and wholesome baked goods. We appreciate CDC's
prioritization recommendations recognizing bakers in phase
1b and encourage states and localities to adopt this critical
recommendation. The vaccine prioritization of the food and
agriculture sector's essential workers is vital to ensure a safe,
steady supply of food throughout the country. "
To help answer questions about the vaccines available,
the ABA hosted a webinar, COVID-19 Vaccines: What the
Baking Sector Should Expect, with David Acheson, MD,
CEO of The Acheson Group, a global food safety consulting agency. Dr. Acheson explained the basics of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and things the industry should
know about the available vaccines and the rollout strategy.
" We know quite a bit about these two vaccines, " Dr. Acheson
said of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines approved for emergency use in the United States. " They work; 95% efficacy is high.
They are certainly reducing the severity of COVID-19 cases. "
The studies conducted with both vaccines show they are
effective at preventing the development of symptomatic
COVID-19 or reducing the intensity of it. Dr. Acheson
stressed that while he personally believes further research
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.knappen.com http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - February 9, 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milling & Baking News - February 9, 2021