Anaheim Showcases the Magic of IFT

Year round, Anaheim/Orange County, Calif., is home to beautiful beaches, a vacation-friendly climate, and, of course, the magical realm of Disneyland. For three days in June this year, it was also home to the magic of IFT as a fascinating world of food-focused exploration and invention unfolded at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The 2009 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo® drew more than 14,500 food industry professionals from around the world to Southern California (1). Attendee registration this year increased by 10% compared with last year’s event in New Orleans. With average convention attendee registration down 2% this year, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, the statistics are especially impressive.

Held June 6–9, the Annual Meeting & Food Expo featured 815 exhibitors showcasing products and services within the bright, airy convention center. Nearly 200 educational sessions and more than 2,000 presentations highlighted the latest scientific developments, important regulatory issues, and timely economic insights.

The Annual Meeting & Food Expo featured more than a few firsts. One of the highest profile was the intellectual property exchange event called IPEx. On the Expo floor, self-guided Trend Tours allowed attendees to map a course to the booths of exhibitors offering innovative products or services related to current food industry trends. To better chronicle the Annual Meeting & Food Expo’s activities, the traditional show daily, newly named IFT Live, went digital this year. With members representing 63 countries on hand in Anaheim, the Annual Meeting & Food Expo was very much a global gathering. The event drew about 1,400 international attendees, and the roster of exhibitors included 164 companies based outside the United States.

International programming kicked off before the official start of the Annual Meeting & Food Expo with the fourth IFT International Food Nanoscience Conference sponsored by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and Canada’s Advanced Foods & Materials Network. Global outreach continued on Wednesday after the Annual Meeting & Food Expo had concluded with the IFT Global Food Safety & Quality Conference focused on traceability. (See article on page 62.)

Acknowledging Accomplishment
As it traditionally does, the Annual Meeting & Food Expo got under way with a celebration of achievement on Saturday evening. Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan (2) welcomed the assembled crowd to the Awards Celebration—and to Anaheim. She then introduced IFT President Sheri Schellhaass (3), whom she described as “an extraordinary leader, motivator, and friend.”

As it traditionally does, the Annual Meeting & Food Expo got under way with a celebration of achievement on Saturday evening. Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan (2) welcomed the assembled crowd to the Awards Celebration—and to Anaheim. She then introduced IFT President Sheri Schellhaass (3), whom she described as “an extraordinary leader, motivator, and friend.”

In her presentation, Schellhaass referenced the biblical story of the loaves and fishes in which a large crowd of hungry people are fed from just a few baskets of loaves and fishes, which miraculously multiply as they are passed through the crowd. Like Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who recently related the story in a speech, Schellhaass said she views it as “a story of community.” She urged IFT members to “pass the basket of loaves and fishes to the community,” by playing an active role in the organization— and the community at large.

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“We cannot find comfort in the hallowed halls of universities, the closed communities of industry, or the politics and under resourcing of our government agencies,” Schellhaass continued. “We must embrace our responsibility as a society and as a collective community.”

Early in her presentation, after thanking her family, colleagues, and the IFT staff for their support over the past year, Schellhaass invited the audience to join with her in paying tribute to former IFT President Ann Hollingsworth, who passed away on May 17. She described the former president as “a remarkable woman, outstanding food technologist, and an inspirational leader in our food science community.”

After recapping some of IFT’s achievements over the course of the past year, Schellhaass recognized the evening’s honorees—the 14 Achievement Award laureates and 21 newly elected Fellows for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the field of food science and technology. (For information on all of the Achievement Award winners and Fellows, visit www.foodtechnology.org.)

Daryl Lund (4), an Emeritus Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, was honored as the 2009 recipient of the Nicholas Appert Award, which recognizes preeminence in and contributions to the field of food science and technology and is IFT’s highest honor. Lund’s research has focused on three key areas of food science—fouling of food contact surfaces, starch gelatinization, and microwave-assisted food processing.

Another highlight of the Awards Celebration was the presentation of the Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award honoring the developers of an outstanding process or product that advances food production. The 2009 recipient is North Carolina State University in collaboration with Industrial Microwave Systems and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, South Atlantic Area Food Science Research Unit, developers of a process for continuous-flow microwave sterilization of low-acid foods and biomaterials. Accepting the award in (5) are, from left: Prabhat Kumar, pablo Coronel, Josip Simunovic, David Parrott, Van-Den Truong, K.P. Sandeep, and Gary Cartwright.

The 2009 recipients of the IFT Student Association (IFTSA)/ Campbell’s Excellence in Leadership Awards—undergraduate Melvany Kasih, from Cornell University, left in (6), and graduate student Laura K. Strawn from the University of Florida, right in photo—were recognized.

Schellhaass also acknowledged IFT’s immediate Past President John Floros (7) with a plaque commemorating his service. She saluted Floros as a “truly dedicated, charismatic, and inspirational leader.”

After acknowledging Floros, Schellhaass called on IFT Student Association President Patricia Aron, center in (8), to assist in introducing President-Elect Marianne Gillette (right in photo) to whom Aron presented a gavel donated by IFTSA.

Gillette (9), who takes office as IFT President on Sept. 1, addressed the audience, urging them to take the time to listen to what consumers and critics of the food industry are saying.

“I believe that what we will hear will be opportunity knocking at our door,” she said. “We have a transformational opportunity, right now, to ask ourselves the right questions on how we can best address consumers’ changing demands,” she continued.

Gillette then made some predictions. “In the future, I envision that any food or food component that is proven to provide positive health benefits beyond basic nutrition will continue to generate widespread consumer interest. Our media will continue to saturate us with news about product recalls, FDA and FTC actions, and bestselling authors will write about healthier and simpler food choices.Unlike ever before, food will reside prominently at the forefront of consumer consciousness.”

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In fact, said Gillette, now, more than ever before, consumers are taking “a serious and very real interest in food,” which makes it “a wonderful era in which to be a food scientist.”

As she wrapped up her comments, Gillette introduced incoming President-Elect Bob Gravani, who will take office in September 2010. Gillette also announced the formation of a new work group on member value to be co-chaired by Mark McClellan and Conrad Rebello.

A Networking Reception (10) held outside the convention center after the Awards Celebration allowed a large crowd of Annual Meeting & Food Expo attendees to mix and mingle while enjoying the California climate.

Afterward, a group of IFT leaders paused for a photo. From left in (11) are President Schellhaass, President-Elect Gillette, Executive Vice President Keenan, and incoming President-Elect Gravani.

Keynote Session
On Sunday morning, President Schellhaass opened the Keynote Session by previewing some of the highlights of the Annual Meeting & Food Expo before turning the microphone over to Executive Vice President Keenan, who recognized a long list of volunteer members, highlighted several successful member initiatives, and made a few special announcements on topics including the following:

• The joint publication by the Chinese Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST) and IFT of the first issue of Global Food Industry, a quarterly magazine available to CIFST and IFT members in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

• IFT’s strategic agreement with the Food Processing Suppliers Association to co-locate Process Expo with the Annual Meeting and Food Expo, beginning next year in Chicago.

• An agreement between IFT and the Food Update Foundation that will enable IFT to assume the Food Update brand identity and produce a stand-alone event for senior food officials in 2010.

Highlighting the Keynote Session was the presentation of a check for $50,000 to the IFT Foundation from the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) to establish the Richard L. Hall Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund honors Hall, a past president of IFT, who, in the course of his 50-year career, played a major role in developing a rigorous safety evaluation program for flavor ingredients.

“No person has been of greater service to FEMA and the flavor industry than Dr. Richard L. Hall,” said immediate Past President of FEMA, Howard Smith Jr., making the presentation.

In (12), from left, are Executive Vice President Keenan, Smith Jr., Hall, and IFT Foundation Chair Jonathan Merkle.

Also during the course of the Keynote Session, President-Elect Gillette and incoming President- Elect Gravani announced the recipients of IFT’s Food Expo Innovation Awards, which honor exhibiting companies for outstanding innovation in products, ingredients, technologies, instrumentation, equipment, and services introduced since Jan. 1, 2008. (See article on page 59.)

Merkle (13) then addressed the audience. He noted that the Foundation has disbursed more than $10 million since 1985, has provided more than 4,000 scholarships to food science and technology students, and has invested more than $500,000 to support IFT Expert Reports, Scientific Status Summaries, and other research initiatives.

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Resuming her remarks, President Schellhaass observed that, “It’s really never been a better time to be a member of IFT.” She noted that early next year, IFT will be launching a brand new Web site that will provide “expanded science resources” and offer members “new ways to interact with one another.” She also provided a sneak peek of IFT’s new logo and tagline, which will be officially unveiled in early 2010.

At this point in the Keynote, program headliners, economists Todd Buchholz and Jeffrey Alan Rosensweig, delivered an update on the nation’s economic condition titled “The Current Economy and the Future of Food” that managed to be simultaneously enlightening and entertaining. The session was moderated by Mary Wagner (14), a past president of IFT who currently serves as General Manager and Chief Technology Officer for Mars Botanical, a division within Mars Symbioscience, and Jean Kinsey (15), Professor and Director of the Food Industry Center in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. The Keynote Session was sponsored by SweetSurprise.com.

General Sessions
Partnerships—all the way through the supply chain—are critical ingredients for success in today’s business climate, agreed panelists in Monday’s theme general session, “Responsive Strategies to Changing Consumer Demands and Business Climate.” Speakers included Chris Mallett (16), Corporate Vice President R&D at Cargill; Christine Summers (17), Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Costco Wholesale; and Stephan Habif (18), Vice President R&D North America at Unilever. The theme general session and select additional theme programming was sponsored by Cognis Nutrition & Health.

On Tuesday morning at the Food Technology Trend Panel titled “The New Value Equation,” the conversation focused on value— how consumers perceive it at the supermarket and in restaurants and as it relates to healthful product positioning. Moderated by Food Technology Editor-in-Chief Bob Swi-entek, the session featured panelists A. Elizabeth Sloan, President, Sloan Trends Inc; Barbara Katz, President, HealthFocus International; and Ron Paul, President Technomic. DSM sponsored the Trend Panel session.

A Stellar Scientific Program
From allergens to anthocyanins, biotechnology to bioactive compounds, carbohydrates to colorings, topics included within the framework of the 2009 Scientific Program were, as always, varied, timely, and thoughtfully chosen. Symposia, workshops, panel discussions, and roundtables were categorized into tracks to help attendees zero in on areas of interest. The six tracks included: Applied Science, New Products and Technologies, Professional and Business Development, Science Fundamentals, Student Programming, and Transformative Research. The theme for this year’s Scientific Program was “Food Science from Producer to Consumer.” Here’s a sampling of some of this year’s provocative programming.

• “The Convergence of Health and Wellness and the Environment: Drivers Behind Consumer Choice” examined ways in which consumers’ purchasing behavior is affected by their views on issues such as sustainability. Sylvia Rowe (19) of SR Strategy, Washington, D.C., was among the presenters who kept the audience riveted during the session—despite its time slot early on Sunday morning.

• “Coloring Options from Natural Sources” educated a large crowd of attendees about naturally derived colorings. Presenter Stephen Lauro (20) of colorMaker Inc. shared strategies for overcoming the product development challenges associated with taking the natural route.

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• “Low-Calorie Sweeteners: What’s New and What’s True” was among the most popular sessions held during the Annual Meeting. Speakers, including Leslie Curry (21) of Cargill Health & Nutrition, offered their take on low-calorie sweetener trends.

This year, at the close of the Call for Abstracts, 1,833 technical research papers had been submitted to IFT—an increase of more than 500 from the prior year. Of the submissions, 1,661 were Accepted, representing a 9% rejection rate. To more strategically showcase the “best of the best” scientific abstracts and limit the number of concurrent sessions, the number of oral sessions was reduced to 23 vs 32 last year. A total of 46 poster sessions and two hybrid oral-poster sessions were scheduled.

The poster presentation (22) and viewing experience was upgraded in Anaheim. An enhanced poster area included an attendee lounge and virtual poster kiosks (23), which enabled attendees to easily determine exactly when live presentations were taking place, improving opportunities for interacting with the authors.

The Scientific Program offered a combination of oral and poster table-top (24) sessions under the New Products and Technologies banner. This track showcases new products and technologies released commercially within the past two years.

Exploring the Expo
Put together the sights, sounds, aromas, and—especially—the tastes of the Food Expo (25), and it was enough to put you into sensory- overload mode—in a good way, of course! Exhibitors treated booth visitors to everything from immunity-boosting ice cream to an almond-based breakfast food— not to mention details and demonstrations of new tools, techniques, equipment, and services.

Of the Expo’s 815 exhibitors, 115 of them were new to the event. Together they occupied more than 175,000 square feet of exhibit space and 1,556 booths in the Anaheim Convention Center. Here’s a look at some Expo highlights.

• Exhibitor Spotlight Sessions. Held on the show floor, these presentations allowed participating companies to provide in-depth insights into their products and services. Companies that offered Exhibitor Spotlight sessions included Gelita, Pharmachem, Corn Products International, Monsanto, American Egg Board, Novozymes, Multisorb Technologies, NuVal, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Purac America.

• IFT/RCA Culinology Presentation. At this event on Sunday, brought to attendees by IFT and the Research Chefs Association, participants explored the intersection of food science and culinology. The presentation, “Connecting Art & Soul to Science Through Culinology,” featured Chef Andrew Hunter of Culinary Craft, Samir Amin of Two Chefs on a Roll, and Judy Lindsey (26) of Product Dynamics in a dialog about product development moderated by Lauren Shimek of IDEO.

• Mintel Pavilion. Always a center of activity on the show floor, the Mintel Pavilion (27) this year showcased nearly 100 products broken out into three key subsets—sweeteners, products that communicate “purity,” and functional foods. Mintel new product expert Lynn Dornblaser (28) treated show attendees to daily presentations on the three topics, and following each one, they were invited to sample featured products and vote for their favorites.

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Here’s how the voting shook out. Under the sweeteners banner, IFT voters chose Lotte’s Zero non-sugar chocolate from Japan as their favorite, followed by Sprite Green sweetened with Truvia and Breyers Double Churn No Sugar Added Butter Pecan Ice Cream sweetened with Splenda. When it came to products that delivered on purity, Expo attendees gave Pepsi Natural Premium made with all-natural ingredients top marks, followed by Nestlé Milkybar White Moments, and True North Peanut Clusters and Biss-inger’s Naturals Pomegranate White Tea Gummy Pandas. And under the functional heading, those polled awarded first place to Kellogg’s FiberPlus Antioxidants Chewy Bar. Cubio Gummies formulated with collagen and Leclerc’s Praeventia Almond and Apple Bars rounded out the list of functional favorites.

• Innova Pavilion. A stroll through Innova’s “Taste the Trend” Pavilion (29) delivered a crash course in food and beverage product trends from around the globe— helpfully organized and displayed by the Innova Market Insights team.

The booth’s centerpiece was its display of the year’s “Top 10 Food Industry Trends,” which included, among others, “trading down and up,” “balancing act,” “natural progression,” and “less red tape.” The global trend trackers (30) also broke out a series of secondary topics/trends that included consumer groups driving new product development (think “serious sports addicts” and “foodies with no time,” among others); economical packaging solutions; foods formulated with diabetic-friendly ingredients; fiber-enhanced foods; and recession-proof products.

• Specialty Pavilions. Celebrating the concept of one-stop shopping, specific areas on the show floor were designated for exhibitors to showcase products and services related to particular themes. This year’s specialty pavilions included Food Safety & Quality, Health Food Ingredients, Organic Food Ingredients, International, and a new addition—the Sustainability Pavilion (31).

• Taste for Science Receptions. Hosted by the IFT Foundation, these late-afternoon receptions (32) on Sunday and Monday brought attendees together to relax and mingle—either in the poster session area or on the Expo floor. Participating exhibitors contributed appetizers and food samples. Not only were the receptions fun and convenient, but a portion of the proceeds from the cash bars went toward the IFT Foundation to help fund programs for future food scientists.

• IFT Central. Designed to serve as both an information hub and destination for networking, socializing, or simply taking a break from a busy Food Expo agenda, the IFT Central booth (33) was a key gathering place on the show floor. IFT staff members manning the easily visible booth answered questions and provided information on the organization’s services, publications, and member benefits.

An Intellectual Property Exchange
IFT’s first IPEx event provided a unique business forum for connecting intellectual property (IP) holders with companies and individuals seeking new technologies or solutions to product formulation and manufacturing challenges. IP holders at the Sunday afternoon event included universities, food processing companies, and suppliers.

In (34), Chris Tirone (right), Director of New Platforms, Rich Products Corp., demonstrates a new, non-aerosol dispensing technology for whipped toppings and condiments to Stephan Habif, Vice President R&D North America at Unilever.

Division Workshop
On Saturday morning, volunteer leaders attended a Section and Division Leaders Workshop that offered a welcome contrast to the IFT 101 approach used in the past. Staff members Jennifer London, IFT Director of Membership and Marketing, and Curt Powell, IFT Senior Manager of Membership, teamed up with facilitators Steve Swafford and Alyson Austin to offer a fast-paced, interactive workshop focused on the themes of leadership and innovation.

In her opening comments for the workshop, IFT President-Elect Marianne Gillette detailed how IFT leadership helped her career. Topics included: “Characteristics of Effective Leaders,” “Five Leadership Myths,” “Intergenerational Communications,” “Conflict Management,” and “Innovate or Hibernate.”

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Evaluating the experience, participants offered comments such as the following: “quick, participative, engaging;” “I got ideas I did not expect to get;” “met and networked with new individuals I did not expect to meet here;” “[I liked] the ability to interact with other professionals/leaders and have open dialogue about issues inside and outside of IFT.”

Board of Directors Meeting
The IFT Board of Directors met on Thursday and Friday before the start of the Annual Meeting & Food Expo. During the meeting, board members participated in strategic discussions related to IFT’s global activities and the development and dissemination of scientific and policy-related issues. In (35), members of the 2008–2009 Board of Directors are pictured with the newly elected members of the Board of Directors, Robert Gravani, Justin Shimek, P. Michael Davidson, Barry Swanson, Catherine Adams, and Andrea Bouma.

Town Hall Meeting
IFT’s third annual Town Hall Meeting provided participants with an update on organizational accomplishments and new initiatives on the horizon as well as the chance to meet the members of IFT’s Board of Directors.

At the meeting, Jenny Scott (36), Chair of the Annual Meeting Scientific Program Advisory Panel, outlined the new framework for the Annual Meeting Scientific Program. She explained that the Advisory Panel has worked to streamline programming, provide increased opportunities for member involvement, make the scientific program easier to navigate, highlight key issues and core science, and increase attendee satisfaction. Annual Meeting sessions will be organized around eight key issues and four core science areas, she said.

Foundation Activities
There was much to celebrate at the IFT Foundation Donor Reception, which drew a crowd of about 150 people for refreshments, convivial conversation, and great music. At the event, Foundation Chair Jonathan Merkle thanked both individual donors and the Foundation’s corporate supporters. He also expressed appreciation to the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association for its $50,000 gift to establish the Richard L. Hall Scholarship in Flavor Science and announced plans for a follow-up campaign to bring the fund up to $100,000.

The Foundation President also acknowledged the passing of former IFT President Ann Hollingsworth and noted that plans are in the works to establish a student-oriented fund in her memory.

In (37), from left, Merkle, Nicholas Appert Award winner Daryl Lund, and Professional Member Indra Mehrotra of General Mills enjoy the ambiance of the event.

Short Courses
Short courses (38) organized by IFT’s Knowledge & Learning Center and held on Friday and Saturday prior to the start of the Annual Meeting delivered focused, practically oriented information taught by a faculty of 59 industry experts. The nine courses offered this year drew 316 paid registrants. Attendees collectively gave the courses the thumbs up—86% of those who completed evaluations said they were satisfied or very satisfied with overall course quality, an increase of 4% over last year.

A Global View
Each year, IFT’s Annual Meeting & Food Expo draws attendees from around the globe. This year was no exception. Nineteen percent of attendees hailed from outside of the United States. Within this group were individuals from India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who participated as part of a program sponsored by the U.S. Trade Development Agency. In (39), members of the Indian delegation take time out for a photo.

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Also in attendance this year were representatives from the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Food Science and Technology (ALACCTA), and the South African Association of Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST), and other IFT allied organizations.

Past Presidents Dinner
The Past Presidents Dinner (40) on Sunday evening brought 21 past presidents together with current IFT leadership, including President Schellhaass, President-Elect Gillette, and Executive Vice President Keenan.

In (41), Keenan poses with a photo taken at the Past Presidents Dinner last year, where former IFT President Ann Hollingsworth was present. In Anaheim, past presidents who were attending the dinner signed the photo, which will be sent as a memento to the deceased president’s family.

Food Science Outreach Workshop
IFT Food Science Ambassadors and Anaheim-area high school students interested in food science attended the IFT Food Science Outreach Workshop on Monday to observe and practice quick and easy experiments from IFT’s Food Science Activity Guide. Experiments included “Alginate Gummies,” “Can You Taste Without Your Nose?” and “There's Iron in Breakfast Cereal?

In (42), IFT Food Science Ambassador and Professional Member Joe Regenstein shows Product 19 cereal’s nutritional label prior to a discussion of iron fortification. The workshop was designed to provide ambassadors with useful resources to help them lead experiments on their own. The students were able to become more familiar with food science, prior to their tour of the Expo floor.

Employment Bureau and Career Fair
Some of the major players in the food and beverage industry were represented at the IFT Career Fair (43) and Employment Bureau in Anaheim. Representatives from PepsiCo, Leprino Foods, Gorton’s, Nestlé Nutrition, FDA-CFSAN, Valley Fine Foods, Del Monte, Mars, and more were on hand to meet with applicants.

The Employment Bureau was open each day of the Annual Meeting & Food Expo, and this year a total of 26 companies scheduled interviews for 62 job openings. Prospective employers conducted more than 200 face-to-face interviews in the Employment Bureau, with additional interviews held off-site. The Career Fair, which made a return appearance after last year’s successful debut, took place on Saturday, offering the opportunity for employers and prospective employees to network informally.

Student Activities
Tomorrow’s food science professionals—many of whom are today’s members of IFTSA—had plenty of opportunities for engagement at the Annual Meeting & Food Expo. Two new student competitions were added to the IFTSA agenda this year, joining a long list of returning favorite activities.

As usual, the IFTSA booth was a popular gathering place, as was the student lounge. The Student Association Mixer (44), sponsored by PepsiCo, allowed students to meet and mingle with other students and professionals while viewing the Chapter of the Year displays.

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Just after the mixer, a Welcome Assembly featured an introduction of IFTSA leadership and presentation of awards, including the Excellence in Leadership Awards sponsored by Campbell’s. IFTSA President Patricia Aron (45) welcomed the crowd of students who gathered for the event. Among the highlights of the gathering this year was a traditional Indonesian dance performance by Kamalita Per-tiwi (46), a student at Bogor Agricultural University.

Student Oral Professional Development Sessions during the annual meeting gave participants the opportunity to refine their presentation skills, reaping the benefit of written feedback supplied by a panel of judges comprised of food science and technology professionals. An 48 educational session titled “Everyday Ethics for the Food Scientist: Ethics in Research, Education, and the Workplace” gave students a taste of the sorts of ethical dilemmas that may arise in the workplace. The session was developed in collaboration with the IFT Education Division. Student programming at the Annual Meeting & Food Expo was sponsored by Unilever.

A Chapter Leaders Workshop (47) provided another learning opportunity for IFTSA members eager to enhance their leadership skills. And members of the IFTSA Board of Directors discussed plans for the coming year at their meeting. Finally, an informal Student Association Party helped bring this year’s Annual Meeting & Food Expo to an enjoyable conclusion for many students.

Students Show Off Their Food Science Smarts
Competitions sponsored by IFTSA allowed students to test their food science knowledge and creativity in more ways than ever this year.

• Product Development Competition. In this prestigious annual competition sponsored by Mars Inc. teams from participating schools each developed a new food concept, taking it through all the stages of production and marketing, much like a commercial product development process.

Judges gave top marks to the North Carolina State University team for Shiverrs, a yogurt-based frozen mix that transforms into a low-fat, probiotic-enhanced, strawberry-banana smoothie— a product concept that earned the team the first-place award of $4,000.

Members of the North Carolina State University team (48), from left, are: Edith Da Conceicao Neta, Mallory Kelly, Amanda Stephens, Erica Story, Iryna Sybirtseva, and Eric Hinson.

The second-place prize of $2,500 went to the Iowa State University team for the product concept FruitSoylicious, a fruit-soy beverage targeted to college students. Erupt-a-Cake, a fun cake mix kit complete with an edible “chocolate volcano” and reactive orange “lava” earned the Washington State University- University of Idaho team the third-place prize of $1,000. Other finalist teams and their entries include the University of Minnesota, with Inertia, a layered snack formulated with energy-boosting ingredients; Pennsylvania State University with Petit Cadeau, a refrigerated confection made with a wine-based coating and Brie filling; and Purdue University with Stack ‘n Snacks, honey-and-cinnamon- flavored crackers packaged with a strawberry-flavored dip.

• Developing Solutions for Developing Countries. New this year and sponsored in part by General Mills, this contest invited student competitors to come up with products capable of improving the quality of life for people in developing nations.

In the international division, first place went to the team from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, developer of SOR-MITE®, a cereal product made with sorghum enriched with termite protein and fermented and dried. Members of the Wageningen University team (49) are, from left: Aneta Cho-lewinska, Harmke Klunder, and Yadira Tejeda.

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The University of Pretoria, South Africa, creator of PUCOMA, a ready-to-eat, blended weaning food made from pumpkin, cowpeas, and maize meal and packaged in retortable pouches, clinched second place. Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, came in third with its high-protein, iron-rich instant noodles.

The domestic first-place winner was the University of Minnesota team with Pushtikor, a mix made from ground lentils and dried potatoes packed in a paperboard canister and accompanied by a spice mix. University of Minnesota team members (50), shown from left, include: Wilfredo Dominguez, Heather Taterka, Eric Hedstrand, and Wynnie Margatan.

SolanaPlus, a shelf-stable, fortified, potato-flake product, earned second-place honors for the Cornell University team, and Washington State University- University of Idaho placed third with Tu Mazi, a beverage powder that blends fruit and milk.

• Nutritious Foods for Kids Competition. Sponsored by Disney Consumer Products, this new competition challenged student teams to create a nutritious and innovative snack targeted to children under the age of 12. Both undergraduate and graduate teams participated, with finalists from six universities competing in Anaheim.

The first-place undergraduate winner was the Kansas State University team (51) with Peelables, a naturally sweetened fruit and vegetable leather fusion. Posing with their award are, from left, Kathryn Goddard and Elyse Buckley.

The University of Minnesota team (52), creator of the Mighty Mickeys, a bakeable, vegetable-based finger food, was the first-place graduate student team. Shown with the award are, from left: Catherine Lee, Melinda Murray, Hetvi Damodhar, and Katie Baures.

The University of California, Davis, team clinched the second-place award with its Winnie the Pooh’s Hunny Clusters, a mixture of five whole grains and a full serving of fruit. Third place in the competition went to The Ohio State University team for its Buzz Lightyear’s Star Command Snacks featuring crackers made with beets and sweet potatoes, plus two dips.

Other finalists were from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with Mickioli, a yogurt-filled waffle cone snack, and North Carolina State University with Squeezzies, a combination of real fruit and vegetable juice concentrates in an easy-to-eat gel form.

• Chapter of the Year Competition.The Rutgers University chapter (53) clinched first place in the Chapter of the Year Competition. The award recognizes the IFTSA chapter that has the most active participation at local and national levels. The University of Minnesota chapter received Most Improved Chapter recognition. The Chapter of the Year competition was sponsored by PepsiCo.

• College Bowl Competition. Back for the 24th year, the annual College Bowl competition tests the knowledge of student teams from across the United States in the areas of food science and technology, history of food and food processing, food law, and general IFT and food-related facts. The team from North Carolina State University took home top honors this year, with the Iowa State university team coming in second.

Pictured here are members of the North Carolina State team (54), from left: Thomas Fuller, Prabhat Kumar (team captain), Renee Felice, Esra Cakir (team coach), Craig Koskiniemi, and Allen Foegeding (team advisor). In addition to the first- and second-place winners, finalists included Purdue University, Chapman University, Cornell University, Washington State University-University of Idaho, University of Georgia, and Texas A&M University.

Pam Vaillancourt of RQA, Roger Clemens of University of Southern California, and Donna Anderson of Nestlé-Purina served as judges of the College Bowl. The competition was partially sponsored by PepsiCo and Nestlé Purina.

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• Undergraduate Research Paper Competition. Kurt Ellis of The Ohio State University placed first in this year’s competition. He was honored for his paper titled “Analysis of Volatile Compounds Associated With Warmed Over Flavor in Cooked Chicken Using Selected Ion Flow Mass Spectrometry.” Second place went to Melvany Kasih of Cornell University for a paper titled “Innovative Application of Supercritical Carbon-dioxide Extrusion (SCFX) as Yeast Replacement in Leavened Bread.” Kari Michelle Jones of University of Tennessee placed third for her paper, “Impact of Washing/Disinfection Methods on Survival of Salmonella in Jalapeno Peppers.”

It’s Sweet Home Chicago in 2010
Next year’s Annual Meeting & Food Expo, slated for July 17–21, 2010, will take place on IFT’s home turf in Chicago. It’s sure to be a special occasion for a variety of reasons. For one, it will be the 70th Annual Meeting & Food Expo—clearly a major milestone. And if that isn’t cause enough for celebration, there’s also the fact that next year, for the first time, the event will be co-located at McCormick Place Convention Center with the world-renowned Process Expo produced by the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA).

The co-location agreement between IFT and FPSA was formally announced in Anaheim by IFT Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan, shown left in (55), and Barry W. Shoulders, pictured right, FPSA Chairman and President of Packaging Technologies. Each year, Process Expo draws 10,000–15,000 food processing and packaging professionals to its three-day meeting, and the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo welcomes more than 18,000 professionals working in the food science and technology fields, so it’s clear that these two premier events will make Chicago a major food industry hub next July.

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IFT Cares Volunteers Help Fight Hunger in Anaheim
Once again, as they did last year in New Orleans, IFT volunteers set out to leave the Annual Meeting & Food Expo® destination city a little better than they found it. For the 2009 event in Anaheim, participants in the IFT Cares anti-hunger initiative donated several hours of their time packing food at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, an affiliate of the Feeding America national network of food banks.

Three groups of volunteers traveled to the food bank—one on Saturday morning, another on Saturday afternoon, and a third on Wednesday morning after the Annual Meeting and Food Expo concluded. Together, they packed a total of nearly 1,700 boxes of food, which translates into almost 85,000 meals for food bank clients.

Plans are under way now to expand the IFT Cares program next year when the Annual Meeting & Food Expo will take place in Chicago, which is the national headquarters for Feeding America.

Count IFT President-Elect Marianne Gillette among those who are hoping for even greater member involvement in the 2010 IFT Cares volunteer program. After learning about the volunteer project in New Orleans, she was eager to be part of the Anaheim effort and took time out to work at the food bank there. According to Gillette, the experience was worthwhile, but she’s hoping to see greater member participation next year.

“I hope others are inspired as I was last year and we have strong community engagement in Chicago,” the President- Elect observed.

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Gillette was not the only IFT member who found the volunteer experience meaningful. “It’s an opportunity to try and help in a small way,” said Professional Member Faye Dong, right in (a), Professor and Department Head of the University of Illinois food science program. “Since we’re in the food business, it makes a lot of sense.”

“It makes one feel as if one has made a difference,” said Professional Member Dante Vargas, a staff scientist at General Mills, who extended his stay in Anaheim in order to volunteer on Wednesday.

Like Dong, Professional Member Julie Ruder, left in (b), Quality Assurance Manager at Bay Valley Foods, was a second-time IFT Cares participant. She had this to say about the volunteer experience: “Everybody who can do it should do it.”

IFT Student Association President-Elect Kelsey Ryan, right in (b), said she liked the opportunity to meet new members while volunteering. And Professional Member Jenny Scott, left in (a), Vice President of Food Safety Programs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association in Washington, D.C., appreciated the fact that volunteering provided her with “an inside view” of the workings of a food bank.

IFT members also made onsite contributions totaling more than $600 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County thanks to a food bank booth set up in the lobby of the convention center. In addition, Food Expo exhibitors donated 2,513 pounds of food after the Expo concluded—enough to supply 2,010 meals.

Fifteen of Food Technology’s advertisers also showed their support for IFT Cares. These advertisers all achieved outstanding scores for overall ad effectiveness based on a readership study of the magazine’s February issue. Traditionally, IFT has provided a plaque in recognition of outstanding readership scores. Last year, however, a new program offered qualifying advertisers a choice: They could either receive the plaque as usual or forgo it, and instead, IFT would make a donation in the company’s name to the food bank. This year the amount of the donation was $50 per advertiser. The following advertisers chose to make the donation: Cargill Health & Nutrition, Grain Processing Corp., American Egg Board, Kraft Food Ingredients, Cargill Inc., Land O’Lakes, MGP Ingredients, Riviana, Caravan Ingredients, Virginia Dare Extract Co., Cognis Nutrition & Health, Jungbunzlauer, Pharmachem Laboratories, Richmond Baking, and Thermo Scientific.

Mary Ellen Kuhn, Managing Editor, Food Technology

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Keynoters Inform, Entertain IFT Crowd
The economic downturn that has shaken the global economy over the course of the past year hasn’t provided much reason for cheer. But witty, often amusing economic experts Todd Buchholz (a) and Jeffrey Alan Rosensweig (b) delivered a cautiously optimistic forecast for economic recovery in their Keynote presentation, “What’s Next? The Current Economy and the Future of Food,” during the Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

Buchholz, a former White House Economic Policy Advisor and Harvard professor, cited two factors that he believes will help move us out of the recessionary climate.

“Ninety percent of Americans will keep their jobs, and everything is on sale,” said Buchholz, noting that “consumers are building up buying power.” He predicted “the beginnings of an economic recovery” will emerge in the United States this fall.

Rosensweig, a media commentator and professor with the Goizueta Business School of Emory University, offered a detailed analysis of the international markets that will show growth in the next year or two. Included on the list—in addition to the U.S.—were India, China, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico.

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He pointed out that the world population will grow at a rate of 75 million people a year for the next 25 years, and that, he said, is “why I am optimistic about the future of the food industry.”

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Running for Fun—and for the Foundation
There was a buzz of excitement in the early-morning air on Monday during the Annual Meeting & Food Expo as more than 350 people stretched and limbered up before heading to the starting line (a, b) for the IFT Foundation’s 9th Annual Fun Run.

Participants raised more than $50,000 this year for IFT Foundation scholarships. Among the runners, Cornell University had the largest team, and with the name Food Fighters, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Also in attendance was Bruce Ferree, California Natural Products, who won a digital camera for raising the most money. Ferree returned the prize to the Foundation, explaining that, “I gather pledges to get student scholarship dollars, not for the gifts.”

Ferree generated pledges totaling $2,165. Other top Fun Run fund raisers were Mark Corey and Jan Wiley Matsuno.

Among the male runners, Thad Schroeder (c) placed first with a time of 16 minutes and 35 seconds (16:35), followed by Steven Powell (16:56), and John Norkus (18:23).

Rachel Prososki (d) placed first among the women runners with a time of 19:40, followed by Catherine Lee (19:51), and Jennifer Evancio (22:08).

The IFTSA and IFT Foundation gratefully acknowledge the Fun Run event sponsors and product donors.

Platinum sponsors were General Mills, Kraft Foods, and Michael Foods. Gold sponsors were David Michael & Co. and Solae Foods. Silver sponsors were Chicago Section IFT and PepsiCo.

Bronze sponsors included GNT, Great Lakes Section IFT, IFT Food Engineering Division, IFT Food Laws and Regulations Division, IFT Foodservice Division, McCormick, Northern California Section IFT, Southern California Section IFT, and Yum! Brands Foundation.

The list of Fun Run product donors includes the following: California Dried Plum Board, California Raisin Board, Campbell’s, Clif, Corn Products, Cott Beverages, Cognis, Glanbia, GTC Nutrition, Hain Celestial, Heritage Foods, Hershey, Johnson & Johnson, Keystone Foods, Kraft Foods, National Raisin Board, PepsiCo, Pharmavite, Solae, TIC Gums, Tom’s of Maine, Unilever, Valley Fig Growers, and Wrigley.

Kelly Frederick, Digital Media Editor, IFT

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IFT LIVE: The Show After the Show
At this year’s Annual Meeting & Food Expo, IFT went green by producing its show daily online. This new electronic show daily—IFT LIVE—offered attendees a way to access information on the sessions, award winners, products from the Expo floor, and much more, via their laptops and mobile devices.

The Food Technology magazine staff produced more than 90 articles for IFT LIVE (http://live.ift.org/). These articles are organized according to the following navigational topic headers: Awards & Competitions, Events, Heath & Wellness, Product Development, Sessions, Technologies, and Trend Tours.

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Not only does IFT LIVE offer articles covering the show, it also includes a photo gallery and videos taken at the show. This year’s new Trend Tours offered participants the chance to learn about exhibitors with products that fit into one of four major trends—flavor and color innovation; ingredients for functional foods; naturally sourced ingredients; and weight management ingredients. Eight of the companies appear in videos that present the trend products.

IFT LIVE offers these videos as a way to revisit the show. In fact, unlike the print show daily of years’ past, the new electronic format will be available for viewing all year, allowing continued access to the information and events that took place at the 2009 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

Kelly Frederick, Digital Media Editor, IFT

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Access Annual Meeting Educational Options
The 2009 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo is over, but tapping into educational resources from the event is easier than ever. Here are some options

• Purchase a 2009 Book of Abstracts to review Scientific Program sessions by session type, number, and Division.

• Visit Resourceful Recordings (http://www.resrec.com/store/ift/), IFT’s scientific session archive partner, to access meeting recordings. Sessions may be purchased individually or as a package and may be available as downloadable MP3 files, PowerPoint files, and/or audio-only CD-ROM.

• Choose the entire package of 137 recorded sessions from the meeting on DVD-ROM.

• Access the Virtual Posters, online versions of research papers that were presented at the meeting. Access to the virtual poster site is free to full, paid conference attendees. For those who didn’t attend, access to the posters may be purchased.

For more information, visit ift.org/IFT09.

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IFT and CIFST Launch Joint Food Publication
At the recent IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Anaheim, IFT and the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) unveiled the inaugural issue of Global Food Industry magazine. Published quarterly in simple Mandarin, Global Food Industry aims to be the premier publication in China addressing the science of food.

Food safety is the central theme of the first issue in June 2009. It is being distributed to CIFST members in China and IFT members in Greater China—China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. The new publication helps to fulfill one of IFT’s four goals as Global Citizen and Partner, specifically, contributing to the global dissemination, advancement, and application of the science of food.

“The debut of Global Food Industry is a demonstration of the growing partnership between IFT and CIFST. Food science and food safety issues transcend borders, and our goal for this publication is to contribute to a broader scientific dialogue in China and throughout the world,” said IFT Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan.

IFT and CIFST have had a strong relationship for more than a decade and the joint publishing initiative with Food Technology magazine has been a key goal of both organizations for several years. IFT and CIFST’s commitment to food science has been demonstrated through joint programming over the past decade and will be highlighted during the 2009 IFT-CIFST Food Summit in Beijing from November 8 to 10, 2009.

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Division Competition Winners
The following were the winners of this year’s paper competitions sponsored by IFT Divisions:

Aquatic Food Products Div.: 1st place ($500), Rosalee S. Rasmussen, Oregon State U.; 2nd place tie ($350 each), Joseph Gigliotti, West Virginia U., and Xiaonan Lu, Washington State U.; 3rd place tie ($250 each), Zachary H. Reed, Oregon State U., and Mu Ye, U. of Delaware.

Biotechnology Div.: 1st place ($300), Kenzi Clark, U. of Nebraska-Lincoln; 2nd place ($200), Linlin Xiao, The Ohio State U.; 3rd place tie ($100), Cheng-Kang Pai, National Taiwan U., and Morgan McGowan, U. of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Carbohydrate Div.: 1st place ($500), Varatharajan Vamadevan, Memorial U. of Newfoundland; 2nd place ($400), Lihe Yeo, Pennsylvania State U.; 3rd place ($300), Yu Zhang, North Dakota State U.

Dairy Foods Div. (Manfred Kroger Oral): 1st place ($750), Adrienne Roach, U. of Tennessee; 2nd place ($500), Anand Subramanian, The Ohio State U.; 3rd place ($250), Francisco Parada Rabell, The Ohio State U.

Dairy Foods Div. (John Bruhn Poster): 1st place ($500), Mallory Kelly, North Carolina State U.; 2nd place ($250), Megan Whitson, North Carolina State U.; 3rd place ($150), Iris Liaw, North Carolina State U.

Education Div. (Writing): 1st place ($500), Mary Scourboutakos, U. of Toronto; 2nd place ($300), Clarissa Koga, U. of Hawaii; 3rd place ($150), Larissa Valerio Junco, Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Food Chemistry Div.: 1st place ($500), Allison Atnip, The Ohio State U.; 2nd place ($300), Yanjun Liu, Iowa State U.; 3rd place ($200), Rosaly Manaois, Louisiana State U.

Food Engineering Div.: 1st place ($1,000), Gopal Tiwari, Washington State U.; 2nd place ($500), Hatice O. Ozden, Pennsylvania State U.; 3rd place ($250), Ashish Dhall, Cornell U.

Food Microbiology Div. (John C. Ayres Poster): 1st place ($300), Muhammed Zeki Durak, Cornell U.; 2nd place ($200), Carmen Gomes, Texas A&M U.; 3rd place ($100), Shivrajsinh Rana, Illinois Institute of Technology,

Food Microbiology Div. (Z. John Ordal Oral): 1st place ($300), Kalpana Kushwaha, Oklahoma State U.; 2nd place ($200), Jeremy Michael Adler, Colorado State U.; 3rd place ($100), Jingjing Shen, U. of Maine.

Food Packaging Div.: 1st place ($500), Shih-Hang Yen, Fu Jen Catholic U.; 2nd place ($350), Yuting Zhou, U. of Guelph; 3rd place ($100), Scott Hartley, Clemson U.

Fruit & Vegetable Products Div.: 1st place ($400), Meera Iyer, Cornell U; 2nd place ($300), Michael Kalaras, Pennsylvania State U.; 3rd place ($200), Daniel Rubio-Diaz, Ohio State U.

International Div. (George F. Stewart): 1st place ($700), Chia- Ding Liao, Tapei Medical U.; 2nd place ($500), Rocio Campos-Vega, U. Autonoma De Queretaro; 3rd place ($200), Solange I. Mussatto, Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering.

Muscle Foods Div.: 1st place ($900), Ranjith Ramanathan, U. of Connecticut, 2nd place ($700), Kamaldeep K. Uppal, Kansas State U.; 3rd place ($500), Sovann Kin, Mississippi State U.

Nonthermal Processing Div.: 1st place ($700), Jennifer Perry, Ohio State U.; 2nd place ($500), Meenakshi Khurana, Rutgers U.; 3rd place ($300), Stephanie Volk, Iowa State U.

Nutrition Div.: 1st place ($700), Vishnupriya Gourineni, Alabama A&M U.; 2nd place ($500), Cheryl Rock, Alabama A&M U.; 3rd place ($300), Joseph Gigliotti, West Virginia U.

Product Devlopment Div.: 1st place ($1,000), Sowmya Arra, South Dakota State U.; 2nd place ($750), Priyadarshi Puranjay, U. of Georgia; 3rd place ($500), Avani Sanghvi, U. of Maryland.

Sensory Evaluation Div. (Rose Marie Pangborn): 1st place ($1,050), Catherine Lee, U. of Minnesota; 2nd place ($800), Esra Cakir, North Carolina State U.; 3rd place ($550), Stephenie Drake, North Carolina State U.

Toxicology & Safety Evaluation Div. (Susan L. Hefle): 1st place ($750), Girdhari Sharma, Florida State U.; 2nd place ($500), Melanie Downs, U. of Nebraska-Lincoln; 3rd place ($300), Kanithaporn Puangsombat, Kansas State U.