F
An intensive two-day exchange of knowledge and ideas
F
by Roger Gilbert, CEO, Perendale Publishers Limited
lour millers are notorious for wanting to remain in their mills, overseeing the milling process. It’s only natural after all, when you consider the importance of the products they produce and the demands placed upon them in terms of time, attention to material detail, monitoring processes and ensuring the products produced satisfy discerning customers and consumers on a daily basis.
Therefore, it was surprising, and gratifying, to see a large number of millers represented among the 300 delegates attending last month’s Global Millers’ Symposium held in Hamburg, Germany. What drew them to Hamburg and two full days of presentations at the Bucerius Law School, which was the venue for the symposium? It was the quality of the presentations on offer and the opportunity to engage with not only other millers but with a significant number of European and international grain and cereal organisations. In fact, this the sixth edition of the Global Millers’ Symposium was jointly hosted by Mühlenchemie and the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC) and attracted millers and others in the industry from 54 countries to listen to 40-plus presentations delivered by experts from more than 12 countries. This year’s event was also partnered by leading industry suppliers, such as AkzoNobel, BASF, Brabender, Chopin, SGS, Perten and Diosna.
Setting the scene
Volkmar Wywiol, the chairman of Mühlenchemie, expressed his pleasure when welcoming delegates to the largest event held so far. “You will hear many presentations over these two days,” he told the gathering. “Knowledge transfer is the focus of this symposium. The exchange of ideas and the renewing of old friendships is also important. My model in life is that business is to make friendships. Please do this.” He explained that Mühlenchemie has a proud 94 year history of assisting the development of flour milling around the world with a focus on the “white gold” products that match the demands of both customers and consumers alike who rely on bread and pasta. “Like no other company in this area, we have been assisting the flour milling for generations.” His company serves more than 2000 mills in 120 countries and they in turn rely on the company’s range of specialist products, its expertise 48 | May 2017 - Milling and Grain
Volkmar Wywiol, the chairman of Mühlenchemie, expressed his pleasure in welcoming delegates to the largest event held so far. For more from Mr Wywiol see our interview on page 122
and its innovations, he added. Dr Hamit Köksel, President of ICC, the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology, which was founded in 1955 on the occasion of the 3rd International Bread Congress in Hamburg, Germany as the International Association for Cereal Chemistry, is one of the foremost organisations dedicated to international cooperation, the dissemination of knowledge and the improvement in safety and quality of cereal-based foods. ICC is headquartered in Vienna and has 24 country members. “With a growing world population the network of cereal scientists and technologists has never been more critical in providing food security and sustainability,” he told the audience. He praised the opportunity the symposium provided for networking and the exchange of ideas from a number of countries. He spoke about the need to address misinformation concerning gluten and the avoidance of recalls due to salmonella and other bacteria. “These kind of food safety issues can be devastating for the reputations of companies as well as challenging for the health and safety of the consumer. Therefore, food safety must remain a priority for the foreseeable future. “ICC is dedicated to the advancing of knowledge and understanding of cereals science through research, education, training and networking. ICC can only achieve this working with all stakeholders such as Mühlenchemie,” he concluded.
"Millers and others in the industry from 54 countries listened to 40-plus presentations delivered by experts from more than 12 countries" A full schedule
Presentations came fast and thick with little time for questions or discussion outside coffee and lunch breaks on the first day. The opening session on Markets presented keynote speakers such as Vito Martielli an analyst for grains and oilseeds at Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness who spoke on Global Outlook for Wheat.