AOCS Webinars
Share your knowledge with a new audience!
Host your own AOCS webinar
Learn from a variety of relevant webinars, or create and share one yourself with the AOCS community. Anyone can propose a webinar!
Upcoming Webinars
Registration for AOCS webinars is free and open to AOCS members and non-members. All registrants have access to the webinar recording and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance.
Get updates on upcoming webinars.
The Shallow End of Industry 4.0: How Real-Time and Closed-Loop Control Will Change the Face of Fats and Oils Processing
When: March 22, 2023, 10–11 am CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC-5)
Presenter: Dr. Jonathon Speed, Product and Applications Director, Keit Spectrometers, UK
Description
Industry 4.0 is a massively transformative revolution currently taking place around the world. It potentially affects every industry and can be more disruptive than the steam engine. However, its digital form means many people either haven’t had the chance to encounter it or are concerned about implementing something that cannot simply be switched off or removed from a process. Join Dr. Jonathon Speed to discover the simplest sides of Industry 4.0 and some of the more straightforward ways that modern instrumentation and closed-loop control could be used in fats and oils processing.
The webinar will cover what Industry 4.0 actually is and the ways it could be implemented throughout all industry. Attendees will learn about a few potential use cases in fats and oils, including neutralization and de-gumming, deodorizing, and bleaching — as well as implications for raw material feedstock into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. They will also gain an understanding of how different techniques and technologies can be made human-readable so engineers and operators can maintain control over them.
Learning Objectives
- Gain an understanding of Industry 4.0
- Familiarize yourself with modern instrumentation
- Conceptualize closed-loop control
All registrants will have access to the webinar recording, and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance.
Mycelium-Based Foods and Challenges in Mycelium-Based Food Development
This webinar is brought to you by the Student Common Interest Group of AOCS. Special thanks go to Gözde Gülseren, Ph.D. student, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, USA, for organizing this event.
When: March 24, 2023, 10-11 am CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC-5)
Presenter: Dr. Francisco Kuhar, Chief Science Officer, Innomy and Associate Researcher, CONICET, Spain
Description
Mycelium-based food is a promising substitute for animal protein. However, some significant challenges need to be addressed in upcoming years to achieve substantial production scales. Scaling up methodologies employed in fungal biomass production are typically based on liquid state fermentation, a process that dramatically limits the options of species and compromises sustainability.
Another constraint is our limited knowledge of flavor and texture modulation of fungal biomass. Industrial flavor masking strategies usually employed to modulate bitter tones in soy products seem to fail against the bitter taste present in some mycelia.
Join Dr. Francisco Kuhar, Chief Science Officer at Innomy and Associate Researcher at CONICET, for a free, one-hour webinar about using mycelium-based foods as an alternative protein source. Attendees will learn about different mycelium species and cultural conditions that will widen the options to overcome mycelium-based food constraints. They will also discover options for a regulatory framework to provide standards to evaluate quality and safety so these foods can eventually reach the market.
All registrants will have access to the webinar recording, and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance.
Successful Start-up Series: From product innovation to business plan
When: March 28, 2023, 3-4:30 pm CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC-5)
Presenters
- Bryan Yeh, President and CEO at American Biodiesel, Inc. dba Community Fuels; Managing Director, Bryan Yeh Consulting
- Anthony Clark, Chief Technology Officer at Helaina
- Sue Lancaster, Chief Commercialization Officer, South Dakota Innovation Partners
Description
This free webinar is part of the AOCS Successful Start-up Series and will outline some key requirements for getting an innovation pitch-ready for a financier or potential business partner.
What aspects of an idea need to be "solid" before being pitched? What elements can make the difference between success and failure? We have posed some hard questions to our panelists for discussion.
During the webinar, our speakers will introduce themselves and their backgrounds and take questions from the audience.
All registrants will have access to the webinar recording, and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance.
Improving PUFA Metabolism Analytics & Recognizing The Role of Omega-3 SDA & ETA: How New Research Is Challenging ‘Inefficiency’ in DHA Biosynthesis & ‘Insufficiency’ from Plant-Based Sources
This open-access livestream is a pre-event session associated with the 2023 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo. Register for the full meeting to attend similar sessions in Denver, Colorado, USA April 30–May 3, 2023.
The livestream is brought to you by the Health and Nutrition Division of AOCS and was organized by Rinat Ran-Ressler, Principal Scientist, Nutrition, Technology and Innovation NPTC at Nestlé Health Science.
When: April 4, 2023, 10-11 am CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC-5)
Presentations
Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis for the Study of Dietary Intake and Metabolism of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Presenter: Dr. Adam Metherel, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada
This presentation will focus on nutritional applications of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) by gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). Focus will be on how small variations in the carbon-13 content of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can be used as a tool for investigating various questions related to PUFA metabolism.
The Importance of Under-Studied Omega-3 SDA & ETA
Presenter: Greg Cumberford, VP of Science & Regulatory, Natures Crops International, USA
This presentation will discuss emerging health findings related to plant-based stearidonic acid (SDA, C18:4n-3) and its metabolite eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA, C20:4n-3). Dietary SDA bypasses a key rate-limiting step in n-3 PUFA synthesis, facilitating more efficient n-3 PUFA accrual and/or biosynthesis in mammals than from dietary ALA sources. ETA is a substrate for lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase enzymes, and one of its oxylipins has recently been recognized to possess anti-inflammatory activity. SDA and ETA have important implications for improving health outcomes from a more diverse range of dietary omega-3 sources.
All registrants will have access to the webinar recording, and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance. Register now to secure your spot with us on Zoom, or tune in live on YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Anti-Nutritional Factors: Are Plant-Based Proteins Healthy and Safe?
This webinar is brought to you by the Sustainable Protein Forum.
When: April 6, 2023, 10-11 am CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC-5)
Presenter: Frédéric Baudouin, Lab Manager, IMPROVE, France
Description
Recently, plant-based proteins have gained popularity. While plant-based protein ingredients have many environmental and ethical benefits, their nutritional status can be questioned. Although ingredient producers and formulators pay a lot of attention to plant protein functionality and taste, the presence of anti-nutrients is generally neglected. However, these molecules may have a significant impact on consumers.
Join Frédéric Baudouin, Lab Manager at IMPROVE, for a free, one-hour webinar about the most common anti-nutrients found in plants, their impact, and how processes can impact the level of these molecules.
Learning Objectives
- Discover the most common plant protein anti-nutritional factors and their health impacts.
- Gain an understanding of the anti-nutrients present in common sources of plant proteins (soy, pea, beans, oilseeds, etc.).
- Explore the impact of processes on the level and activity of anti-nutrients.
All registrants will have access to the webinar recording, and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance.
Measurement in Science and Industry
This open-access livestream is brought to you by the Processing Division of AOCS and is an exclusive pre-event session of the 2023 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo. This open-access live stream is your chance to experience the excitement and cutting-edge research that will be showcased at the full meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA, from April 30-May 3, 2023.
When: April 11, 2023, 10-11 am CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC -5)
Presenter: Alan Paine, ARP Lipids Consulting, UK
Description
How can we accurately assess what is happening in vegetable oil refineries? When we make measurements, we often find discrepancies that we then need to investigate. Sometimes, the solution to a problem can be surprising.
This presentation will look at ways to improve accuracy in refinery performance testing, including the sodium balance method for measuring the performance of neutralization lines. The presentation will also discuss how the speed of light was determined, how our expectations bias the way we interpret a result and why old panes of glass are thicker at the bottom than the top.
All registrants will have access to the webinar recording, and attendees of the live broadcast will receive a certificate of attendance. Register now to secure your spot with us on Zoom, or tune in live on YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
AOCS Webinar Library
The AOCS Webinar Library contains more than 90 on-demand webinars that cover a range of topics in scientific research and professional development, ensuring you are constantly building your knowledge on relevant research and trends — no matter where your career or life takes you.
AOCS Members have unlimited access to the full AOCS webinar library. Log in to your account to watch past webinars on-demand.
Sample AOCS Webinars
Preview a selection of past AOCS webinars in the lists below. Join AOCS today to gain full access to the entire selection of past webinars — in addition to other benefits, including discounted registration to the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, access to AOCS journals and INFORM magazine, and more.
Analytical
FDA's Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils
This webinar is brought to you by AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society) and provides exclusive access to our special guest speaker, Robert A. Hahn, principal attorney at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC. Hahn specializes in FDA regulation of food and dietary supplements.
The AOCS Path to a New Method
Known throughout the world as the most comprehensive collection of analytical testing methods for fats and oils, the Official Methods and Recommended Practices of the AOCS contains more than 450 methods. This presentation will describe the process by which new methods are incorporated into the AOCS methods catalog.
The Art of Analysis: Method Training Ce 1i-07 & Ce 1b-89 by POS Biosciences & AOCS
AOCS has partnered with POS Bioscience to provide a one hour webinar demonstrating the methods. You will see the entire process as it is narrated by a POS Bioscience expert. A live Q&A session will enable you to ask any questions and learn insight from a researcher skilled in the art.
Statistical Treatment of Proficiency Testing Data - How to Interpret Laboratory Proficiency Reports
Xin Wu, Technical Services Manager for AOCS, explains the contents provided in the reports from the AOCS Laboratory Proficiency Program (LPP ) — including the test result summary, summary of z-scores, chart of z-scores and kernel density plot — and how to easily locate your submitted results in the report. You’ll learn how the LPP report can help you interpret your z-score and graphically compare your results to the results of other labs.
The Development of a Robust Spectrometer for Online and Real-time Monitoring of Oil Quality
In this webinar, you will learn about the development of a robust spectrometer for online and real-time monitoring of oil quality from Keit Spectrometers’ Product and Applications Manager Jonathan Speed. The previous limitations of online process analytical technology (PAT) have made the real-time monitoring of oil quality difficult to navigate. You’ll learn more about the use of online PAT, based on Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) technology. Dr. Speed will explain how the FTIR instrument can be calibrated into a sensor for a wide range of various properties including free fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters and more. Finally, he will present laboratory study results for calibration and online plant data of real processes monitoring of actual industrial product.
Edible Applications Technology
Rheology Principles and Applications
This webinar will focus on the basic principles, experimental considerations, and practical applications of rotational, oscillational, and vertical forces used in rheology to provide insight for product R&D, process optimization, manufacturing, packaging, delivery, performance, efficacy, and tactile properties.
Science behind the quality and taste of Belgian chocolates
In this webinar, the science behind the quality and taste of Belgian chocolate will be discussed. The whole value chain will be covered, from farmer to consumer. We will also focus on aspects such as sustaining high-quality cocoa production, post-harvest processing, genetic diversity, bioactive compounds, traditional and innovative chocolate processing, chocolate formulation and reformulation, preventing fat and sugar bloom, and fillings for pralines.
Monitoring the shelf-life and oxidative stability of olive oils by microESR forced oxidation assay
Professor Tullia Gallina Toschi, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, and David Barr, Product Manager, Bruker BioSpin Corp., show how to apply microESR forced oxidation assay for the quality control of olive oils, including a standard operating procedure useful for monitoring the oxidative status of olive oils.
Health and Nutrition
Fat Transitions in Ice Cream
In this webinar, the mechanisms that underlie and the parameters that influence partial coalescence of fat globules in ice cream will be discussed, along with the ramifications of high or low partial coalescence on product quality. Presented by Dr. Hartel who had been a faculty member at UW-Madison for 32 years.
Ketones: Harmful Byproducts or Drivers of Metabolism?
Review the discovery of ketones as the predominant fuel during prolonged fasting and starvation, the history of the concept of ketones as an alternative fuel for the brain, and the therapeutic implications. In addition, this webinar will review the invention of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), the discovery that MCTs are ketogenic, and clinical trials of MCTs for Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, as well as studies of ketone and glucose that used positron emission tomography scans to show that ketones are taken up normally in the aging and Alzheimer's brain.
Lipid Oxidation and Quality
This webinar will review best practices and applications of antioxidant testing in edible oils. Bridging the gap between academic research and practical application is critical to understanding how and why antioxidants may be used. Test protocols and analytical methods will be reviewed in general terms that link research with end use.
Designing specialty fats through fractionation and interesterification
This webinar will review the different industrial technologies used to manufacture specialty fats: dry and solvent fractionation, crystallization under shear or in static mode and regio-specific enzymatic interesterification. The fractionation of cocoa butter, palm oil, and shea butter (cocoa butter equivalents) and of palm kernel and coconut oil (cocoa butter substitutes) will be exemplified.
Processing
How Vertical Plate Conditioners are Changing the Game for Seed Processors with Solex Thermal Science
AOCS GOLD Corporate Member Solex Thermal highlights vertical plate technology, a solution that addresses these challenges by creating a larger heat transfer area, which can handle more product. Further, this plate’s modular design allows for low-cost retrofits, a reduction in steam consumption, as well as minimal maintenance costs. Plus, this technology has a renewable energy capabilities during the seed conditioning process, which also help to reduce energy costs.
Succeeding in process optimization tasks by using process simulation techniques. Episode 1: Soybean oil deodorization
Marcelo Usseglio, Process Simulation Specialist at ProSimTechs, shows how to optimize deodorization without even going to the plant---or jeopardizing the operation.
Process improvements for cost-efficient pre-treatment in edible oil refining
Véronique Gibon, Science Manager at Desmet Ballestra Group (Belgium), R&D Department, reviews the benefits of different improvements to chemical and physical refining, such as hydrodynamic cavitation and enzymatic degumming.
What is vegetable oil and where does it come from?
In many companies involved in edible oil, there are support staff who know very little about the business in which they operate and would like to know the basics. This presentation will help people relatively new to the industry or who work on the fringes to understand some of the terminology that people just assumed you knew and the broader context in which the industry operates.
Exploring the hidden aspects of enzymatic degumming by using process simulation techniques
Marcelo Usseglio, Process Simulation Specialist at ProSimTechs, presents advanced degumming concepts related to the chemistry of phospholipids and demonstrates how process simulation models are used through two case studies.
Professional Development
Should You be Pre-printing Your Research?
In this interactive webinar, Alberto Pepe, Wiley’s Sr. Director of Strategy and Innovation Management at Atypon and co-founder of Authorea, explores questions about the role of preprints in research communication, showing how a pilot of JAOCS with Under Review is providing faster and streamlined research dissemination for its authors.
Making Your Presentation Engaging and Memorable
This webinar will discuss a number of details that will help a presenter capture and hold an audience. Some examples are how understanding the audience should affect the development of a presentation, what simple question should be asked again and again during presentation planning, how reading an audience can change the tone of the presentation being made, and how to ensure that your message is clear and memorable.
Career Paths for Young Scientists: Presented by the AOCS Young Professional Group
A panel of four scientists from industry share their stories of navigating the challenges and opportunities each career path offers, including making the jump to consulting, to help you answer the question: “What comes next?”
What does early career success look like? ... and what you should be doing now to prepare
Steve Hill, former AOCS President and longtime AOCS member, will share insights and ideas to help young professionals achieve success in their careers. Steve will draw from his many years of experience in the food and fats and oils industries. He will also share insights gained as an AOCS volunteer leader.
Imposter Syndrome
Is the feeling that you are a fraud and that your success is due to “luck” or “fooling” people into believing you are better than you are. It is rampant in women and underrepresented people, particularly those that have climbed to success, and in fields where work is done privately then shared publicly. Organized by the AOCS Young Professional Common Interest Group.
Proteins
Structural and Functional Properties of Plant Protein Isolates and Hydrolysates for Various Applications
TDr. Pam Ismail, Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, covers the evaluation of various plant proteins from pea, camelina, and pennycress, highlighting their structural and functional properties as impacted by extraction and functionalization procedures, as well as potential applications.
Overcoming the Challenges in the Production & Utilization of Plant Protein Isolates in Food
Dr. Nagul Naguleswaran, Senior Associate Scientist, Global Research & Technology group at Ingredion Inc., reviews the challenges and opportunities associated with the production of selected plant protein isolates, with desired functional properties.
How to Assess Protein Functionality
Frédéric Baudouin, Project Manager, IMPROVE SAS, reviews the different methods available to measure protein functionality (emulsifying, foaming, gelling, water-holding) and how factors such as pH, temperature or concentration may affect each test.
Aquafaba, a New Emulsifier and Foaming Agent Emerging From Pulse Processing
(AOCS Members, log in to watch the recording.)
Aquafaba-the thick, clear liquid that results from cooking chickpeas in water-has grown rapidly in popularity and is extensively used by the vegan community to replace eggs in many food products because of its foaming and emulsifying properties. Martin Reaney, Professor, and Rana Mustafa, Professional Research Associate, from the Univ. of Saskatchewan will discuss the chemical composition, functional properties and applications of Aquafaba.
Surfactants and Detergents
A Walk Through Your Home–Discovering the Surfactant Science for Cleaning It
Many consumers (and even scientists!) may not care much about the technical complexity of cleaning product formulations. But they do care about and want the results of their cleaning efforts in every room. This year’s Samuel R. Rosen Award recipient, David. R. Scheuing, will connect several major concepts in surfactant science to the formulation of household cleaning products used by consumers daily.
Balancing Laundry Product Margins with Virtual Reality Data Visualization in Consumer Relevant Terms
This webinar will discuss how CONSUMERTEC is using virtual reality (VR) technology to leverage large amounts of detergency data to increase the consumer value of products while balancing research costs. Industry analysts estimate that VR technologies will increase the value proposition of products by 20% and reduce product formulation costs by 5%.
