The 97th annual meeting of the AOCS in St. Louis, Missouri is less than a month away and I thank our chairpersons for organizing an excellent program this year. Our division has scheduled six technical sessions and a poster session. Four other divisions (S&D, IOP, EAT, & PHO) are co-sponsors of our sessions. The titles and speakers are available at the AOCS annual meeting website.

Meetings
In a break from tradition, the PCP Board will meet on Sunday, April 30, from 2-3 p.m., following AOCS’ new schedule for board meetings. The Roundtable discussion will NOT be held immediately after; instead, it will take place on Tuesday, May 2nd, from 12–1:30 pm. The Roundtable is our forum for planning the programs for future meetings and is open to everyone. Bring your lunch with you and join us with your ideas and suggestions of topics for upcoming symposia, especially for the 2007 meeting in Quebec City, which will be a joint one with the Japan Oil Chemists’ Society. The division dinner will also take place on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Missouri Club, which is not too far from the America’s Center. Our dinner speaker, Dr. John Taylor, comes from far away University of Pretoria in South Africa and is a world- renowned expert on sorghum protein processing and applications. His topic is, “Grain Science and Technology in South Africa: Bridging the First World-Third World Divide.” I am grateful to ADM for sponsoring Dr. Taylor’s participation in this year’s meeting. Also at the dinner, we will induct the newly-elected division officers and present the plaques for the ADM Best Paper Award winners. We have new T-shirts for this meeting, thanks to the sponsorship of St. Louis-based Solae Inc. Check them out at the AOCS Bookstore and buy lots of them for family and friends.

Conclusion
Lastly, my term as division chair ends at the upcoming annual meeting. I encountered challenges, yes, but reaped many more rewards. I thank past and present PCP division officers, and AOCS staff and colleagues, for their support and friendship. It has been my privilege to serve the division these past six years. See you soon in St. Louis.

Mila Hojilla-Evangelista
Division Chairperson

Here the 2006-2008 Officers of the Protein and Co-products Division

• Chairperson - Keshun Liu, Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, USDA-ARS
• Vice-chair - Michael Dowd, USDA ARS Southern Regional Research Ctr.
• Secretary/Treasurer - Nick Parris, USDA ARS Eastern Regional Research Ctr.
• Member-at-Large (Academia) - Yilin Bian, Dept. of Food Science & Human Nutrition, Iowa State Univ.
• Member-at-Large (Government) - Phoebe Qi, USDA ARS Eastern Regional Research Ctr.
• Member-at-Large (Industry) - Phil Kerr, Solae Co.
• Immediate Past Chair - Mila Hojilla-Evangelista, USDA ARS National Ctr for Agricultural Utilization Research

Division Meetings
PCP Division

• Board Meeting--Sunday, April 30, 2–3 pm, Room 222
• Roundtable Discussion--Tuesday, May 2, 12-1:30 p.m., Room 120
• Dinner Meeting--Tuesday, May 2, 6:30 pm cash bar reception, 7:30 pm dinner, Missouri Athletic Club. The after-dinner speaker is Professor John R.N. Taylor of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who will give a presentation entitled "Grain Science and Technology in South Africa: Bridging the First World- Third World Divide."

• Board Meeting--Division officers will meet to discuss operations and strategic plans for Division activities. All Division Board Meetings will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm in Room 222 prior to Division Council.
• Roundtable Discussion--This meeting will set priorities for Division activities and funds. Technical sessions for future annual meetings and other education and meeting opportunities will also be discussed.
• Luncheon/Dinner Meeting--This social function provides attendees time to network with peers. A presentation related to the Division topic may be scheduled following the meal.

The current tentative technical program for the PCP Division is is available to view or download in .pdf format. From Versatile Proteins: A Variety of Industrial Applications (developed in conjunction with the S&D Division) to Proteins from Alternative Crops (developed in conjunction with the IOP Division), bookmark this link and check back regularly to see the exciting program that the PCP Division has planned in St. Louis. __________________________________________

Hot Topic symposia include: Enhanced Soybean Oils: Traits for Improving Product Functionality & Human Health, organized by Craig Handzlik, United Soybean Board, USA. This symposium will concentrate on the current global functional foods market and how the choice of edible oil used contributes to the success of a healthful food product.
Tuesday, May 2, 9–10:30 a.m., America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Analytical Challenges in the Advancement of Healthy Oils and Fats to the Market Place, organized by Dutt Vinjamoori, Martek Biosciences, USA. Due to unprecedented consumer demand for foods formulated with healthy oils and fats in the last two years, this symposium will focus on the characterization of new oils and fats aimed at improved health, evaluation of organoleptic properties of healthy oils and fats, and the measurement of trans fat content of foods.

Tuesday, May 2, 9 a.m.–12 p.m., America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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Short Courses
Short Course on Crude Oil Refining and Oil Quality: Processing, trans Fats, and Quality Assurance
Saturday, April 29, 2006, 8:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Short Course Organizer: Sefa Koseoglu, Extraction and Refining Program, A Division of Filtration and Membrane World LLC, USA.

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To view all AOCS and AOCS Division award winners visit http://www.aocs.org/member/awards/.

In inform . . .

Here’s a sample of what’s coming up in the May 2006 issue of inform: a 16-page supplement focusing on Building Biodiesel. Features include a poll of industry movers & shakers, a report from the 2006 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo, and practical advice on biodiesel plant construction. The supplement, sponsored by Crown Iron Works, is the first in a continuing AOCS series highlighting the latest trends and information in Biorenewable Resources. Number two in the series, sponsored by DeSmet Ballestra, will appear in August and explore the state of the European biodiesel industry.

In JAOCS . . .

Review
• Reaction Chemistry of Gossypol and its Derivations

Analytical and Physical Chemistry
• Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Edible Oils
• Fractal Dimensions of Fat Crystal Networks

Food, Feed Science, and Nutrition
• Chemical Refining of Rice Bran Oil Components
• Analytical Properties of Hemp Seed Oil
• Frying Stability of Regular and High-oleic Sunflower Oils

Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods
• Flaxseed Protein-derived Peptides as Nutraceuticals
• Tocopherol Intrinsic to Sunflower Seed Oil Bodies
• Tocopherol and TAG in Soy Embryonic Axes

Nonfood or Industrial Applications
• Biodiesel Properties of Vegetable Oil Esters
• FA, Tocols and Carotenoids in Sea Buckthorn Pulp Oil Species

Processing and Engineering Technology
• Nanofiltration of Carotenoids from Palm Methyl Esters
• Pheophytin Products Related to Virgin Olive Oil Quality

Letter to Editor
• Physicochemical Properties of Apricot Kernel

Check out the latest new releases from AOCS Press at https://www.aocs.org/catalog/.

Be sure to use the coupon at the end of this e-mail when ordering!

The Protein and Co-Products Division, the oldest Division within the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS), offers its membership a forum for the exchange of professional expertise through meeting programs, including symposia, workshops, short courses, general and poster sessions, and publications such as abstracts and monographs. The Division includes members in the following areas: proteins and co-products from biomaterial for food, feed, and industrial applications; extraction, separation, purification, and characterization technologies; structural function modifications, physiochemistry and functionality; process development and improvement, nutrition and health; detoxification and deallergenation; extrusion and texturization; industrial ultrafiltration and reverse-osmosis membrane technology; and waste management.