Hess joined WCMA following roles at the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association. She brings valuable experience in event planning and execution, program support and office and information management, WCMA said. As part of the WCMA team, Hess will manage office operations, assist with WCMA’s popular leadership trainings and webinars and scholarships, and support the Championship Cheese Contests and CheeseExpo.

The Center for Dairy Research (CDR) said it is holding its Advanced Cheese Technology Short Course May 9-13 in Babcock Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. It is a five-day course consisting of an intensive four days of sessions covering cheesemaking production principles and technology and an optional hands-on cheesemaking lab offered on the fifth day.

This course is intended for apprentice cheesemakers with at least 12 months experience or students with a basic science background, CDR said. Students should have experience in algebra and general chemistry. Completion of this course will give the student six months credit toward the apprenticeship requirement for the state cheesemakers license. The deadline to register is April 22. Attendees must complete CDR’s Cheesemaking Fundamentals course before registering for the Advanced Cheese Technology Short Course.

Lecture Topics Include dairy starters/ripening, standardization of milk, cheese yield, coagulants and coagulation, cheese chemistry, cheese sensory and much more. To register, visit https://www.cdr.wisc.edu/short-courses/advanced-cheese-technology

Sweegen, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., said it entire Signature Bestevia portfolio of nature-based sweeteners and sweetener systems is now accessible to brands in Mexico after the country’s food safety authority adopted the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) specifications for steviol glycosides produced by different technologies. This includes Sweegen’s bioconversion method for producing clean and non-GMO stevia sweeteners, such as rebaudiosides B, D, E, I, M and N. Codex is the international food safety organization under the auspices of the World Health Organization.

Tastepoint by IFF, a Philadelphia-based ingredient supplier and product development partner focused on the dynamic small- to mid-sized market, said it fulfilled a series of strategic growth initiatives, officially expanding its footprint to Greater Los Angeles. The ceremonial ribbon-cutting marked the grand opening of a new cutting-edge creative center. In tandem with upgrades to its nearby manufacturing center, Tastepoint said it is now poised to service customers nationwide with expanded capabilities and services.

Fostering more accessible engagement for customers located closer to the West Coast, the new facility is outfitted with flavor creation and design labs to support culinary, bakery, bars, confectionery and beverage applications. The creative center is enhanced by the extensive resources of IFF, Tastepoint said, complete with a collaborative space that supports full product design by leveraging the portfolio of IFF ingredients such as proteins, hydrocolloids, natural colors, flavors and food protection.

Portland, Ore.-based Icon Foods, a natural ingredients supplier supporting the growth of clean-label, healthy food and beverage production, said it promoted Kash Rocheleau to chief financial officer. Rocheleau previously served as staff accountant and corporate controller for the company.

In addition, Dawn Crampton joined Icon Foods as director of research and development and quality control, and Zach Newland was promoted from QC technician to QC manager. Crampton is a Certified Food Scientist, the company said, and her previous experience includes innovation and technologist positions with PureField Ingredients; Flowers Foods & Subsidiaries and Kerr Concentrates. Newland began his Icon career in 2019 in the production department and brings a strong food science background to his new role.

Winpak Ltd., a Winnipeg, Manitoba-headquartered manufacturer and distributor of packaging materials for perishable foods, beverages and healthcare, said PureCycle Technologies Inc. will be providing Winpak with ultra-pure recycled polypropylene from its newest facility, to be constructed in Augusta, Ga. This agreement further expands Winpak’s recyclable packaging solutions, now containing post-consumer recycled content, and further expands brand and consumer access to PureCycled plastic.

Software, technology and engineering specialist Emerson, Austin, Texas, said that its device management software is the first host software to be fully registered by FieldComm Group to support the Field Device Integration standard. This is a further step in Emerson’s ongoing efforts to reduce the time and effort spent installing and configuring the field devices plants rely on to achieve their digital transformation goals.

TricorBraun Flex, the flexible packaging division of St. Louis-based packaging company TricorBraun, said it received the BPI Certification Mark from the Biodegradable Products Institute for its fully-compostable, plant-based packaging product, Biotré 3.0. Biotré 3.0 is made from high barrier materials, preventing the permeation of water, oil, oxygen, gas or light. Additionally, the package can be disposed of in curbside composting bins for industrial composting.

EverGrain Ingredients, a St. Louis-based ingredient company created by AB InBev, said its entire portfolio of upcycled barley protein and fiber ingredients received the Upcycled Food Association’s certification. The first-of-its kind mark, which launched last year, will enable food and beverage manufacturers that use the ingredients place the claim on its packaging.