Hallway Talk: Let’s Talk Cheese
By Caitlin Zaring

Around 50 people tuned in to listen to experts discuss the various presentations given about dairy foods thus far at the Annual Dairy Science Meeting. Leading was Dr. Michael Miller, a professor of Food Microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With him was Dr. Paul Kindstedt, a professor at the University of Vermont and the incoming president of ADSA, Dr. Rani Govindasamy-Lucey, a distinguished scientist at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research, and finally, Dr. Mark Johnson, the assistant director and distinguished scientist at the University of Wisconsin’s center for dairy research. All have a passion for cheese. The group began by speaking about Dr. Roldolphe Barrangou’s keynote speech on CRISPR-Cas-9 in relation to cheeses’ bacteria. Among the comments, Dr. Govindasamy-Lucey highlighted the ethics behind this methodology and the importance of understanding the side of non-scientists and consumers. This became a running theme throughout the hour-long talk, being brought up in various discussions on student posters and presentations. Moving on to the Monday morning symposium regarding products containing a mixture of both dairy and plant proteins. Dr. Paul Kindstedt was enthused over the possibilities for new markets discussed in Monday morning’s symposium on dairy foods. He saw a potential appeal to consumers seeking plant-based products while still receiving the benefits of dairy. Marketing and public perceptions were considered when audience member Dr. Donald McMahon, the WDC Director and professor at Utah State University, discussed how the dairy industry could learn from the plant-based industry’s labeling and identity. Dr. Johnson and Dr. McMahon delved into the disconnect between consumers’ desire for less processing and how this does not mesh with choosing plant products that require more processing than dairy. Dr. Miller and Dr. Govindasamy-Lucey discussed the evening dairy foods symposium from Monday regarding dairy food loss and waste. Building off the previous discussion towards labeling between Dr. Johnson and Dr. McMahon, the sell-by and use-by dates were discussed. Both admitted confusion lay not only with the consumer but with them as well. Dr. Miller admitted having been asked this before and being unsure of the difference in the past. In the conclusion of the talk, the final point brought up by Dr. Miller while alluding back to the keynote speaker’s address was that scientists make up 0.1% of the population. We as scientists need to keep this in mind and remember that we need to speak our findings and research passions to a consumer who may not have a scientific background. This is an important thing we should all keep in mind as we move forward. Caitlin Zaring is a Master’s student in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Tennessee under Dr. Elizabeth Eckelkamp. She holds a B.S. in Animal Science from the same institution and an A.S. in Biology from her local community college. Her survey-based research describes the state of value-added dairy enterprises and consumer preferences for value-added dairy products in Tennessee.