“Brie” Are (Not) the Champions…Close, But This Year…Just Not “Gouda” Enough

Posted by Mat Bartkowiak  – Cheese & Dairy Products, General
March 13, 2012

2012 World Champion Cheese Contest (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Though a Brie made the list of the “Top 16 Finalists,” it was a Vermeer Gouda from the Netherlands that won best in show at the 2012 World Championship Cheese Contest (and thus allowing for the charming title of this piece). All puns aside, this year’s World Championship Cheese Contest (WCCC), made headlines all around the world and marks another year of a cornerstone cheese competition.

Held in Madison’s Monona Terrace, the competition featured 82 classes and a record 2,500 + entries from around the world. The three-day contest culminated in the naming of FrieslandCampina’s Vermeer, a low-fat Gouda, best in show. Besides surprising some by having a cheese from the Netherlands beat out the dominant Swiss in the competition (the Swiss have won the previous three years in a row), the cheese was also the first ever reduced-fat cheese to win the title of “Best in Show.”

According to a press release from the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, the event was judged by an international panel comprised of industry experts from 17 nations. Judges included industry leaders, academics, graders, engineers, etc.  New this year was a potential indicator of the continued rising popularity of the artisan cheese industry, a ticketed cheese tasting event. Though as organizer Jeanne Carpenter discussed, the notion of selling one ticket a decade ago would have been unheard of, the event sold out its 400 tickets for the public-tasting, where attendees were able to sample top finalists’ creations.

Held every two years, you can learn more about this Wisconsin event on their website,  and check out information on how to get your cheese or palate involved in the next competition.

Spring Fever for Farm Events

Posted by Josh Sabo  – Dairy Farm, General
March 8, 2012

You know spring is near as the snow starts to melt and temps begin to rise.  Another indication of spring is all the farm shows and producer meetings that are taking place.  We recently had a booth at the Shoppes at Wood Ridge Farm Show in Marshfield, Wisconsin.  It is always fun getting out and talking with farmers.

Nelson-Jameson handles products that help farmers manage issues that affect the profitability of their farms, specifically antibiotic and SCC test kits.  These topics have become of great concern with farmers as the FDA is stepping up testing frequency for antibiotics and SCC regulations are, in the process, of being lowered.

Nelson-Jameson will be exhibiting at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) Conference March 13-14 in Madison, Wisconsin.  Our farm products specialist will also be attending the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) Annual Meeting in Kansas City, MO on March 20-21 and be in DSM’s booth representing the Delvotest antibiotic tests.  Then April 10-11, we will have a booth at the Indiana Milk Quality Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  If you are attending any of these events, make sure to look the respective booths up and say “Hi”.  We are always looking to speak with farmers about other tests that they feel would have value for their operations.

For more information about these shows and other trade shows we attend, visit our Events page.

Preventative Controls – Focus of FDA

Posted by Mat Bartkowiak  – Food Safety, General
February 29, 2012

It looks like 2012 will be a busy year for Food Safety Modernization Act developments. According to the FDA, the agency is “expected to issue proposed rules during early 2012, that would require facilities that make or handle food for people and animals to put measures in place to help prevent foodborne illness.” These rules will pertain to all levels of the food industry, in businesses both large and small. Keeping this in mind, the FDA announced a partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health (IIT IFSH) to “help food companies access food safety information and materials to comply with pending FDA rulemaking.”

A recent press release from ITT IFSH states, “The new Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) is a one-year, $1 million partnership grant funded by the FDA Office of Foods through the IIT-IFSH-FDA collaborative agreement. Funding has been allocated to the development of a standardized industry- oriented training curriculum, including hands-on and web-based training modules.” The resource is specifically aimed at smaller operations that may desire some assistance as the new proposed rules are implemented. The establishment of a preventative controls alliance was one of many discussed concerns recently in “The Federal Food Safety Working Group Progress Report released in December 2011.   You can check out the full report here.

Expanding Knowledge With Training Seminars

Posted by Devon Jones  – General, Sanitation & Janitorial
February 22, 2012

Last month, after traveling 900 miles I ended up in a small Pennsylvania community reminiscent of our Central Wisconsin. Morgantown is home to the U.S. headquarters of Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums. I had the opportunity to spend three days with a variety of Nilfisk employees to expand my technical, application, and quoting knowledge during an industrial vacuum (IVAC) training seminar. My foundation of knowledge was what I learned from working with our MRO Manager and several plant demos that I was able to be a part of.  However, I lacked a technical understanding of what went into each vacuum and how to identify the everyday applications that could increase our vacuum sales. These areas I lacked were adequately touched upon and I now feel confident when it comes to assessing the application and selecting a vacuum for the customer.

Also, highlighted in this training was the hot topic of combustible dust (com dust) and class rated areas. It is a plant’s duty to know whether they have class rated areas and then to take the necessary steps to eliminate com dust and the elements that can cause an explosion. One way Nelson-Jameson can be of assistance is by providing  explosion-proof vacuums (electric or pneumatic), accessories, and replacement parts needed to comply with OSHA guidelines. One key point that was stressed by Nilfisk is that neither we nor they can tell a customer if they have combustible dust. Companies are required to investigate and know the dust status in their facilities and whether or not they require EXP vacuums.

Now with a better understanding of industrial vacuums and applications, I look forward to getting in the field more to assess our customer’s needs. If your company would like a demo or in-plant trial please contact me at d.jones@nelsonjameson.com or 715-387-1151.

“Hot” Foods for 2012

Posted by Amanda Sasse  – Bakery, Cheese & Dairy Products, Dairy Farm, General, Wine & Beverage
February 15, 2012

Growing up in the Midwest in a food-industry family, I’ve had the opportunity to befriend an unusual amount of people that work for large food companies in varying capacities. Many of the people that I’ve met post-college work for the headquarters of our customers and competitors.

Competitors aside, I find that most of these people willingly offer me information regarding sales, potential problems, new products and upcoming food trends. Their perspective and insider-view is invaluable to helping me understand our customers’ needs and wants. More specifically, the awareness of future food trends can help our Company to anticipate what our customers will be producing in the years to come, and help us to tailor our product offerings to their future needs.

As such, I thought I’d share some of the food trends:
• Butter (Margarine is trending out)
• Sea Salt (Lower in sodium than Table Salt)
• Kefir (The success of our customer Lifeway Foods has largely driven this trend)
• Greek Yogurt Products (The success of the Chobani company in upstate New York has largely driven this trend)
• Healthy Fats (Oils, Fish, Nuts, Olives, Avocados, Soy, etc)
• Stevia (on-caloric sugar-substitute derived from a plant)
• Artisan Cheeses from small producers
• Artisanal Heirloom Meats from small producers
• Local “superfruits” (Cherries, Blueberries, etc)
• Dark, Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Mustard Greens, etc)
• Eggs (Cage-free, Organic, etc)

The same company that’s monitoring the above food ingredients and product opportunities is also carefully considering what they believe to be the three most influential lifestyle dietary trends for 2012:
• Portion Control
• Food Allergies (especially Gluten)
• A return to the traditional “Family Dinner”

While reading the above lists, I’m sure most of you immediately thought of products/services that Nelson-Jameson sells/provides that are specific to some of these trends. And, that’s exactly my point. By maintaining a general awareness of the direction in which our customers are heading, we can better understand our customers’ unique perspectives and continue to maintain Nelson-Jameson’s identity as a knowledgeable, comprehensive food-processing supplier through proactively anticipating customer needs.