A publication of
The Illinois-Iowa Section of
The American Chemical Society
 

If you have items to be included in the next newsletter, submit the items by October 15 to the Secretary.
For the latest information about upcoming events, visit our website at http://membership.acs.org/I/ILIA/

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dr. Sara J. Risch
Sara Risch is the principal in the consulting firm of Science By Design, which she founded in 1993. She works with food and packaging companies as well as those in related industries, to develop new products, improve existing products, and determine new areas for growth. Among her current clients is a manufacturer of microwave popcorn where she is assisting on the international launch of the products. She is also working with the Institute of Food Technologists to field technical inquiries. Sara has been active in the development of a number of microwaveable products, understanding the important of product formulation, process development and packaging. Another area of active research is the interaction between foods and packaging materials, specifically, the influence of packaging materials on the flavor of foods. Dr. Risch is the author of numerous technical papers and has edited six books; two on encapsulation of flavors, two on flavor package interactions, one on spices and the most recent one new developments in flavor chemistry. She is active in the Institute of Food Technologists, where she is a member of the executive committee of the Food Chemistry division and in the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society, currently serving as a councilor and is active on national committees. Prior to starting her consulting firm, Dr. Risch was Director of Research and Development for Golden Valley Microwave Foods. Dr. Risch received both her B.S. and Ph.D. in food science from the University of Minnesota and her M.S. in food science from the University of Georgia.

ABSTRACT

Flavor Chemistry
We eat food for basic nourishment but also for the enjoyment that it gives us. One big part of that enjoyment is the flavor of the food. Many people will try a product once, but if it doesn't taste good, they will not try it again. Flavor chemistry is a fascinating area of research covering the analysis of what contributes to the flavor of the products that we eat to development of flavors that will work in a wide variety of products to the quest for new and unique flavors. As an example of what contributes to the flavor of a product, analytical chemists have identified over 800 volatile compounds in roasted coffee. The question is which of these are most important to creating a good coffee flavor. In terms of development, consumers want convenience and quality. Flavors tend to be unstable so there is a constant challenge to find ways to protect flavors as they go through heating, cooling, packaging and storage. Finally, there is always the search for that new or unique flavor that will be the next big blockbuster flavor--the next blue raspberry. An overview of flavor chemistry and current areas of research will be presented.

NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK

The theme for 2005 is "Joy of Toys." The NCW committee has met and several exciting ideas are being considered. Toys relating to science will be presented at The Family Museum in Bettendorf, IA on Saturday, October 22. The hours are 11:00 - 1:00. In addition to The Family Museum companies that have agreed to give demonstrations include: Toys R Us, Barnes & Noble and Mr. Wong's House of Magic. In Clinton a similar activity will be held on October 22 at the Discovery Center. Updates on activities planned for NCW 2005 are on our website: http://membership.acs.org/I/ILIA/.

SALUTES TO EXCELLENCE AWARD

Salutes to Excellence is an award program that gives ACS members an opportunity to conduct an event within their communities that recognizes the positive impact on everyday life made by a product of chemistry, a practitioner of chemistry, or a place of importance in chemistry. A central part of the event is the presentation of a commemorative plaque, furnished by the Office of Community Activities (OCA), for the honoree(s) for the chemistry achievement being honored.

Since the program was first unveiled in 2000 by the OCA, more than 251 honorees have received Salutes to Excellence recognition. The first honoree in the ACS Illinois-Iowa Local Section was Mr. Richard Kissack, to whom the award was presented in December 2004. The local section is now searching for nominees for this prestigious award for 2005. Please submit the following information by mail to Janelle Torres y Torres, Muscatine Community College, 152 Colorado St., Muscatine, IA 52761, or by email to jtorres@eicc.edu by November 1, 2005:

-Your name, address, preferred phone number, and email address
-The nominee's name/company name/product name/location
-A brief description (approximately 100 words) of the positive impact over several years that this product, practitioner, or place of importance in/of chemistry has had on the local section and the cause of chemistry

The nominee should be a current section member in good standing (national dues must have been paid for the year 2004), a product invented by a person/company in the section, or a location within the section.

Please contact Dr. Torres y Torres with any questions about this award program or the nomination criteria.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, November 16, at St. Ambrose University. Terry Geerts will give a talk about the products manufactured at Sethness Products

BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE OFFICE OF LOCAL SECTION ACTIVITIES

Deb McLaughlin of the Office of Local Section Activities has put together a newsletter. Topics include call for papers, Regional and National meeting activities, Education programs, This Month in Chemical History, thoughts to ponder, etc. If anyone is interested in the entire newsletter from the Office of Local Section Activities, it can be accessed at http://chemistry.org/localsections/editors.html

Contact us:

Please Post

When arriving in Dubuque from the SOUTH on Highway 52/61/151: 1. Take the Grandview Avenue exit. 2. Turn left onto Grandview Avenue. 3. Follow Grandview Avenue 2.8 miles to Clarke Drive. 4. Turn right onto Clarke Drive. Atrium is Building #1. Nearest parking lots is #15 or 16.

"Flavor Chemistry"
By

Dr. Sara J. Risch

Science by Design

Clarke College

Dubuque, Iowa

Jansen Music Hall
Building #1

October 4, 2005

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Contact: Dr. Mary Lou Caffery (563) 588-6363 (voice mail) or MaryLou.Caffery@clarke.edu