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SURFACTANTS Be DETERGENTS

Aoes' new president: Jerry MaerkerWhen he presented his first paper at an AOCSmeeting in the fall of 1960. Gerhard (Jerry)Maerker may have wondered if he had a futurein the organization. Certainly, becomingAOCS president wasn't one of his thoughts atthe time.

"My presentation was scheduled in thegrand ballroom of the HOIel New Yorker at achoice lime on Wednesday morning. The ball-room seats at least l,(X)() people, not countingthe balcony. I looked out and there were per-haps 20 people, including my boss, my wifeand a friend. When my boss walked QUIin themiddle of my talk, my heart sank," Maerker recalls. Later,his boss said he had had to leave to attend a comrnineemeeting.

Now, over 30 years later. Maerker heads AOCS as itspresident. In the interim he has served as local chairman,

intends to sell products on the worldmarket beginning in early 1992.Chantal Roos has been named presi-dent of BPI.

Names in the newsAGCS member Lawrence B. Mosshas been named whee Corp. 's divi-sion vice-president and business man-ager for personal care, detergent,industrial and institutional surfactants.He previously was product managerfor industrial surtactanrs.

Robert Phillips. chairman and chiefexecutive officer of Unilever Person-al Products Group, USA, has beenelected chairman of The Cosmetic,Toiletry and Fragrances Association(CTFA). Meanwhile. John Wen-ninger. who has been associate direc-tor for cosmetics in the Division ofColors and Cosmetics at the U.S.Food and Drug Administration, willbecome director of chemistry pro-grams for CfFA this month.

Business briefsAvon Products Inc. has announcedan agreement with the Czechoslo-

organizer, or general chairman for severalAOCS annual meetings and short courses; onthe National Program Planning Committee andthe Advertising and Education Committees; asa Governing Board member-at-Iarge andAOCS vice-president.

Maerker's organizational skills have beenappreciated by anyone who has witnessed himplanning and carrying out a short course orannual meeting. "I've always enjoyed planningand organizing things," he admits, noting thatas president of a student affiliate of the Ameri-can Chemical Society when he was a senior in

college, he organized an all-day symposium in which 16colleges participated. This had never been done before; ilhas since become a yearly event. AOCS has not been theonly organization to tap these skills since then: he also hasbeen very active in the Institute of Food Technologists

vakian government which will permitAvon to begin door-to-door sales therein October. Avon says it hopes to cap-lure 5% of the total cosmetics market,according to an article in The WallStreet Journal.

Molson Companies Ltd. of Toronto,Canada, has entered into an agreementwith Chemed Corp. to purchaseDuBois Chemicals Inc. Molson plansto merge DuBois with its subsidiaryDiversey Corp. DuBois, based inCincinnati, Ohio, manufactures andsells institutional and industrial main-tenance and cleaning chemical prod-ucts and related automated dispensingsystems.

Henkel KGaA has signed a joint-ven-ture agreement with synthetic fibermanufacturer Chtmvotokno of theSoviet Union to produce powdereddetergents in the Soviet Union. Theresuhing joint-venture company,Sovhenk, is expanding capacity at anexisting plant in Engels in the districtof Saratov in the U.S.S.R.

Calfa Chemical Co. of Yokohama,Japan, has provided high-quality soaptechnology to Chis-in Oil ChemicalCo. of Chirin, China, according to theJapan Oil Chemists' Society. Chirinnow produces fatty acid esters, glycer-ine. edible oil and high-quality soap.The Chinese firm can produce 600metric Ions of fatty acid esters a year.

INFORM. Vol. 2, no. 5 (May 1991)

Stepan Co. reponed record sales andearnings for 1990. New earnings for1990 were $14,491,000. an 85%increase over the $7,840.000 recordedin 1989. Sales increased 10 $389,612,000. a 12% increase over the$346,350,000 recorded in 1989. F.Quinn Stepan, company chairmen andpresident. reported that surfactantshad record earnings driven by a 13%increase in sales volumes. U.S. opera-tions accounted for 58% of theincreased volume. Canadian opera-tions, including two 1989 acquisitions,accounted for 26% of the increase; theMexican and French operations pro-vided the remainder. Meanwhile.operating expenses increased 20%.due largely to increased reserves foruninsurable risks such as environmen-tal matters and to administrativeexpenses resulting from the Canadianacquisitions and consolidation ofMexican operations.

INSIDE AOCS

INSIDE AOCS

(1FT) and his local synagogue.Born in Germany, Maerker came to Philadelphia with

his parents and sister in 1938 when he was 14 years old.With money light. he dropped OUI of regular high school tohelp support his family. During the day, he worked as astock clerk in a knitting mill or as a spot welder for Caloricgas ranges, and completed his high school studies at night.

During World War II, Maerker wasn't allowed to volun-teer for the armed forces because he wasn't a U.S. citizen.However, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 andserved for three years as an interpreter and administrator inGerman prisoner of war camps in the U.S. During thai limehe became a U.S. citizen and also learned to drive. "I hadnever driven or owned a vehicle. I taught myself how bydriving a large Army truck inside camp. When the prison-ers saw me coming, they'd scatter," he recalls.

After he came out of the service. Maerker went 10 workduring rbe day and look refresher courses at night school.His uncle, who was a chemist for Dow Chemical. urgedhim to pursue studies 10 become a pharmacist. Although heentered the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Sciencein 1947, Maerker chose instead to study chemistry. Thanksto funding under the GI Bill, he studied fulltime to receivehis B.S. degree in chemistry in 1951, and his M.S. inorganic chemistry from Temple University in 1952.

In 1946, he met his future wife, Roselle, a native ofPhiladelphia. "It was love at first sight for me," he recalls,noting that they had gone on separate blind dates to thesame cookout. A friend fixed them up for a date and theybegan what became a five-year courtship. "I couldn'tafford to get married before that:' he explains. ThisAugust. they will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

After earning his master's degree, he went to work forAllied Chemical and Dye Corp. (now known as Allied Sig-nal) and, at the urging of his professor at Temple, decidedto pursue a doctorate in organic chemistry during eveninghours. This was no easy task: Temple did not allow stu-dents on the premises after regular daytime hours and, infact, locked its doors at night. Not unlike the spy anddetective stories he enjoys reading today. Maerker con-spired with friends to be let into the building when they leftand to hide when security guards made their rounds. "Itwasn't easy," he recalls.

Maerker quickly learned that even with an advanceddegree, his career opportunities at Allied-a coal tar com-pany-were limited. A neighbor who worked at the U.S.Department of Agriculture's Eastern Regional ResearchCenter (ERRC) recommended that he apply for an openingin polymer chemistry in the Animal Fats Laboratory atERRC. "Dr. Waldo Ault-who became my supervisor-was lukewarm about hiring me because Iwas a coal tarchemist. But I had my transcript with me and its qualitychanged his mind."

Maericer planned to stay with the polymer group for fiveyears to learn polymer science. "It turned OUI I neverlearned it. Instead, I became interested in fatty acids whenIwas studying their application in polymers and I becameinvolved in fatty acid chemistry for the next 20 years."Between 1970 and 1980, he was promoted 10 acting chief

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INSIDEAoes

and then chief of the Animal Fat Products Laboratorywhich meant overseeing the work of approximately 45chemists. rather than hands-on research. In 1980, he cameback 10 the laboratory, this time in edible applications, par-ticularly food additives and food safety. His currentresearch focuses on the effect of gamma radiation on foodand particularly on ways 10 detect whether a food has beenirradiated.

For Maerker, the most fun about his work has been theresearch process-e-tc delve into chemical reactions and tosee what happens"-which he says. "is a liule like playingdetective," He adds, "Research is an intellectually stimulat-ing occupation whose successes arc elating but whosemore frequent failures are disappointing and frustrating."

Outside of work, Maerker likes to garden. In the latewinter months, he begins growing lettuce and other vegeta-bles from seed inside his home in anticipation of warmerweather, and brings in forsythia branches to flower. "Oneof the reasons I like to raise seedlings is that I can seethings grow while the weather is still cold," he says.

In the summer, he likes to swim with his wife at a swimclub. A professional football fan, he roots for the Philadel-phia Engles. Other interests include foreign travel, foreigncultures, foreign foods and classical music. He has anextensive collection of classical albums and tapes. Agenealogy buff, he has traced his Iathcrs family back tothe 1750s.

Over the years, he and Roselle and their two daugh-ters-now grown and married-traveled 10 many U.S.national parks. "'We just enjoy being outdoors and admiringnature," he says. Daughter Wendy and her husband cur-rently live in California and have two sons: daughter Heidiand her husband live in central New Jersey and are expect-ing their first child this June.

Meerker says his family has been a central part of hislife and he corresponds with friends and family throughoutthe world. "I've always felt that I've been very lucky tohave a close family. And my best friend is my wife. She's avery cheerful, up kind of person. I lend to be a serious per-son. She's been a good balance in my life." Roselle isquick to point out that her husband has a very good senseof humor. "He can see the absurdity in situations. which isdelightful," she says.

As AOCS president, Maerker would like to see moreefforts to attract new members interested in the health andnutritional aspects of fats and oils. He also believes AOCScould playa more active role in educating the public ondietary fat and health topics. "There's so much public mis-information and confusion about these issues. We havemembers who have expertise in this area. I would like us toput more emphasis on public education. It won't happen ina year, but perhaps in the long-term we could accomplishthis."

John P. Cherry. Center Director at ERRC. says everyonethere is proud that Maerker will head AOCS. "Jerry is atop-Flight scientist who is very conscientious. We're excit-ed that he'H be the first AOCS president from ERRC. It'sreally very appropriate, at a time when we are strengthen-ing our fats and oils programs here."

Speaker treats section to chocolate facts"The Truth About Chocolatc-A Review of Past, Currentand Future Research" was the "special" or the evening atthe AOCS Northeast Section's February dinner meeting inBensalem, Pennsylvania.

Featured speaker Rhona S. Applebaum, vice-presidentof scientific affairs for the Chocolate Manufacturers Asso-elation (CMA) and the American Cocoa Research Institute(ACRI), put into perspective what chocolate is and what itseffects are-and are not-based on the most recent evi-dence.

Despite research to the contrary. many myths, misper-ceprions and falsehoods concerning the nutritional anddental effects of chocolate still are perpetuated, Applebaumsaid. She presented data that chocolate and chocolate prod-ucts do not adversely affect behavior, dental health, or cog-nitive and athletic performance. Nor do they cause allergyand food intolerance. acne or fibrocystic breast disease, orhave hyperlipidemic or hypercholesterolemic effects.Allergy reactions usually are to milk or OUiS contained insuch products. and not to the chocolate liquor, she pointedout. Chocolate also has been shown to have low cariogenicpotential versus other sweets. In fact, chocolate liquor has

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476

nology, cacao research, cocoa processing and evaluation,health and safety. she said. Anyone interested in moreinformation concerning chocolate research may contactACRJ, 7900 Westpark Dr.. Suite A320, McLean. VA22102, telephone 703-790-5011.

TIle accompanying dinner at the section gathering includ-ed a "make your own sundae" bar where attendees indulgedin their favorite-don', forget the cbocclare.-eopplngs.

INSIDEAOCS

inhibitory effects on plaque formation and inhibits the cari-ogenic properties of sucrose, she said.

One area still open to debate is chocolate's possiblerelationship to heartburn. "Chocolate, in and of itself, doesnot appear to cause heartburn. The cause of heartburn is amalfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter whichallows gastric juices 10 reflux up into the esophagus. Therole of chocolate and other foods on this condition remainsunclear," she said.

"As part of a balanced diet, chocolate is good food andis good for you." Applebaum said. adding that eatingchocolate makes you feel good because it helps satisfyhunger. is associated with good memories and has a pleas-ant taste.

Applebaum also included data from recent studies onthe metabolic consequences of cocoa butter and chocolate.Meeting attendees concurred with her prediction that studyresults should change many health professionals' viewabout the role of chocolate products in both typical andprudent dietary regimes as they relate to fat intake.

CMA is a trade association representing II of the 15chocolate manufacturers in the U.S. ACRJ serves as itsresearch arm. ACRI research activities center on biotech-

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AOCS technical projects outlinedAOCS Technical Director David Berner outlined AOCStechnical programs to a March 20 dinner meeting of AOCSNonh Central Section held in suburban Chicago.

Berner noted the approval of new and revised methodshas accelerated during the 1980s with addition of a technicaldepertmeru ro the AOCS headquarters staff. The 1989 publi-cation of the 4th Edition of Methods was the first majorrevision since the 3rd edition was updated in 1973. he noted.

Adoption of improved methodology is important toindustry because accuracy and speed in analytical technol-ogy translates to fiscal savings, Berner commented afterhis talk.

The 4th Edition also saw a new section added to theOfficial Methods and Recommended Practices. Bernernoted. That section provides the statistical data developedthrough the Smalley Check Sample Program which thusbecomes available to AOCS methods users worldwide.The1991 additions and revisions package will include newmethods for olive oil, jojoba oil and, Berner hopes, a pro-posal for computer-driven equipment to determine oxida-tive stability. The system has been developed by ArcherDaniels Midland. which holds a patent on the technologyand hopes to complete licensing arrangements with equip-ment manufacturers this year, Berner said.

AOCS has attempted to speed introduction of new ana-lytical methods by including "recommended practices" inthe methodology volume. Berner noted. These thus areavailable for use by analysts who can report their experi-ences. which can be used to speed improvements and, uni-mately. a decision whether to adopt or reject the recom-mended practice as an official method. AOCS also hasbecome more involved with other international organiza-tions interested in methodology, Berner said, noting hemaintains communications with the Association of OfficialAnalytical Chemists, the Federation of Oil Seed and FeedAssociation, the International Union of Pure and AppliedChemistry, the International Olive Oil Council and theInternational Association of Seed Crushers. Mutual adop-lion of common methods is beneficial to industry.

Berner said the challenges in methodology are 10 identi-fy the main areas of concern relating to fats and oils as wellas to motivate and to help volunteers develop collaborativestudies to validate proposed analytical techniques. AOCShas 13 working committees that are concerned with itstechnical programs.

INFORM. Vol. 2, no. 5 (May 1991)

(continued on page 48/ J

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(continued from page 476)Expansion of the Smalley Check Sample Program has

led to the statistical compilation and evaluation being madea part of headquarters activities. Previously volunteers han-dled the work. but an increasing number of sample seriesand increasing international participation led 10 a decisionto bring the statistical work "in-house." Berner said.

Uniform Methods Committee chairman David Firestonehopes to revive a section on physical and chemical proper-ties of fats and oils by 1993. Berner said. Such informationhad been included in some earlier editions of methods. butkeeping the section up-to-date led to its elimination inmore recent editions.

Berner noted that removing harmful or toxic substancesfrom analytical methodology has been a prime concern inrecent years. Removing such materials from anatoxinmethodologies may seem a bit strange. Berner noted. inthat the aflatoxin being analyzed is far more toxic than anyof the reagents used.

Apprcxtmarely two dozen persons attended the meeting.

ObituarySidney MusherAOCS emeritus member Sidney Musher of New York Citydied Nov. 21. 1990. in New York. He had been a memberof AOCS since 1928. He was 85.

Mr. Musher received a B.A. degree from Johns HopkinsUniversity in 1925. He worked for many companies overthe years. including the American Mayonnaise Corp.,Musher & Co .. Pompeian Olive Oils (The Pompei anCorp.). Van Camp. Aveeno Pharmaceuticals and CooperLaboratories. When he joined AOCS. he was director ofthe research laboratories of The Pompeian Corp. in Balti-more, Maryland. After retiring from Cooper Laboratories.he worked as II volunteer for PEF Israel Endowment FundsInc. based in New York.

Mr. Musher held approximately 200 patents in food andpharmaceutical technology. One area of research was withantioxidants in food wrappers to inhibit rancidity. Fromthis work he developed Aveeno. an oatmeal colloid used asa skin product.

In addition to AOCS. he was a member of the AmericanChemical Society and the American Association for theAdvancement of Science.

Mr. Musher was a strong supporter of technologicaldevelopment in Israel. He established the Roben Szoldinstitute at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and initiat-ed the Israel Research and Development Corp. He alsoserved on the Prime Minister's Council for EconomicDevelopment in Israel.

Mr. Musher died of cancer two days after returningfrom a trip to Israel. He and his wife had traveled there forthe dedication of the Sidney Musher Building for ScienceTeaching at the Weitzmann Institute. "He was very fortu-nate that he was able to make thai trip," according to hiswife, Hadassah.

ln addition to his wife. he is survived by two sons andeight grandchildren. A third son is deceased.

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