Fueling Food Science Growth at IFT16

[Download the feature pdf in order to see all images referred to in the text below.]

The concept of change was a recurring theme at IFT16: Where Science Feeds Innovation, the annual event that brought 23,571 food science professionals to Chicago this summer. Changing consumer priorities about food were focal points in a panel discussion with seven Chicago area shoppers. Exhibitors at the IFT16 food expo unveiled hundreds of new ingredients designed to address those changing priorities. And several sessions zeroed in on what members of the profession can do to challenge and change some of the myths and misperceptions about food that today’s consumers have embraced.

Speaking to those gathered for IFT’s Awards Celebration at the start of the annual event, IFT 2015–2016 President Colin Dennis emphasized the importance of bringing about change. He said IFT members must be vigilant about raising awareness of food science and the significant role it plays in the world today. “The important work we do to ensure a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply affects billions and promises to make an enormous impact on the lives of future generations, but we need to make even greater efforts in ensuring such contributions are better understood and appreciated by the general populace,” said Dennis.

One of the best things about change is the growth opportunity it provides, and IFT16 definitely delivered on that front. Over the course of four days from Saturday to Tuesday, July 16–19, an impressive 120 scientific sessions, 420 speakers, 1,600 poster presentations, and 1,222 food expo exhibitors provided countless options for the exchange of ideas and information.

All About Achievement
IFT16 officially kicked off with the Saturday evening Awards Celebration, during which IFT’s leadership paid tribute to a select group of the organization’s highest achievers.

E. Allen Foegeding was the recipient of IFT’s highest honor, the Nicolas Appert Award. Foegeding is William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Food Science at North Carolina State University and editor in chief of IFT scientific journals. In addition to his teaching and service to IFT, Foegeding is noted for his research on how proteins and polysaccharides function in food, research that has advanced understanding of the chemical and physical properties of foods.

Sixteen additional Achievement Awards were presented at the Awards Celebration. Achievement Awards recognize individuals or teams for remarkable contributions in research, applications, and service in the profession. Twelve IFT members were named Fellows, a distinction accorded to an elite group of professional members in recognition of their outstanding achievements and service to the profession.

Two IFT student achievers—recipients of the IFT Student Association (IFTSA) Excellence in Leadership Award—were also acknowledged on Saturday evening. This year’s graduate student recipient is John Frelka, a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University. Frelka is vice-president of competitions on the IFTSA Board of Directors and a participant in the science communication initiative “Don’t Eat the Pseudoscience.” He also led the Ohio State College Bowl team and assisted in creating a science communication program at the university. He is pictured with IFT 2016–2017 President John Coupland (left) in.

The undergraduate Excellence in Leadership Award recipient is Morgan Von Staden, a student at Mississippi State University who serves on the Community Service and Student Recruitment committees and is the former Food Science Club vice-president at Mississippi State. This past year, she served on the IFTSA Board of Directors as the Southeast Area representative and was recently chosen as president-elect of the student organization.

At the event, IFT Executive Vice-President and CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean reflected briefly on IFT’s commitment to its members. “The IFT promises and core values are our commitment to our members. This commitment serves as the foundation for our strategic planning and keeps our focus sharply on what is most valuable to our current members, future members, stakeholders, and to our profession,” said Tarantino-Dean. She pointed out that in the past year, IFT has strategically aligned its three branches: IFT, IFTSA, and Feeding Tomorrow, the foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists.

After all the awards were bestowed, the festivities continued at the IFT Welcome Reception, where IFT16 registrants enjoyed refreshments and camaraderie.

Talking Consumers and Science
Each year IFT’s annual event supplies those in attendance with opportunities to explore major issues related to the science of food in high-profile general sessions. Sunday’s programming began with a session featuring Jacques Rousseau, lecturer and chair of the Academic Freedom Committee at the University of Cape Town, who talked about why consumers fear science and what can be done to change that dynamic. Later on Sunday, physician and author Ben Goldacre discussed some of the perils of pseudoscience. And on Monday, international policy specialist Bev Postma echoed some similar themes, emphasizing the importance of heightening understanding of legitimate science.

The consumer panel discussion on Monday gave those who attended a look at how consumers feel about their food. The participating Chicago area shoppers took a no-holds-barred approach, sharing their feelings and offering insights about their purchase decisions. In the same session, Paul Metz, executive vice-president of C+R Research, presented findings from a custom research project conducted for IFT. The survey, which showed that almost seven in 10 shoppers read labels regularly, broke consumers into four key groups: those who are vigilant about eating well, those who take a balanced approach, those who want to eat healthfully but don’t spend a lot of time on it, and those who are less concerned about healthful eating and instead prioritize value and convenience.

Also on Monday, a special session about IFT’s documentary film, Food Evolution, allowed audience members to view film clips and listen in on a lively discussion led by IFT 2016–2017 President John Coupland with Food Evolution director/producer Scott Hamilton Kennedy and environmentalist Mark Lynas, who is featured prominently in the film.

So Many Sessions, So Little Time
Learning should never be static, and organizers of IFT16 scientific and applied sessions ensured that the programming was dynamic and compelling by introducing a variety of new learning options in Chicago. Apparently attendees took note: Average session attendance was the highest ever tracked—130.

As it does each year, the annual event’s educational programming started early with a series of 11 pre-event short courses, which provided participants with intensive learning experiences compressed into just one or two days. Cathy Davies is shown in offering guidance on food chemistry and food analysis in the CFS test preparation short course on Saturday.

Scientific session topics ranged from allergens to alternative protein sources, beer pairings to botanicals, and much more. Formats included symposia, panel discussions, workshops, and 7:15 a.m. primer sessions, which got participants up early and up to speed on key topics. Andrew Hoffman of Tate & Lyle provided insights in a primer session on the role of fiber in the gut microbiome and bone health.

The scientific programming included a number of special lectureships. Connie Weaver of Purdue University delivered the Trailblazer Lecture titled “Nutrition and Food: An Obvious But Little Appreciated Partnership.” Lisa Mauer, also of Purdue, presented the Marcel Loncin Lecture on “The Amorphization of Vitamins C and B1.” Bruce German of the University of California, Davis, offered the Gilbert A. Leveille Lecture titled “Food and Nutrition: Integrative Science in the 21st Century.” And Pablo Juliano of CSIRO delivered the W.K. Kellogg Lecture titled “Regional Development Models for Value Addition to Underutilized Whey in South America.”

Monday was Genomics Day at IFT16. A series of sessions organized by Lawrence Goodridge, director of the Food Safety and Quality Program at McGill University, explored various facets of this cutting-edge topic with the potential to affect agricultural production, food safety, product development, and more.

Among the most attention-getting additions to the educational agenda at IFT16 were 30 ePoster sessions. Each ePoster session had a specific research theme and featured 15-minute ePoster presentations followed by five minutes for questions. Traditional printed poster presentations took place on the food expo floor as usual.

Several Hot Topic sessions addressed themes that included high pressure processing, designing emotion into food products, and distinguishing fads from trends. In the latter session, panelists Jonathan Baugher of Blue Mountain Flavors, Scott Riefler of TIC Gums, Mark Hughes of Anderson Partners Food Ingredient Marketing, and Taylor Wallace of the Think Healthy Group offered their take on some of the differentiating factors. In, Wallace is shown making a point.

IFT16 sessions were organized by tracks, including a teaching and learning track developed to provide IFT’s academic members with exposure to new teaching practices as well as opportunities to network with other faculty members. Each year the Fennema Lectureship brings a notable academic to the annual meeting to present a lecture followed by a hands-on workshop. The 2016 Fennema Lecturer was science educator Tyler DeWitt, who shared his perspective on a variety of teaching and learning approaches in a session titled “What’s New: Process, Products, and Authentic Learning in STEM.”

Although the IFT16 sessions are over, it’s still possible to tap into the information shared at the annual event. All full-paid IFT16 registrants have complimentary access to the IFT16 session catalog, which includes audio recordings and PDF slides of 100-plus sessions, video recordings and slides of featured presentations, and more. Others may purchase access to the catalog by visiting the “Learn” section of the IFT16 website (ift.org/ift16).

A World of Expo Inspiration
Exhibitors at the IFT16 food expo served up a full menu of product development inspiration with flavors from around the globe, alternative protein sources ranging from algae to pulses, and a variety of new options for sugar reduction among the highlights. The 2016 expo brought a major focus on clean label, with many ingredient exhibitors showcasing offerings designed to help product developers shorten ingredient lists and rid their labels of ingredients such as additives, preservatives, and partially hydrogenated oils.

The food expo featured 2,695 booths spread across 260,000 square feet of McCormick Place space. Hundreds of product samples and prototypes were available to inspire product formulation efforts and tantalize show goers’ taste buds. Briess treated IFT16 attendees to Ultimate Malted Milk Shakes in celebration of its 140th anniversary. Bell Flavors & Fragrances took expo visitors on a journey to India, highlighting flavor profiles that ranged from savory to sour and spicy to sweet. Gold Coast offered samples of savory ice cream, including a Chicken & Waffles variety, and Naturex topped frozen treats with its naturally colored glittery sparkles.

• Innova Pavilion. A focus on flexitarians—consumers who opt to go meatless a couple of times a week—was among the trends highlighted at Innova Market Insights’ Taste the Trend Pavilion at the food expo. The spacious pavilion was a busy destination on the show floor, attracting crowds of attendees eager to view Innova’s striking visual presentation of the year’s top trends, 3-D infographics, and an extensive assortment of interactive packaging displays. Innova experts offered three presentations daily as well as ongoing opportunities for guided tours through the display. Other trends Innova identified include organic growth for clear label; free from; processing the natural way; green light for vegetables; creating a real link; small players, big ideas; beyond the athlete; the indulgence alibi; and tastes for new experiences.

• Mintel Pavilion. Analysts from market intelligence agency Mintel kept the trend information coming throughout the expo in a series of nine main-stage presentations in the Mintel Intelligence Zone on the food expo floor. Presentations touched on subjects ranging from targeting the iGeneration to creating products for budget-minded consumers. Analyst Stephanie Mattucci shared insights in a presentation titled “‘Simple’ Isn’t So Simple.” In addition, interactive presentations allowed Intelligence Zone visitors to view, smell, and taste products related to three trends: modern versions of comfort food, new beverages, and the evolution of visual appeal.

• On Trend Display. A new feature at the annual event, On Trend by IFT Powered by Innova Market Insights showcased supplier solutions to issues and challenges associated with the following trending topics: proteins, gluten-free, food safety, health and wellness, and clean and clear labeling.

• IFT Booth. Staff members were on hand at the IFT booth to provide information about the benefits that come with membership in the association. The booth was also a welcome destination for those in need of a place to take a break and connect with other professionals committed to the science of food.

• Cooking Up Science. Four companies—PureCircle, QUALISOY, Almond Board of California, and Pulse Canada—showcased their ingredients in Cooking Up Science demonstrations at IFT16. In, celebrity chef Emily Ellyn, who represented QUALISOY, fries up some doughnuts using interesterified high oleic soybean oil, which can be used to replace trans fat–containing partially hydrogenated oils.

• Walk This Way. The Pedometer Challenge sponsored by Wellmune, a Kerry brand, offered IFT16 attendees an excellent option for staying in fitness mode despite being surrounded by countless taste-tempting product samples. Participants picked up a pedometer, recorded their steps, and reported in daily. Each day, a winner was chosen randomly to receive a prize from among the 10 entrants who recorded the most steps that day. A lucky grand prize winner was chosen in another random drawing and received an Apple iPad Pro.

Also of Importance at IFT16
• Emerging Leaders Network. Thirty-two talented young professionals from around the globe gathered from Saturday through Monday during IFT16 for a leadership development experience created specifically to help them bridge the gap between university coursework and early on-the-job training and the kind of information and insight they need to navigate their careers. Highlights of the event included a Career Insights Panel, Food Communicators Workshop, and new tracks created specifically for industry and academic professionals as well as opportunities for peer mentoring experiences.

• Volunteer Leadership Summit. On Friday afternoon and evening before the start of IFT16, a group of more than 150 section and division leaders gathered to share best practices, enjoy networking, and reap the benefits of volunteer leadership training. IFT 2015–2016 President Colin Dennis presented on mission-driven leadership, inviting section and division leaders to align their efforts to deliver on IFT’s strategic promises. Board members engaged these key leaders in discussions about the insights gathered through the annual membership satisfaction survey, and volunteer leaders facilitated small group discussions on volunteer-led strategies to engage the membership in IFT’s divisions and sections.

A team of volunteer Program Ambassadors, including Lex Hander, Darryl Holliday, Kelley Lowe, Bob McGorrin, Stacy Pyett, Marcia Walker, and Quinn Zweigle, worked to shape the content and program delivery.

• Board of Directors Meeting. Members of the IFT Board of Directors, who assembled for a meeting prior to the start of IFT16, are pictured in. Seated from left are Robert McGorrin, Jonathan Gray, Past President Mary Ellen Camire, 2016–2017 President John Coupland, 2015–2016 President Colin Dennis, IFT Executive Vice- President & CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean, Dawn Merrill, IFTSA 2015–2016 President Amy DeJong, IFTSA Past President Jay Gilbert, and Carolyn Fisher. Second row, from left, are Feeding Tomorrow Chair Noel Anderson, Anne Goldman, Martin Cole, Ernest Embola, Pam Coleman, Cathy Kapica, Sharrann Simmons, Dallas Hoover, R. Paul Singh, and IFTSA 2016–2017 President Matthew Teegarden. Third row, from left, are Chris Findlay, IFT President-Elect Cindy Stewart, IFTSA President-Elect Morgan Von Staden, Sarah Kirkmeyer, and Roger Lawrence.

• Feeding Tomorrow Board Meeting. On Sunday, the Feeding Tomorrow Board of Trustees met to approve the foundation’s annual budget and goals. The foundation’s two committees reported progress on their respective programs and mission delivery. In 2015, Feeding Tomorrow announced three new strategic priorities: to motivate the best young minds, to support university students, and to leverage our community of knowledge. This past year has been dedicated to realigning the foundation’s programs to the new priorities and increasing operational efficiencies. Undergraduate, graduate, and PhD scholarship winners from the 2016–2017 academic year and Feeding Tomorrow Board of Trustees members are shown gathered in.

• Division Networking Reception. Appetizers, drinks, prizes, and a chance to learn about volunteer activities within IFT’s 24 divisions made the Division Networking Reception late on Monday afternoon a not-to-be missed event. A fun visual activity helped those at the reception illustrate the connections between members that IFT divisions can create.

• CFS Networking Breakfast. The newest additions to the growing roster of Certified Food Scientists (CFS) were recognized during the annual CFS Networking Breakfast and Celebration on Sunday during IFT16. IFT 2015–2016 President Colin Dennis and International Food Science Certification Commission Chair Ivette Bassa, both of whom hold the credential, were on hand to congratulate those joining the CFS ranks. Dennis is shown in addressing the group.

• Career Center Live. Forty companies, including 24 new participants, set up shop on the fourth floor of McCormick Place to interact with hundreds of students and other job seekers for five hours on Sunday afternoon. The event drew a wide assortment of companies ranging from mainstream players like Mars, PepsiCo, Ingredion, and Kraft Heinz to some high-profile newcomers to the food industry like Hampton Creek and Impossible Foods. The energy was high and the aisles were crowded as job seekers seized the opportunity to interact with food company representatives. Career Center Live activity continued on Monday and Tuesday with participating employers conducting 530 prescheduled interviews with candidates.

• Past Presidents Dinner. IFT leadership past and present mingled at the annual Past Presidents Dinner held during IFT16. Pictured in front row, from left, are Al Clausi, Mary Schmidl, John Litchfield, Gilbert Leveille, Herbert Stone, and Bruce Stillings. Second row, from left, are John Floros, Dennis Heldman, and Mary Ann Gillette. Back row, from left, are Janet Collins, Mary Ellen Camire, Charles Manley, and Mark McClellan.

• An International Perspective. With food professionals from 94 countries represented, IFT16 was definitely a global event. In, from left, IFT staff members Tejas Bhatt and Priya Heine participate in a working lunch meeting with representatives of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST). IFT Past President Herbert Stone (right), who serves as liaison between IFT and CIFST, also took part.

• New Professionals Mixer. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun at the New Professionals Mixer social event planned specifically for those who have been working in the profession for 10 years or less. Held Sunday evening at the Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago, the mixer was sponsored by PureCircle.

• Future Food Scientists. Seventy-five high school students and educators got an introduction to food science during IFT16. Volunteer speakers from a variety of backgrounds shared two hours of education and food science experiments related to food myths, taste and flavor, food safety, and career guidance. The day ended with a guided tour of the food expo floor. The event was organized by Feeding Tomorrow and the Chicago Section of IFT.

Students in the Spotlight

Although just about everything about IFT16 had the potential to interest IFT’s student members, a variety of social events, competitions, and skill-building activities were available specifically to benefit students, more than 1,400 of whom made it a point to attend the annual event.

• Chapter Leaders Workshops. Leadership development is a priority for IFT, and at IFT16, the IFTSA Chapter Leaders Workshops allowed IFT and IFTSA leaders to share their knowledge and experience with incoming leaders of campus food science clubs.

• Mixer and Closing Ceremony. For students, Monday night at the annual event is an important time because it includes the IFTSA Mixer sponsored by PepsiCo and the IFTSA Closing Ceremony complete with the final rounds of the College Bowl competition. At the mixer, students were treated to hearty refreshments, including an ample supply of popular PepsiCo snacks.

Highlights of the Closing Ceremony included IFT 2015–2016 President Colin Dennis presenting IFTSA 2015–2016 President Amy DeJong with a plaque in recognition of her leadership and service. Dennis presented IFTSA 2016–2017 President Matthew Teegarden with a gavel symbolizing his new leadership role. Additionally, IFTSA announced and congratulated all competition winners from 2015–2016.

• College Bowl. Bragging rights for the 2016 College Bowl belong to the University of California, Davis, team, which placed first in the annual competition, which pits teams representing eight geographic districts against one another in a series of competitive rounds. UC Davis team members pictured, from left, in are Stephen Young, Morgan Rease, Tiffany Wiriyaphanich, Maha Alshehab, and Emily Kultgen. The Purdue University team was the runner-up. The other finalist teams were from North Carolina State University, Cornell University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Texas A&M University, and Mississippi State University.

Volunteering their expertise as College Bowl judges were Roger Clemens and Bruce Ferree, left and right, respectively, in. Pam Vaillancourt and Mohamed Badaoui Najjar also served as College Bowl judges, and Mary Carunchia was the moderator. The College Bowl Competition is sponsored by Nestlé Purina Petcare Company.

• IFTSA & MARS Product Development Competition. A plant-based, burger-type product netted the McGill University team the top spot in the 26th Annual IFTSA & MARS Product Development Competition. The McGill product developers describe their entry, Rephyll, as “a reinvention of a full day’s serving of vegetables in the form of a juicy patty that replicates the sensory and cooking experience of beef.” McGill team members with their poster, pictured from left in, are Tess Cavalieri, Rashna Dogmoch, Qui Yi (Zoe) Sun, Caroline Lafleur, Patrick Liu, and Adam Maxwell. Not pictured is team member Christopher Zhang.

The team from Michigan State University placed second with YerBagel, a frozen microwaveable bagel product formulated with whole wheat flour and filled with coffee fruit powder and yerba mate–infused, naturally flavored cream cheese spread. Qeen-yos, which are quinoa and peanut butter bites with chia seeds and dried cranberries, earned the University of Wisconsin–Madison team third place. The annual competition is sponsored by MARS Chocolate North America.

• Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition. Students thought globally in this competition, which challenged participants to develop a product that would help increase calcium intake among pregnant women in the Middle East and North Africa. Students from McGill University also clinched the top spot in this event. Their winning product is Fitamin Multimeal, a ready-to-eat stew made of lentils, tuna, skim-milk powder, tahini, carrots, and tomatoes with added eggshell powder to boost the calcium content. McGill team members pictured in are, from left, Jane Ong, Mingduo Mu, Anne Frazer-McKee, Professor Salwa Karboune (who teaches food product development at McGill), Tamao Tsutsumi, Sonia Périllat-Amédée, and Emily Mason (photo courtesy of McGill).

The team from Universidad de Costa Rica placed second with Hamilk, a shelf-stable, milk-based beverage created with local Sudanese ingredients to help pregnant women in the Sudan increase their intake of calcium, protein, iron, vitamins A and D, folic acid, and water. Third place went to the team from Rutgers University with MagiCal, an eggshell-based powder to be added to bakery products or dips as a calcium supplement. The Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition is sponsored by Tate & Lyle.

• Disney-IFTSA Product Development Competition. With its focus on creating a healthful product linked to a popular Disney character, the Disney-IFTSA Nutritious Foods for Kids Product Development Competition is always an entertaining one. For 2016, the grand prize winner was the University of Massachusetts Amherst team with Elsa’s Oat Flurries, a combination of frozen Greek yogurt, fruit puree, and whole grain oats. Pictured, from left, in are University of Massachusetts Amherst team members Anna Kundmann, Marie Lawton, Ashtri Sastrosubroto, and Kevin Lee.

The Pennsylvania State University team captured first place with Rey’s Rations Jakku Juice Orbs, a juice-based snack that features glittering juice orbs encapsulated in a jelly-like coating and supplies two full servings of fruits and vegetables. Three teams earned honorary mention in the competition: California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Rutgers University, and University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez. The competition is sponsored by Disney Consumer Products.

• Thesis Video Competition. Amadeus Driando Ahnan of the University of Massachusetts Amherst clinched first place in the IFTSA Thesis Video Competition sponsored by Campden BRI, which challenged students to share their research in a three-minute video. Posing for a photo, from left, in are IFT 2015–2016 President Colin Dennis, Ahnan, and Campden BRI’s Jeremy Davies and Bertrand Emond. Maridel Reyes of Pennsylvania State University and Abbey Thiel of the University of Wisconsin–Madison were finalists.

• Chapter of the Year. Top honors in the 2016 Chapter of the Year contest, which celebrates student chapters for participation, leadership, community outreach, and opportunities for members, went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In, Jessica Brand (left), chapter president, accepts the plaque from IFTSA 2015–2016 President Amy DeJong.

• Undergraduate Research Competition. Six finalists traveled to Chicago to present their undergraduate student research orally and via poster during IFT16. Samantha Van Wees from Cornell University placed first for her research, “Inactivation of Bacillus licheniformis Vegetative Cells and Spores in Milk Using Pulsed Light Treatment.” Genevieve Sullivan, also from Cornell, placed second, and Menghan Shi from The Ohio State University placed third.

Let’s Get the Conversation Started
Planning is already well underway for next year’s annual event, and those on hand in Chicago had a special opportunity to help shape its content thanks to a new interactive feature, the IFTNext Hub. Located in the rear of the S100 ballroom in McCormick Place, the IFTNext Hub allowed attendees to provide ideas and input by weighing in on a series of open-ended and multiple-choice questions related to four major food science themes: CRISPR-Cas genome editing, food safety and foodborne illness, personalized nutrition, and consumer trends. Content related to these topical areas was displayed on a large video wall in the IFTNext area at IFT16.

Las Vegas will be the destination for IFT17, which will take place June 25–28, 2017, at the Sands Expo Center. The odds are excellent that it will be a winning experience.

Fun Run: On the Move for IFT

About 550 runners and walkers watched an incredible sunrise in Burnham Harbor on Monday morning during IFT16 as they gathered for the 16th Annual IFTSA and Feeding Tomorrow Fun Run and Walk, which raises money to support Feeding Tomorrow’s scholarship fund. This year’s Fun Run raised more than $120,000.

The event kicked off from its new location at 6 a.m. with remarks from Feeding Tomorrow Chair Noel Anderson and a raffle for a four-night trip to Cancun. The starting line was filled with runners and walkers clad in the new Fun Run tech shirts, as well as a great showing of company team shirts and even some costumes; the Hormel team featured two runners dressed as SPAM cans.

Racers celebrated their athletic accomplishments with Gatorade and water provided by PepsiCo, and they enjoyed goodie bags that were filled with product provided by sponsors such as AAK, GEA Group, GNT, Kellogg, and PopChips.

The top three female racers were 1) Sarah Muhlbradt, 2) Molly Spencer, and 3) Krista Drechslar. The top three male racers were 1) Zach Bearson, 2) Andrew Rhodes, and 3) Martin Foerster. Muhlbradt and Bearson are pictured.

Feeding Tomorrow extends a special thank you to the companies and organizations that supported this year’s Fun Run with their donations: sponsors: AAK, Campbell’s, Chicago Section, David Michael & Co., D.D. Williamson, GEA Group, GNT, Ingredion, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, Michael Foods, PepsiCo, PerkinElmer, The Coca-Cola Co.; supporters: Hormel, Horn, Mattson, Ohio Valley Section, and Washington, D.C. Section. Bush Brothers & Co. and the Iowa, Maryland, and Minnesota Sections also contributed.

Those who missed the race but would like to make a donation to the Feeding Tomorrow scholarship fund may do so at feedingtomorrow.org.

—Melanie Zanoza Bartelme

IFT Division Competition Winners
The winners of this year’s poster, oral, and writing competitions sponsored by IFT divisions are as follows:

AAFSIS – 1st place: Gayathri Balakrishnan, Univ. of Florida.

Aquatic Food Products Div. – 1st place: Sophia Pollack, Chapman Univ.; 2nd place: Silvana Harikedua, Oregon State Univ.; 3rd place: Dhriti Nayyar, Univ. of Maine.

Biotechnology Div. – 1st place: Martina I. Buchholz, Univ. of Georgia; 2nd place: Ali Halalipour, Univ. of Georgia; 3rd place: Runze Huang, Univ. of Delaware.

Carbohydrate Div. – 1st place: Ali Ubeyitogullari, Univ. of Nebraska–Lincoln; 2nd place: Mingyong Zhou, Univ. of Connecticut; 3rd place: Eugenio Spadoni Andreani, McGill Univ.

Dairy Foods Div. – 1st place: Brandon Carter, North Carolina State Univ.; 2nd place: Andy Lee, North Carolina State Univ.; 3rd place: Mengyuan Fan, The Ohio State Univ.

Dairy Foods Div. (Oral) – 1st place: Martin Foerster, Monash Univ.; 2nd place: Mitchell Culler, Pennsylvania State Univ.; 3rd place: Megan Parker, North Carolina State Univ.

Education, Extension & Outreach Div. (Undergraduate) – 1st place: Lisa Indris, Univ. of Guelph; 2nd place: Olivia Conrad, Univ. of Maine; 3rd place: Brooke Luzzi, Univ. of Idaho.

Education, Extension & Outreach Div. (Graduate) – 1st place: Jonathan Kershaw, Purdue Univ.; 2nd place: Olivia Auell, Univ. of Minnesota; 3rd place: Dhriti Nayyar, Univ. of Maine.

Food Chemistry Div. (Oral) – 1st place: Kyle Okada, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 2nd place: Samantha McKenna, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 3rd place: Yanqi Qu, Pennsylvania State Univ.

Food Engineering Div. – 1st place: Mingyong Zhou, Univ. of Connecticut; 2nd place: Luis Alfonson Vargas Lopez, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 3rd place: Taoran Wang, Univ. of Connecticut.

Food Microbiology Div. – 1st place: Divek Valsala Devi Thankappan Nair, Univ. of Minnesota; 2nd place: Zach Metz, Univ. of Minnesota; 3rd place: Mustafa Yesil, The Ohio State Univ.

Food Microbiology Div. (Oral) – 1st place: Luyao Ma, Univ. of British Columbia; 2nd place: Genevieve Flock, University of Connecticut; 3rd place: Yuqiao Jin, Illinois Institute of Technology.

Food Packaging Div. – 1st place: Xi Wu, Purdue Univ.; 2nd place: Kanishka Bhunia, Washington State Univ.; 3rd place: Pavan Harshit Manepalli, Kansas State Univ.

Foodservice Div. – 1st place: Hannah Marie Lockhart, California Baptist Univ.; 2nd place: Mengxing Li, Univ. of Kentucky; 3rd place: Maria C. Perez, California Baptist Univ.

Fruits & Vegetable Products Div. – 1st place: Ai Sato, North Carolina State Univ.; 2nd place: Peipei Tang, The Ohio State Univ.; 3rd place: Sunisa Roidoung, Michigan State Univ.

International Div. – 1st place: Sage Haggard, Univ. of Illinois; 2nd place: Xiao Feng, National Univ. of Singapore; 3rd place: Xiao Qiu, North Carolina State Univ.

Muscle Foods Div. – 1st place: Kathryn Rose McCullough, Colorado State Univ.; 2nd place: Duc Huy Tran Do, Univ. of Georgia; 3rd place: Mahesh Narayanan Nair, Univ. of Kentucky.

Nonthermal Processing Div. – 1st place: Christian Hertwig, Leibniz Institute Potsdam (ATB); 2nd place: Lei Xu, Purdue Univ.; 3rd place: Noopur Gosavi, Rutgers Univ.

Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods Div. – 1st place: Candice Mazewski, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 2nd place: Hadyn Reid, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical Univ.; 3rd place: Xue Jiang, Cornell Univ.

Nutrition Div. – 1st place: Karthikeyan Jagadeesan Sankaran, Rutgers Univ.; 2nd place: Xin Nie, Purdue Univ.; 3rd place: Hong Yu Chen, Cornell Univ.

Product Development Div. – 1st place: Cheikh Ndiaye, Purdue Univ.; 2nd place: Allie Rose Brown, Framingham State Univ.; 3rd place: Xixuan Tang, Univ. of Florida.

Protein Div. – 1st place: Chelsey Lyn Hinnenkamp, Univ. of Minnesota; 2nd place: Leigh Schmidt, Purdue Univ.; 3rd place: Claudia Philipp, Univ. of Otago.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Div. – 1st place: Cesar Galindo Perez, Louisiana State Univ.; 2nd place: John Frelka, The Ohio State Univ.

Sensory & Consumer Science Div. (Oral) – 1st place: Rebecca Liu, The Ohio State Univ.; 2nd place: Charles Diako, Washington State Univ.; 3rd place: Rachel Isaacs, Univ. of Tennessee.

Toxicology & Safety Evaluation Div. – 1st place: Adeseye Lasekan, Univ. of Maine; 2nd place: Ziyi Linghu, Kansas State Univ.; 3rd place: Ashlie M. Santaliz Cassiano, Univ. of Puerto Rico.

Running for Food Science
There’s always a lot of ground to cover at the annual event, and on Sunday, dedicated food science scholarship fundraiser Bruce Ferree covered plenty of it—despite the fact that he remained in one place for most of the day. Ferree spent the day running on a treadmill set up adjacent to the IFT16 registration area in an effort to increase awareness of his latest initiative, a seven-day, 250-kilometer race across the Chilean desert that he’s undertaking this fall to raise funds for food science scholarships. Ferree, a longtime supporter of the annual Feeding Tomorrow Fun Run, hopes his desert trek will raise $100,000 in scholarship monies.

He ran nearly 24 miles on the treadmill at IFT16, generating more than $3,700 in contributions. And Sunday’s efforts didn’t deter Ferree from rising before dawn the next morning to participate in the Fun Run.

There’s still plenty of time to support the cause by visiting Ferree’s GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/foodsciencerun.

Mary Ellen Kuhn is executive editor of Food Technology magazine ([email protected]).