“This is our second time working with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and we are very excited by the topics which they will be addressing because of their relevancy for food processors,” said Gil Williams, chairman of FPSA. “According to the CDC, food allergy cases among children have risen by approximately 50 percent over the past 15 years. Unfortunately, these cases continue to grow, putting the pressure on processors to control challenging situations.”

The University of California-Davis will hold a session on “understanding the tomato processing water-energy nexus to improve resource efficiency,” held on Thursday, Sept. 17. Another session titled “sustainable management of tomato processing wastes” will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Both courses will be presented by Chris Simmons, assistant professor of food science and technology at UC Davis.

“Tomato processing utilizes a great deal of water and energy,” said Dan Plante, Chairman of the FPSA Prepared Foods Council. “UC Davis is at the forefront of this issue given the fact that the state of California accounts for 96 percent of all tomato processing in this country, and it is now in the fourth year of this historic drought. We are very proud to put on these sessions and share with the food processing community what can be done to improve operational efficiencies given the challenging conditions we face.”

Attendance to these sessions is free of charge for all registered attendees. Advance registration for PROCESS EXPO is $25 and $50 on-site.  Given the high demand for these educational sessions, registrants are asked to sign up in advance to ensure their seat.

 For more information about the show, to see the entire educational schedule or to register visit www.myprocessexpo.com.