German Society for Fat Science

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German Society for Fat Science
(DGF)
legal form registered association at Münster District Court, association register VR 1513
founding October 6, 1936
Seat Münster , office in Frankfurt am Main
main emphasis Bringing together representatives from technology, science and business who deal with oils, fats and lipids; Promote scientific work, improve training and facilitate the exchange of knowledge.
Chair Klaus Schurz (President)
Website www.dgfett.de

The German Society for Fat Science (DGF) eV pursues the goal in the field of fat science and technology

  • To unite experts from science, technology and business in a joint work and to offer them a forum for the exchange of ideas,
  • to promote scientific and application-oriented research and, if necessary, to maintain our own research facilities,
  • to promote professional training ,
  • provide independent expertise to the public and serve as a source of information on fat science and technology issues,
  • Prepare and check standards and develop standard methods,
  • to honor outstanding scientific work and research personalities.

In this way, the company promotes comprehensive interdisciplinary cooperation in scientific , medical , technological, agricultural and ecological research on fats and oils , fat products and accompanying substances, surfactants and raw materials.

history

The "German Society for Fat Research" was founded on October 6, 1936 and registered as a non-profit organization in the Berlin Register of Associations. The founding president was Hans Paul Kaufmann . After the Second World War it moved its headquarters to Münster and was re-established on August 19, 1948 as the "German Society for Fat Science". The first post-war conference was held in Münster as early as 1949.

At the suggestion of the DGF, the "International Society for Fat Research" was founded in Hanover on October 26, 1954 , to which 24 national associations now belong.

For many years the DGF was the sponsor of the Institute for Industrial Fat Research, which was incorporated into the Federal Institute for Fat Research , which had existed since 1964, on January 1, 1969 as the "Institute for Biochemistry and Technology of Fats - HP Kaufmann Institute" . The Federal Institute was thus divided into an "Institute for General and Analytical Chemistry " and the former DGFett Institute.

On January 1, 1996, the DGF office was relocated from Münster to Frankfurt am Main . Then began a phase of internationalization of the congresses and publications, which reached a preliminary climax with the establishment of the European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids on October 9, 2000 in Würzburg .

Specialist groups

Expert group for analysis and quality assurance

The specialist group primarily deals with analysis methods for fats, oils and other lipids , fat products, surfactants and related substances as well as the raw materials from which they are produced.

As a first focus, she develops new methods and updates existing ones. The specialist group has been publishing and setting the work "German standard methods for the investigation of fats, fat products, surfactants and related substances, current status: 2nd edition including 13th supplementary delivery ( ISBN 978-3-8047-2423-5 )" since 1950 thus standards. The collection currently contains more than 300 methods, some in English. It is supplemented and updated at least once a year. Many of the existing and all new methods have been validated in round robin tests. In future, the uniform methods are to be continued bilingual as European standards.

The second focus is the quality assurance of analytical work. To this end, a laboratory comparison test is carried out annually, in which laboratories from all over the world can participate. The specialist group participates in the development of national and international standards. Another goal of the specialist group is the dissemination of knowledge about the quality and composition of native oils, their analysis and sensory properties. To this end, the DGF has maintained an accredited olive oil panel since 2001, which sensory tests and evaluates the quality of virgin olive oils in accordance with the EC regulation.

Section of Life Sciences

This specialist group deals with various aspects of biochemistry, molecular biology , genetic engineering , cell biology , bioinformatics and biotechnology of fats, oils and lipids. The spectrum of interest extends to lipids from plant cells, animal and human cells as well as from microorganisms . Findings from the basic area find their biotechnological application above all in the area of ​​biocatalysis (production of complex organic compounds using enzymes ), biotransformation (implementation of highly specific reactions using whole cells) and plant sciences (e.g. studies on genetically modified plants ).

Section Fats in Nutrition and Health

The specialist group deals with the relationship between diet (dietary fats, fat-soluble vitamins , accompanying substances) and keeping the human body healthy ( prevention , therapy ). Questions about fat metabolism , fatty acid metabolism and fat cell metabolism are also in the foreground. A special focus is on the development of recommendations and the training of doctors, nutritionists and dietitians . The specialist group has published a brochure with the title "Practical information on the diagnosis and treatment of lipid metabolic disorders for the doctor".

Section for animal nutrition and feed

The work on quality criteria and the use of vegetable oils and by-products of oil extraction (extraction meal) in compound feed for farm animals, including current technological developments, is in the foreground for the specialist group. Analytical methods, aspects of feeding suitability and the investigation of value-determining ingredients and anti-nutritional factors (ANF) are dealt with. New breeds are evaluated with regard to their possible uses in compound feed .

Section Milk Lipids

The specialist group deals with the lipids in milk and, due to their nature, covers the cross-cutting issues of feeding, milk production, processing technology, biotechnology as well as nutrition and analysis. The feeding of the animals and the technology of milk production have a considerable influence on the quality of the milk, and in recent years biotechnology has increasingly intervened in the manufacturing processes. New methods of milk analysis are to be developed in collaboration with the analysis department.

Specialist group oleochemistry

About 15% of the world production of fats and oils are used for technical purposes. This requires chemical syntheses that convert fats into fatty acids , fatty alcohols, soaps, esters and other derivatives. These products are used as detergents, emulsifiers and lubricants, but also as components of paints, plastics and cosmetics. Due to their pronounced lipophilic character, the waxes - regardless of their origin - are among the oleochemical products. The specialist group deals with the technical and chemical processes for the extraction of oleochemical products as well as with suitable raw materials for their extraction, by-products, the characterization of new products and the development of new applications.

Section Oilseeds and Vegetable Raw Materials

Tailor-made oil seeds ( rapeseed , sunflowers , oil flax, etc.) are developed today through classic plant breeding, supplemented by biotechnological processes. In addition to the oil quality (fatty acid composition) and the amount of oil (oil content), fat accompanying substances ( tocopherol , lecithin, etc. ) are also increasingly being considered, and the quality of the by-products (oil meal) is also optimized. To safeguard the agricultural production of raw materials in Europe, high yield potential and yield security are important breeding goals, and stable, safe quality under changing soil and climate conditions must also be ensured. Biotechnology opens up new options and will make it possible to specifically breed oilseeds that meet the needs of consumers, the food industry and the oleochemical industry even better than conventional varieties.

The specialist group brings together experts from basic research (biochemistry, genetic engineering, biotechnology) and applied research (plant breeding) in order to optimize the technology transfer.

Specialist group for products and product safety

In various products, lipids play a decisive role in the respective production process, in product behavior during storage and in product use. One focus of the specialist group is on the functional properties of fats in production processes and product applications, with particular emphasis on basic research in the fields of emulsion technology , crystallization , food chemistry and process technology.

The second priority concerns food safety, which is of enormous importance in the public and political debate. The specialist group collects relevant results from food chemistry, nutritional medicine and toxicological research, processes them and communicates the results to the public and politicians.

Process engineering specialist group

Process engineering for vegetable and animal oils and fats adds up the physical, chemical and biological processes involved in converting oilseeds and oil fruits as well as fatty animal raw materials into intermediate and end products for nutrition, use in animal feed and in technical areas. The latest developments are promoted and scientific findings are passed on. B. through symposia, discussion groups, working groups, etc., with the aim of ultimately being used in production facilities. In doing so, methods and technologies for processing the substances mentioned are examined in terms of avoidance of immissions and environmentally compatible control. The supply of the systems with operating resources and energy, as well as the automated operation and the internal and external links of production systems is handled according to the task. With its work, the specialist group makes an original contribution to efficiency, environmental and resource conservation , economic efficiency, healthy nutrition and a humane working environment in the field of process engineering for vegetable and animal oils and fats.

See also

Literature / web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b website of the company, accessed on August 5, 2010.