36C-9

M. P. PENFIELD, Food Science and Technology, Univ. of Tennessee, 2509 River Road, 114 McLeod, Knoxville, TN 37996-4539 and P. Perkins, R&D and Innovation, Bush Brothers & Co., 1016 E. Weisgarber Rd., Knoxville, TN 37909.

Departmental faculty set a goal to provide graduate students with increased exposure to the food industry. Dr. Phil Perkins, Senior Vice President of R&D for Bush Brothers & Company (BB&C) and adjunct faculty member, agreed to teach a course for graduate students at BB&C headquarters, located within 15 minutes of campus in Knoxville. Course objectives were to understand development of strategic plans for applying Food Science & Technology in an industry setting, to work with foundational activities associated with food science in industry, to solve real-world problems, to develop prototype line extensions, and to innovate in an area highly relevant to the food industry. The course was organized around the BB&C R&D strategy represented by a five-tiered pyramid which included a foundation level topped by defend, extend, create, and innovate. One three-hour session was devoted to each level. Students wrote weekly summaries of session highlights and materials read outside of class. Activities were done in teams to emphasis the importance of teamwork. Teams were assigned and changed from week-to-week to provide a "real-life-experience" of working in different teams in support of changing project needs. Students developed new varieties of baked beans and chili. Evaluation of the products by company personnel gave "real world" experience in responding to critical evaluation. During the first session, students listed 12 areas that were important to them as success factors for the course. At the end, the students indicated how well each subject was covered and its relative importance. Important, well-covered areas included consumer research, the strategic planning process, and stage-gate process. Other important areas worthy of more time included HACCP, regulatory compliance, and plant translation. Overall, the course provided a valuable and unique opportunity for the students to learn about the food industry and to apply what they previously learned in the classroom.

Session 36C, Education: General
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Monday AM Room Hall I-2

2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana