Get The Scoop On Ice Cream Business With Penn State Short Course UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) What are the hot trends in cold treats? High-concept flavor ing and low fat, according to the director of the nation’s premier program on ice cream making and sales. Penn State’s Ice Cream Short Course enters its 107th year as the nation’s oldest, best-known and UuLui . \ Call Your Nearest Sire Power Representative Today: PENNSYLVANIA North Central PA Central PA Rod Prutsman J. Hershey Myer Phone- 607-525-6274 Phone: 717-837-5219 Direct Herd Rep. Earl Kepner Phone- 717-935-2485 Northeastern PA Don Hibbard Phone; 717-836-3168 largest educational program in the science and technology of ice cream under the direction of Rob ert F. Roberts, associate professor of food science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Running Jan. 4-14 at the Nit tany Lion Inn on Penn State's Uni versity Park campus, the program instructs professionals in all Western PA Russ Jacques Phone 814-425-2562 aspects of commercial ice cream manufacture, including ingredi ents and flavors, freezing/harden ing, and storage/distribution. Roberts says the current indus try trend is toward “highly fla vored concoctions. “Vanilla is still the primary flavor that people want,” he said. “But you see more and mote fancifully flavored prod- Southeastern PA & NJ Eldon Ford Phone- 717-933-5961 Direct Herd Rep. Nelson James Phone: 610-562-7117 WEST VIRGINIA & Southcentral PA Steve Cronin Phone: 304-884-8172 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 2, 1999-05 ucts, such as Tin Roof Sundae' or ‘Cookies and Cream’, with very high levels of background flavors and identifiable pieces. You may find specialty products with gum mi bears or caramel critters stirred in, for instance.” At the other end of the spectrum is the glowing popularity of low fat frozen desserts, Roberts said. MARYLAND/WV Sales & Service Director Kirk Sattazahn Phone- 717-337-376 5 MD Toll Free Technician Service 1-800-227-6417 MD Direct Herd Reps: Franklin & York Counties, PA Peter Bohacek Phone. 301-371-6834 Dave Elston as technological advances allow producers to create low-fat (and no-fat) ice creams and frozen yogurts witih more of the rich taste and creamy consistency con sumers crave. “We’ve improved our com mand of flavor systems and our ability to emulsify and whip no-fat products to make a dessert that is acceptable,” Roberts said. “You may remember what a no-fat vanilla ice cream tasted like about 10 years ago. Now you can buy products that are quite good.” Roberts said he is ex cited about heading up a program that draws an international audience. Registrants this year will represent at least 26 states and nine coun tries. He says the course offers something for everyone interested in the “magic” of ice cream, “from cow to cone.” “What a student takes away from the course depends on what they start with,” he says. “The ‘mom-and-pop’ operator who wants to open a shop will learn a lot about the industrial aspect how products are put together and their functional proper ties. People in produc tion may come away witih a greater under standing of why their efforts result in a good or poor finished prod uct People in research and development will come away with new ideas on how ingredi ents interact with each other to form the prod uct.” As an alternative to the more intensive and highly technical short course, Penn State of fers the seminar, “Suc cessful Ice Cream Re tailing,” Jan. 15-18 at the Nittany Lion Inn. Conducted by Ed Marks, a consultant with more than 50 years of experience in the ice cream industry, the seminar is intended for those who want to own an ice cream parlor, ra ther than in ice cream factory. “This seminar was started to meet the needs of the ‘mom-and pop’ store owners, ra ther than the food sci entists,” Marks said. “The short course is technology-heavy, slanted toward research and development and quality assurance. The seminar will ad dress such concerns as employee training, menu creation, price setting, and promotions. Presenters will include Dick Warren, owner operator of Four Seas Ice Cream in Cape Cod, Mass.; Diane and Steve Lueders, a husband and-wife team with more than 20 years of experience in specialty ice cream desserts; and Andy Crivaro, soft serve consultant and co owner of Sentry Equip ment