If You Have the Time, Expand Your Mind...for Free!

We live in a society that is chronically busy. Our personal and professional lives are filled with goals, meetings, projects, and deadlines. Our phones are constantly buzzing with texts, emails, social media, and calendar notifications. There’s just so much to do.

Yet here we are. In a matter of weeks, we’ve entered a period in our lives unlike any other. We’ve traded in our busy schedules for social distancing and self-quarantines. While many in the food ecosystem have essential job functions requiring them to report to work each day, some are working different shifts to isolate teams, or have transitioned to remote work settings. Needless to say, our office hours and personal time are a little different these days.

If you’re finding you need access to resources to help you solve new work challenges, or need time to break away and focus on something else, or want to use your new found “free” time to gain new knowledge, look no further. IFT is committed to providing helpful programs and resources to assist you through this challenging time. Following are a few ways you can expand your knowledge and feed your mind during your downtime.

On-demand webcasts: Whether you’re looking to learn something new or refresh your knowledge, IFT can help. We have made our entire virtual webcast library available for FREE for a limited time for members and non-members. Among our most popular webcasts are:

• Overcoming Flavor and Structural Limitations of Plant Proteins for Meat Analogues
• Beyond SUPERFOODS: Developing Sustainable Products for Health & Wellness
• Emerging Trends in Health Technologies and the Promises of Personalized Nutrition
• Flavor Technology in Clean Label Products

IFTNEXT Food Disruptors podcast: If podcasts are more your speed, you’ll want to check out our Food Disruptors podcast, if you haven’t already. Each episode brings you thought-provoking conversations from some of the most innovative voices in the science of food and beyond. Start from the beginning or catch the most recent episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or here on the IFT website. Here’s a look at our latest episodes:

• Episode 18: Food Manufacturing in the time of COVID-19
• Episode 17: The Economic Impacts of African Swine Fever in the US
• Episode 16: Food Foundations Part 4 - Rooted in Smallholder Farmer and Nutrition Support: Grameen Foundation
• Episode 15: Beyond Clean Label: A Look at Functional Ingredients and Value-Added Nutrition

Connect with your community: Technology has an amazing way of keeping us connected even when we need to be physically apart. You’ve undoubtedly had your share of conference calls and video conferences in the last few weeks and that surely will continue for the duration. IFT Connect is your resource to discuss challenges and opportunities with the larger science of food community, particularly at times like these. We have opened up visibility of IFT Division groups to all members and non-members to help everyone in the times ahead. Log in and see what people are talking about. Here are a few examples of current threads:

• Open Discussion: How has COVID-19 impacted your life?
• Sensory & Consumer Sciences Division: Maintaining Sensory Panels during these unprecedented times
• Quality Management Division: Guidelines for food processors on COVID-19
• Dairy Foods Division: Best Practices for Remote Work

Latest news and trends: We have plenty of resources available for all the readers out there too. You can stay abreast of the latest news and topics impacting the industry right here on the IFT website. Here are a few of the hottest articles from Food Technology magazine.

• Is the Future of Meat Animal-Free?
• Agriculture Moves Indoors
• Weathering the Impact of Climate Change
• Taming the Tsunami of Plastic Waste

We hope these resources are useful as you navigate the uncertain days ahead. If there’s anything we can do to support you, please let us know.