Baking & Snack - May 2007 - 60

I N N O VAT I O N S
and deliver the content of its courses. "Should we present
it in smaller pieces? Possibly different languages? We're
trying to consider all the options so we can best serve the
industry," Dr. O'Donnell said.
TRACKING TRENDS. Food companies cannot only
credit universities with providing qualified job applicants
but also with filling a research and development void.
"We are basically the R&D department for the industry,"
Texas A&M's Dr. Riaz said. The university uses its pilot
plant and research laboratories to work on new ideas
pertaining to extruded snacks.
A lot of the new ideas come from the latest industry
trends. Back when the low-carb craze hit, the Food Protein R&D Center at Texas A&M worked on developing
new proteins for snack foods. "When a new trend comes
up in the industry, we are always asked to start working
on it," Dr. Riaz said. "For low-carb, everyone wanted to
make protein-based items. Now we're working on eliminating trans fats.
"When a new trend hits, companies have to modify
their formulations and come up with a solution to the
problem, and they have to continue their original production
and manufacturing on the side,"
he added. "So they come to us because we have a pilot plant, and we
have the necessary expertise available to do the research.
"At KSU, the hot research topic
is whole grains. Several companies have approached the university about researching new milling
technologies for whole grains. On
the baking side, the research departments are investigating ways to incorporate more nutrition into baked foods
using whole grains, while maintaining a consumerfriendly taste," Mr. Krishock said.
While some of the research starts on the university
side, most is in response to direct requests from industry
companies. "With all the consolidation in the industry,
there aren't as many R&D and product development
people out there any more, so the companies come directly to us and other universities to get their research
done," he said.
"Some companies don't have their own pilot plants and
don't want to use their production facilities to produce
prototypes. Others have pilot plants, but they don't have
the knowledge to develop the ideas they want to look at,"
Dr. Riaz said. "One company came to us and wanted to
put almond protein in a snack. They wanted us to remove
the oil and keep the protein. After we experimented, we
found out it wouldn't work.
"Companies can come to us and test some of their
ideas, and if it works, they can take what was developed
64 / BAKING & SNACK / May 2007

ᮡ ᮢ Students in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University work
closely with the food science department to better understand the nuances of
creating packaging for different types of food.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

and set up the process in their own facility," he continued.
"If it doesn't work, they've only invested $4,000 to $5,000
instead of $4 million to $5 million. That's why companies
truly value what we do here."
MSU's School of Packaging also does contractual
laboratory work for food companies. "We might look at the
shock and vibration impact in
bread packaging or antimicrobial packaging to help control
mold in the final product," Dr.
Harte said. "We work closely
with the food science department so we can create the best
food packaging possible for the
companies we work with."
The universities also get many
requests for product prototypes before industry trade
shows. Prior to this year's Snaxpo in early May, Texas
A&M fielded a number of requests to develop prototypes
for companies to display at the show.
UNIVERSAL BENEFITS. Partnering with educational
institutions offers a win-win situation for everyone
involved. University students get the opportunity to work
on real-world projects in operational laboratories and
pilot production plants to give them a true feel for their
upcoming careers. Industry professionals can further
their education to keep abreast of changes in the baking
and snack foods markets. And, manufacturers are able to
research and develop some of their new product ideas
at a fraction of the cost of what they could do in their
in-house operations.
When the next food innovation or trend comes down
the pike, industry educators will once again lead the
charge in providing the necessary food science and product research and development essential to meeting today
and tomorrow's changing consumer needs.
Ⅲ

Baking & Snack - May 2007

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