The COVID-19 virus sparked an acute health crisis, with near miracle accomplishments to develop vaccines in a year’s time, and national resolve to stem its devastation. But America’s existing obesity epidemic-pandemic (O E-P) is an enduring, chronic health crisis.

SnapDNA, creator of a rapid pathogen detection system for food processing facilities, clinched top honors and a $25,000 prize as the winner of the IFTNEXT Food Disruption Challenge™ Pitch Competition, held Wednesday during the FIRST virtual event.

Values-based marketing and two-way dialogue will become essential tools for CPG brands to engage with an increasingly informed, opinionated—and often conflicted—consumer base, a duo of marketing and consumer behavior experts told FIRST attendees on Wednesday.

A panel of investors told FIRST attendees Tuesday that capital markets still have a hearty and unsated appetite for food and agtech innovators.

In a FIRST session on local solutions to global challenges on Tuesday, three very humble experts on food, nutrition, and agriculture challenged the audience to flip that thought process and seize the opportunity to learn at the grassroots level from members of indigenous communities.

Lisa Dyson, CEO of Air Protein, took FIRST attendees on a ride back to the future with her keynote presentation, “Rising to the Challenge,” which outlined how a century-old technology can be reimagined to meet the 21st century challenge of feeding a growing planet.

Since flavor is the No. 1 factor in consumer buying decisions, it’s no wonder that FIRST exhibitors are responding with a creative array of novel and throwback flavor options suitable for a spectrum of food and beverage products.

FIRST session “Taste and Health: Key Consumer Drivers Behind the Growth of Plant-Based Fermented Beverages”

FIRST session “Blended Meat and Meat Analogues: Is the Market Ready?"

FIRST session “Agriculture Innovations Driving the Future of Food Stability”

FIRST session “The Food ‘X’ Factor"

To naysayers who doubt that zero hunger goals are realistic and achievable, Ertharin Cousin counters with a simple, direct question: If China can do it, why can’t everyone?

At FIRST, several exhibitors are making headway in the upcycled space with new ingredient developments that fill a growing niche.

Donna Rosa and the panelists for the FIRST panel discussion “Food for Good—Making a Difference in Developing Countries” have a common mission and shared commitment that closely aligns with the “Zero Hunger” theme of the IFT virtual event.

As some regions begin their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, expect that accelerated pace of CPG innovation and growth to continue, a panel of trend watchers told FIRST attendees Monday.

The COVID-19 pandemic plunged millions further into food insecurity, but it also brought issues to the forefront that may help advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of “Zero Hunger,” agreed chief science officers who gathered on Monday for a roundtable discussion during the FIRST virtual event.

FIRST session “Paving the Way for More Sustainable Food Systems Through Packaging Strategies: Are we there yet?”

FIRST session “Harnessing New Technologies in Agriculture to Support a Sustainable Food System”

Food scientists, ingredient suppliers, and consumer-facing companies are mining a vast array of tools, including traditional methods such as enzyme technology and fermentation, and more recent advances, like gene editing, to lower the environmental impact and improve the taste and nutritional value of food.

FIRST session “The Global Demand for Protein and the Rise of Flexitarians"

FIRST session "Tackling the Food Waste Crisis: Unique Perspectives on Sustainability and Effective Ways for Helping Consumers to Reduce Their Food Waste"

FIRST session "Your New Food Venture Needs $$—What Now?"

FIRST session "Consumer Behavior During COVID: Immediate and Lasting Effects in Grocery and Food Service Trends"

FIRST session "The Role of Insect Proteins for Nutrition, Environment and Artificial Intelligence"

FIRST session “I Feel Good so it Tastes Good.”

FIRST Session "Inside the High-Protein Trend: Competition, Health Ties, and Consequences … What Do Consumers Really Want?"

As the number of U.S. consumers vaccinated against COVID-19 increases, some pandemic-driven behaviors are changing while others persist.

After reading the Food Technology article “Unlocking Your Potential” you may be inspired to take a deeper dive on the topic of career growth. Here is a curated list of resources to help you learn more and take action.

How can we best communicate food science to the general public? It is a question that has haunted me. We have a message to tell. We adhere to basic principles that largely contradict much of what we read about food in the media.

After reading the Food Technology article “Can Science Delivery Zero Hunger?” you may be inspired to take a deeper dive on the topic of food security. Here is a curated list of resources to help you learn more and take action.

At IFT's “Time to Kick Start Healthy Eating” virtual meeting, Lynn Dornblaser, Director of Innovation & Insights at Mintel, explained that the COVID-19 pandemic underlined consumers' need to optimize health, especially immunity.

Getting consumers to make healthier food choices is all about winning their trust. It’s not about showing them everything they’re currently doing wrong or the mistaken ideas they have.