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The Benefits of Membership
Sharpen Your Competitive Edge
Whether you're a manufacturer or a supplier, whether your company is big or
small, retail or foodservice, branded or private label, whether you're in marketing
or new product development, the challenges are many in this industry. You can't
afford to miss crucial networking opportunities available only at The Association
for Dressings and Sauces (ADS) Annual Meeting in the Fall and the Technical Meeting
in the Spring.
OPEN NEW DOORS
Relationships are founded and forged at ADS meetings. ADS members, manufacturers
and suppliers, veteran players and rookies, can attest to the accessibility you'll
have to the right people in the right places at the right time. That's because
ADS meetings, with a single focus on dressings and sauces, are small enough (usually
no more than 250 attendees) and large enough (most of this industry is represented)
to meet every need. At an ADS meeting, you may well find yourself seated across
the table from your next business relationship.
GAIN THE KNOW-HOW
ADS meetings are well known in the food industry for striking that all-important
balance between hard-hitting programs and relaxed social activities. Over the
years, members at ADS meetings have:
- learned what to do when the auditor arrives,
- heard the latest on the biotechnology front, and
- captured the latest trends in retail and foodservice.
The topics have been many, diverse, controversial and timely. When you come
away from an ADS meeting, you come away with a fresh perspective and real solutions.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
Opportunities abound for networking and education through ADS tools and activities.
There's the complete Membership Directory, provided in both printed and on-line
formats, the Information Open House and the New Products and Services Presentations.
Suppliers can get their company's name out, while manufacturers benefit from "one-stop
shopping" efficiencies. Furthermore, several ADS committees rely on its most
valuable resource, its members, for leadership. This is an Association by its
members, for its members and of its members. By rolling up your sleeves and really
getting involved in ADS, you increase visibility and further solidify your company's
standing in the industry.
SUCCESS STORIES
From domestic and global market trends to interactive media and new product development,
from seaside receptions to a four course banquet dinner, members get it all at
ADS meetings. In every aspect from the meaningful program to social events, ADS
meetings are exemplary, based on member evaluations. As a matter of fact, they
are considered the best of their kind by the industry.
THE MEMBERS SAY...
"Another excellent meeting! The featured speakers were both knowledgeable
and inspiring. I continue to look forward to these presentations to stay current
as well as develop a longer term perspective on our industry. Overall, the quality
of speakers is as good as any other association meeting I have attended. These
meetings continue to be an excellent way to maintain contact with industry associates
and suppliers."
Dick Anderson
Vice President of Marketing
T. Marzetti Company
Maintain Your Product's Positive Image
With The Association for Dressings and Sauces' staff working the front line
on your behalf, you have at your disposal capable and experienced media spokespersons
with a knowledge of your industry unparalleled by any public relations agency.
EMPLOY STAFF RESOURCES
Today's health-conscious, nutrition-wary consumer is being hit from all sides
with information, often conflicting, on what they should and should not eat. Inaccurate
media reports only exacerbate the confusion. ADS staff stand ready to respond
to inaccurate media reports involving dressing and sauce products. But, more importantly,
ADS members work together, through the Association, to maintain a positive, proactive
stance. That's because we know that a positive image creates greater awareness,
breeding increased sales.
PROMOTE SALADS, PROMOTE DRESSINGS
According to a recent consumer survey commissioned by The Association for Dressings
and Sauces, eighty five percent of adults eat a salad at least once a week. And,
according to the survey, almost all of these salads are made using dressing. The
conclusion: promote salads, promote dressing sales. Additional surveys ADS has
commissioned include a survey on dipping and how Americans utilize bottled salad
dressings as dips. ADS found ways to promote secondary uses of salad dressings
such as marinades, sauces and dips to the media to familiarize consumers with
the numerous ways bottled salad dressings can enrich meals. And, as we know, more
uses for salad dressings means more sales of salad dressings.
Through May, National Salad Month, special activities and promotions get the
word out about salads and salad dressings. The ADS-sponsored campaigns, led by
the Association's Consumer Awareness and Foodservice Committee, offer many ways
for members to promote their products each year.
SUCCESS STORIES
Media coverage of the annual ADS campaign to promote salads and salad dressings
continues to reach millions of Americans in virtually every state, positioning
products as an integral part of a balanced diet.
A number of horseradish processors have been leading another successful promotional
activity under the ADS umbrella named the Horseradish Information Council. This
novel campaign has embraced the horseradish root itself, a series of brochures,
consumer recipe contest and a run-of-press editorial feature. The results: well
over 37 million impressions in print media alone and coverage in virtually every
foodservice publication on the market today including online media.
THE MEMBERS SAY.....
"For me, the opportunity to attend the Annual Meeting and the Technical
Meeting is reason enough to be a part of ADS. Each provides focused and relevant
information I'd have to work hard to duplicate (at much greater cost).
Additionally, having the ADS technical staff at the other end of the phone
when we call with a question is a major benefit. ADS also provides an essential
connection to the regulatory environment with which we all have to deal and the
chance to network with a high-quality group of suppliers.
ADS provides great value, professionally delivered."
Terry Plochman
President & CEO
Plochman, Inc.
Toughen Your Legal and Regulatory Stance
Doing business sometimes seems futile in today's bureaucratic mire. The food
industry is still reeling from changes brought on by The Nutrition Labeling and
Education Act (NLEA). Compliance regulations alone filled more than 900 pages
of the Federal Register, along with thousands and thousands of pages of proposals,
comments and counter proposals. The rules continue to be interpreted and reinterpreted
through the process of implementation and enforcement. Now regulators are looking
at mandatory Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety programs.
To aid members in this area, a task force of ADS members developed generic HACCP
guidelines and a sample HACCP plan for mayonnaise. The truth is, if you're trying
to sell a dressing or sauce product in this country, you have your work cut out
for you. That is unless you are a member of ADS.
MOVE QUICKLY
ADS members are able to hit the ground running with information regarding The
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) and dozens of other regulatory and
legislative issues. That's because they are plugged into the only Association
that will track, analyze and tackle issues solely from the perspective of dressing
and sauce manufacturers and suppliers. Each year, ADS staff responds to hundreds
of member calls on labeling, regulatory and technical matters.
Add complete, accurate and timely staff and legal counsel interpretations to
the specialized dressing and sauce focus, and you have what sets this Association
apart from all others.
SAVE MONEY, INCREASE CREDIBILITY
As a member of ADS, you save countless hours of staff time and legal fees for
tracking and interpreting complicated state and federal regulations and legislation.
Your company, as one of 160+ other dressing and sauce manufacturers and suppliers,
will also be able to minimize visibility without getting lost in the shuffle when
raising questions or responding to government proposals. The unified voice of
industry members, working together through ADS, increases the probability of effective
regulatory and legislative intervention.
GET BACK TO WORK
With ADS on the job, advancing your company's agenda on regulatory and legislative
issues, you can get on with the business of making dressings and sauces or selling
to those who do. ADS will serve as your eyes and ears at Federal, state and local
levels, tackling bureaucrats, protecting your right to do business, and keeping
your business costs down.
ACCESS REGULATORY PUBLICATIONS
All publications available through ADS are offered in hard copy form as well as
searchable, online versions via the ADS Web site (www.dressings-sauces.org). Members
are kept abreast of the latest breaking news on the regulatory and technical front
with just a click of the mouse. The ADS Labeling Manual is updated regularly
and includes the most current interpretations of NLEA regulations. This Manual
explains in layman's terms and simple artwork, labeling regulations and requirements
for dressing and sauce products. The Food and Drug, Your Rights and Obligations
is an excellent reference for manufacturers when faced with FDA inspections. A
reference on Handling Product Tampering Incidents guides members in the
development of in-house plans for dealing with product tampering crises. Product
Retrieval Procedures offers guidelines to follow in the event that one of
your products must be recalled.
SUCCESS STORIES
When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tried to impose
costly and burdensome rules on industry by requiring an ergonomics program standard,
ADS staff acted on behalf of my members by joining forces with the National Coalition
of Ergonomics to have the rule rescinded. Due to the efforts of ADS and other
coalition members, a Joint Resolution of Disapproval pursuant to the Congressional
Review Act of 1996 was passed by Congress and signed by President Bush, rendering
the rule null and void. The Congressional Review Act also prohibits re-promulgation
of a rule in "substantially the same form."
THE MEMBERS SAY.....
"TIC Gums has been a member of ADS for over 25 years. During that time
our participation in work of the Emulsion Committee and other technical groups
has helped us learn first hand the problems and needs of the industry. That knowledge
coupled with that derived from the invaluable one-on-one interface with manufacturers
who are always available in a comfortable, professional environment at meetings,
guides our research and development into hydrocolloid products and systems which
address the many opportunities in the dressings and sauce industry."
Terry Van Winkle
Vice President, Regional Sales
TIC Gums
Develop Your Company's Technical Muscle
The demand for healthy, unique and ethnic products has created phenomenal
growth in the dressing and sauce industry. Salad dressings, sauces and condiments
maintain a steady lead among other food categories in new product introductions.
Recent data bears this out, indicating the trend will continue.
NEW PRODUCTS, NEW CHALLENGES
From these new products spring new technical challenges. Whether you are formulating
the product, providing a special ingredient for it or making the container that
holds it, your Research and Development and Quality Assurance departments are
being put to the test, maybe even stretched to the limit, to make it work. Members
of ADS have yet another resource on whom they rely. Through ADS, members participate
in one of the strongest, most effective industry-wide technical programs in the
food business today.
FINDING THE ANSWERS TOGETHER
Research needs for dressings and sauces are identified by ADS members and generic
studies voluntarily performed. Protocols are developed and reviewed by the ADS
Executive Technical Board with a keen eye for what this industry most needs to
know. Once everyone is satisfied that the findings are valid, the data is disseminated
to the entire membership. It is through this non-proprietary exchange of information
that ADS members realize some of the greatest benefits of industry collaboration.
Working together, competitors find otherwise elusive solutions to tough problems,
such as: emulsion stability, quality assurance procedures, portion control and
flexible packaging issues and microbial safety, to name a few.
MEET AND LEARN; SEE AND BE SEEN
ADS members -- manufacturers and suppliers -- consider the technical activity
of this Association so important that every Spring an entire meeting is dedicated
to its progress. The three-day meeting is brimming with the latest technical developments
critical to the manufacture of dressings and sauces. Supplier members at this
meeting may also participate in the ADS Information Open House -- an opportunity
to talk with manufacturers, one-on-one, about each company's unique products and
services. Suppliers of new products and services may also make oral presentations
every other year to the full membership, where appropriate.
ACCESS TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
The Quality Assurance Guidelines Manual is a complete workbook designed
to help dressing and sauce manufacturers establish quality assurance programs.
It identifies critical control points and procedures for monitoring manufacturing
systems. The Methods and Procedures Manual provides recommendations for
actual testing procedures and quality control methods used in state-of-the-art
production of dressing and sauce products. The recently published Portion
Control & Flexible Packaging: A Reference Manual for the Dressings &
Sauces Industry provides members with basic information regarding portion control
and flexible packaging. The manual serves as a guide for selecting and using packaging
materials and equipment in plants. Listeria Guidelines describe how to control
and prevent Listeria in dressing and sauce processing plants, building design,
and environmental plant practices that should be considered. Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Guidelines, were developed by ADS members
to provide a guide for the effective monitoring of control points along the manufacturing
process that could adversely affect the finished product safety.
Food Safety and Mayonnaise: Facts About Commercial Mayonnaise and Salad
Dressing, is a collection of scientific literature confirming that commercial
mayonnaise and salad dressings are bactericidal for foodborne illness organisms.
Included are:
- abstracts of research and opinions from authoritative sources dating as far
back as 1940,
- a backgrounder on mayonnaise safety, and
- a consumer-friendly brochure Mayonnaise: The Misunderstood Dressing that sets
the record straight about food safety and commercial mayonnaise.
The package is routinely updated and sent to federal and state regulatory officials,
as well as media contacts, to educate them on the safety of mayonnaise. All documents
are also available on the ADS Web site.
SUCCESS STORIES
To assist members in resolving conflicting state interpretations of the Federal
acidified foods regulations, ADS staff and the Executive Technical Board (ETB)
swiftly formulated a plan to educate state and Federal officials on the safety
of industry's products. This effort resulted in the development of the article,
"Microbiological Safety of Mayonnaise, Salad Dressings and Sauces Produced
in the United States: A Review." ADS manufacturer members aided in the process
by providing specific product data as background for the article. The article
was published in the August 2000 issue of the Journal of Food Protection.
To further aid members, the ETB developed a backgrounder that focused on the important
aspects of the paper, which was shared with ADS members and is also housed on
the member section of the ADS Web site. The paper and one-page document, along
with other materials developed by ADS, can be used by ADS staff and members alike
to tout the safety of industry's products to regulators and the media.
In on-going efforts to promote the safety of industry's products, ADS staff
routinely monitors activity related to food safety by the media, consumer interest
groups and the government. ADS staff quickly sprung to action when it was learned
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planned to conduct a consumer survey on
food safety. Through interaction with FDA staff, ADS learned the upcoming survey
contained information on mayonnaise and subsequently submitted comments to the
Agency, affirming the safety of commercial mayonnaise. In response to ADS' comments,
the FDA confirmed the safety of commercial mayonnaise by stating, "FDA is
very much aware that commercial mayonnaise is not a high food safety risk…"
THE MEMBERS SAY …
"My first ADS meeting was in 1982 in Charleston, SC. I haven't missed
a technical meeting yet! Being able to go and participate in the ADS meetings
has been very important to me. The ADS manuals, regulatory updates and
technical program have been valuable resources for our company in developing quality
dressings and sauces and proving the safety of our products. Being a member of
ADS, with a reputation for high industry standards, is also important to our customers
and is a good business practice.
ADS is the most professional organization I have been involved with in
my career. Thanks for all your hard work in keeping the Association going."
Kyle Anderson
Director of Technical Services
Green Garden Food Products, Inc.
ADS Committee Descriptions
Consumer Awareness Committee
Chair: Dick Anderson, T. Marzetti Company
Staff: Traci Gibson, Communications Manager
The Consumer Awareness (CA) Committee directs activities to raise product awareness, position dressings and sauces as part of a healthy diet and foster growth of industry products. This is accomplished through various ADS-sponsored campaigns, such as National Salad Month and consumer surveys and research, offering many ways for members to promote their products each year. Current projects include Health Benefits Research and consumer education pieces on the health benefits of dressings and sauces.
Executive Technical Board
Chair: Judy Turner, Tate & Lyle
Vice Chair: David Lawrence
Emertis: Kyle Anderson, Green Garden Food Products
Secretary: Jackie Kane
Staff: Pat Faison, Manager, Regulatory and Technical Affairs
The Executive Technical Board (ETB) works with staff to direct and supervise the ADS Technical Program which ensures Association members remain proactive on technical issues affecting the industry (e.g., labeling, food safety, processing, preservation). The ETB meets four times per year -- January, Technical Meeting, June/July and the Annual Meeting.
Committees operating under the purview of the ETB include the Emulsion and Quality Assurance Committees. These Committees meet once per year during the Technical Meeting and are open to observers as well as Committee members.
Emulsion Committee
Chair: Jim Patacchiola, Ken’s Foods, Inc.
Staff: Pat Faison, Manager, Regulatory and Technical Affairs
The Emulsion Committee furthers the development of information on emulsion stability of dressing products. The group is currently focusing on two projects:
- Expand on the egg replacement study and evaluate the following parameters: (1) reduce the amount of whey protein concentrate in the mayonnaise formula, (2) use different types of whey protein concentrate in the formula and (3) standardize the formula to achieve a reduced-oil spoonable product and attempt to minimize variables.
- Expand on the water hardness study and evaluate the effects of "loaded" hard water samples on emulsion stability
Quality Assurance Committee
Chair: Jackie Kane, The Clorox Company
Staff: Pat Faison, Manager, Regulatory and Technical Affairs
The Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) reviews new instrumentation and analyses for dressings and sauces, and ensures that the ADS technical manuals remain current and progressive. The Quality Assurance Committee will undertake the following projects during the year:
- Review Section I, "Bulk Carrier Delivery Inspection" of the Methods and Procedures Manual (MAPMAN) to ensure it remains current
- Develop Pest Management Guidelines for the Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG) Manual
- Update Section V, "Product Specification Guidelines" of the QAG Manual to include specifications for lactic acid bacteria, where applicable
- Develop a section in the QAG Manual to focus on food allergens
- Continue review of Section XIII, ‘Food Industry Audit Guidelines" of the QAG Manual to ensure it remains current.
Horseradish Information Council
Chair: Wendell Christoff, Litehouse, Inc.
Staff: Traci Gibson, Communications Manager
The Horseradish Information Council consists of manufacturers of Horseradish and works to promote and increase the consumption of horseradish by both consumers and foodservice outlets. The Committee also oversees the Horseradish Information Council’s Web site, www.horseradish.org, the most comprehensive resource for horseradish recipes anywhere!
Membership Council
Chair: Pete Leitner, Admix, Inc.
Staff: Jacque Knight, Member of Membership & Administration
The ADS Membership Council promotes membership in the Association through member endorsement. The Council also focuses on member retention and satisfaction.
Portion Control/Flexible Packaging Committee
Chair: Christine Schaeffer, Alcan Packaging, Inc.
Emeritus: Joni Fagan, Ken’s Foods, Inc.
Staff: Pat Faison, Manager, Regulatory and Technical Affairs
The Portion Control/Flexible Packing (PC/FP) Committee addresses the needs of members involved in the portion control and flexible packaging industry. The group meets twice per year during the Annual and Technical Meetings. The Committee is currently working on:
- The PC/FP Committee has been updating ADS' Portion Control & Flexible Packaging: A Reference Manual for the Dressings and Sauces Industry. Extensive revisions have been made to this Manual to ensure it is current and provides value to ADS members. The redesigned Reference Manual has been posted on the Members-Only section of the ADS Web site.
Supplier Advisory Committee
Chair: Jim Garner, CP Kelco
Staff: Jacque Knight, Manager of Membership & Administration
The Supplier Advisory Committee (SAC) capitalizes on supplier talent to improve Association programs for the benefit of all ADS members. Improving communications between Suppliers and Manufacturers, the Committee members serve as Goodwill Ambassadors, welcoming new members and first-time attendees at ADS meetings.
Membership Application
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