New York, NY, February 4, 1998 - The Soap and Detergent Association announces a call for papers for the 1998 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Fatty Acids. The competition is sponsored by the Association's Oleochemical Division to recognize innovative research, development and use of fatty acids. Fatty acids fill many roles in industry as product ingredients and processing aids, with applications in soaps and detergents, cosmetics and toiletries, foods and edible emulsifiers, paints and protective coatings, greases and lubricants, rubber, plastics and paper chemicals. The 1997 Award-winning entry covered work in the synthesis and applications of silicone-based surfactants that has opened up a new class of surfactants which combine many of the desirable properties of silicone with those of fatty substances.

Applicants for the 1998 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Fatty Acids must submit a short paper (limited to 1,000 words) describing their invention and its potential commercial use. Entries will be judged by Oleochemical Division members for innovation, creativity and potential for development and rapid commercial introduction of the use. The winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and commemorative plaque, which will be presented at SDA's Annual Meeting. The competition is open to both SDA members and non-members. To be considered for the 1998 Award, papers must be submitted by August 1, 1998 to: The Soap and Detergent Association, Oleochemical Division, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Papers can be submitted by e-mail to akuemmel@sdahq.org.

The Soap and Detergent Association is a national trade association, founded in 1926, whose more than 135 members include the manufacturers of over 90% of the household, industrial and institutional cleaning products marketed in the U.S. Its member companies include producers of finished cleaning products, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers of finished packaging.

Boca Raton, FL, January 31, 1998 - The Soap and Detergent Association has selected Anthony J. O'Lenick, Jr., president of Lambent Technologies, as the winner of the 1997 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Fatty Acids. The presentation was made during SDA's 71st Annual Meeting, held Jan. 28-Feb. 1 in Boca Raton, Florida.

The winning entry describes work in the synthesis and applications of silicone-based esters of fatty acids that has opened up a new class of surfactants which combine many of the desirable properties of silicone with those of fatty substances. Silicone-based fatty acid esters are versatile, adaptable to a variety of uses, such as personal care and textile products, easy and convenient to work with, and have ready compatibility with other product components. Dr. O'Lenick founded Lambent Technologies, formerly Siltech, in 1989. Prior to that, he was president and chief executive officer of Alkaril Chemicals, Inc., which is now part of Rhodia, Inc. He has also held positions at Henkel Corporation and Mona Industries.

The competition is sponsored by the SDA Oleochemical Division to recognize innovative research, development and application of fatty acids. Fatty acids have use in cleaning agents, drugs and cosmetics, surface coatings, synthetic rubber, plastics and many smaller miscellaneous applications. Applicants for the 1998 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Fatty Acids must submit a short paper (limited to 1,000 words) describing their invention and its potential commercial use. The winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and commemorative plaque. The competition is open to both SDA members and non-members. To be considered for the 1998 Award, papers must be submitted by August 1, 1998 to: The Soap and Detergent Association, Oleochemical Division, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Papers can be submitted by e-mail to akuemmel@sdahq.org.

The Soap and Detergent Association is a national trade association, founded in 1926, whose more than 135 members include the manufacturers of over 90% of the household, industrial and institutional cleaning products marketed in the U.S. Its member companies include producers of finished cleaning products, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers of finished packaging.

The SDA videoconference featured information in four areas:

• Formulating Cleaning Products, including human and environmental safety assessment, and packaging considerations.
• Using and Disposing of Cleaning Products and Packages, featuring strategies for safe and effective product and package use and disposal.
• Community Communicators, highlighting successful environmental education programs.
• Product Update, covering the most recent developments in laundry, dishwashing, household cleaning and personal cleansing products.

Cleaning Products . . . In Our Homes, In Our Environment was broadcast on April 17, 1997 to some 8,000 educators, Cooperative Extension agents, waste managers and members of allied industries at 473 downlink sites in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Sponsored by SDA together with the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service and the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, the videoconference was the eighth in a series of SDA forums designed to provide educators and other professionals with the most current information on cleaning products and related subjects.

"The cleaning products industry has long been committed to educating consumers about the role of personal hygiene and regular cleaning of household surfaces in promoting good health," said Gerald R. Pflug, Ph.D., President of SDA. "We believe that the Partnership represents an exciting new opportunity to inform and motivate Americans about proper handwashing, kitchen surface cleaning and other safe food handling practices."

The Partnership has developed a new character, "BAC," which will be the cornerstone of the public education campaign. Speaking at the news conference, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala commented that the "BAC" character "puts a face on foodborne bacteria, which we believe will help Americans remember that they have the power to control bacteria in their home kitchens."

The "Fight BAC!^TM " campaign includes a 30-second television public service announcement (PSA) featuring a frustrated "BAC" trying unsuccessfully to spread contamination throughout the kitchen. The PSA highlights the four basic safe food handling steps, and tells viewers "if you want to stay healthy, you gotta Fight BAC!^TM ." Another campaign element is a food safety graphic that illustrates the four basic requirements for safe food handling: wash hands and surfaces often; prevent cross-contamination; cook to proper temperatures; and refrigerate promptly. The symbol was extensively tested with consumers, and is designed for use in a wide variety of materials, from posters to point-of-purchase materials to refrigerator magnets.

According to Jane Meyer, SDA Education Director, "Educators, waste managers and other professionals regularly turn to SDA for the accurate and practical information they need to answer consumer questions about the proper use and disposal of household cleaning products. The videoconference gives us the opportunity to bring this audience the latest developments in product formulation and packaging use and disposal, as well as highlight communities that have developed innovative environmental education programs."

During the three Q&A sessions, videoconference attendees will also be able to talk directly with the speakers via toll-free lines. Industry speakers include top experts from Amway Corporation, Benckiser Consumer Products Company Inc., The Clorox Company, The Dial Corporation, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Lever Brothers Company, The Procter & Gamble Company, and Reckitt & Colman Inc.

The videoconference will begin with A Look to the Future by futurist Richard Worzel of IF Research.

In Formulating Cleaning Products, soap and detergent industry experts will talk about human and environmental safety assessment, packaging and other considerations in formulating new products. The next segment, devoted to Using and Disposing of Cleaning Products and Their Packages, will highlight strategies for safe and effective product and package use and disposal, with a special focus on waste reduction. Joining industry representatives in the discussion will be the Director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center.

The Product Update section will cover the most recent developments in laundry products, dishwashing products, household cleaners and personal care products. Industry speakers will also discuss issues that impact product innovation, such as health concerns, lifestyle changes and energy-efficient appliances.

Representatives from the following communities and organizations will talk about their successful environmental education programs during the Community Outreach segment: Montgomery County, MD; University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service; City of Fountain Valley, CA; University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service; and Cornell University Cooperative Extension New York City Programs.

The competition is sponsored by the Association's Oleochemical Division to recognize innovative research, development and application of glycerine. The material has more than 1,500 known end uses, including major applications in cosmetics and toiletries, food and beverages, ethical and over-the-counter drugs, surface coating resins and urethane polymers.

Previous Award winners have come from industry and academia. The innovators have created a new family of glycerine-based splittable surfactants that improve the treatability of wastewater effluent; glycerine-plasticized egg albumen films and coatings for foods and pharmaceuticals that have performance and technical advantages over other protein-based films; and glycerine-based fabric softener actives with excellent performance and safety profiles.

Applicants for the 1997 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Glycerine must submit a short paper (limited to 1,000 words) describing their proposal and its potential commercial use. Entries will be judged for their innovation, creativity, and significant potential for commercial development and rapid introduction into commerce. The winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and a commemorative plaque, which will be presented at SDA's Annual Meeting. The competition is open to both SDA members and non-members.

To be considered for the 1997 Award, papers must be submitted by August 1, 1997 to: The Soap and Detergent Association, Oleochemical Division, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Papers can be submitted by e-mail to akuemmel@sdahq.org.

The Soap and Detergent Association is a national trade association, founded in 1926, whose more than 135 members include the manufacturers of over 90% of the household, industrial and institutional cleaning products marketed in the U.S. Its member companies include producers of finished cleaning products, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers of finished packaging.

The winning submission came from a research group at the Agricultural Industrial Products Center of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln which devised a method for using long chain fatty acids to overcome the limited moisture barrier functionality of soy protein films and coatings. These films and coatings are versatile and may be used for various food and non-food applications, such as preventing moisture loss on fruits, vegetables and meat; preventing moisture migration among different components in food like breakfast cereals; and sealing in natural juices and reducing oil uptake in foods that are battered or breaded and then fried. The University of Nebraska research group also won the SDA 1995 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Glycerine.

The competition is sponsored by the SDA Oleochemical Division to recognize innovative research, development and application of fatty acids. Fatty acids have use in cleaning agents, drugs and cosmetics, surface coatings, synthetic rubber, plastics and many smaller miscellaneous applications.

Applicants for the 1997 Recognition Award for Innovative Uses of Fatty Acids must submit a short paper (limited to 1,000 words) describing their invention and its potential commercial use. Entries will be judged by Oleochemical Division members for innovation, creativity and potential for development and rapid commercial introduction of the use. The winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and commemorative plaque, which will be presented at SDA's Annual Meeting. The competition is open to both SDA members and non-members.

To be considered for the 1997 Award, papers must be submitted by August 1, 1997 to: The Soap and Detergent Association, Oleochemical Division, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Papers can be submitted by e-mail to akuemmel@sdahq.org.