Gain Insight to Health & Wellness Product Development

The market for health and wellness products continues to experience unprecedented growth as consumers become increasingly more selective about the food they consume. The inaugural “Food Technology Presents: Developing and Marketing Products for Consumer Health & Wellness” conference will address this by not only identifying leading consumer drivers but also highlighting foods that promote new levels of health, conform to stringent food safety requirements, and meet compressed time-to-market deadlines.

Taking place February 27–28, 2008, at the Sofitel O’Hare hotel in Rosemont, Ill., the conference will provide you with information on the ways that you can meet each product development challenge with one-of-a-kind solutions, while at the same time reducing costs and minimizing risk. You will not only learn about techniques that will help your organization stay profitable, but you will also identify new marketplace opportunities, learn about new marketing and packaging strategies, and explore food safety best practices. Most importantly, you will gain balanced scientific, technical, and business perspectives, particularly on issues where the science is evolving.

Five Hot Trends
The conference will focus on five of the most rapidly growing market segments associated with health and wellness products.

• Active/Sports Nutrition. According to Datamonitor, consumer spending on sports nutrition foods, beverages, and supplements reached $5.4 billion in 2005 and is rising at an average rate of 5.8% a year. Additionally, marketing and packaging trends may influence manufacturers to increase their investment in research and development. Learn from our experts and gain information on these and other trends that can help shape your next product.

• Aging Management. As the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) grows older, functional foods and beverages play a leading role in their quest to stay healthy and active. While they are receptive to these products, they tend to doubt “miracle cure” health claims. You will learn about the sound science that provides the best foundation for new product development for this group and explore the science-based, balanced perspectives on the key drivers of the evolving area, including regulatory issues.

• Cardiovascular Health. The American Heart Association estimates that one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure. In 2005, about 8.2% of American males had one or more heart disease conditions. Solid science has paved the way to increased opportunities for new product development. Since this trend is here to stay, you will need to expand your knowledge about new product introductions and line extensions.

• General Health & Wellness. According to the 2007 USA HealthFocus Trend Report, more shoppers in 2006 than in 2004 have increased their use of whole grains, fruits, and omega-3 fatty acids. Get prepared to meet the challenges as health concerns drive the growth of the functional foods market. Plus, learn about new approaches to help minimize your organization’s risk in future product development decisions.

• Weight Management. Potential health benefits from the reduction in the prevalence of obesity are of significant public health importance. Understanding these issues will help you identify high-potential product development opportunities and effectively market them.

General Session Speakers
The General Session Speakers will provide you with practical information that you can immediately apply to your own product portfolio of health and wellness product initiatives.

The Keynote Speaker is Enrique Jacoby, Regional Advisor on Nutrition, Chronic Disease Unit, Pan American Health Organization, Washington, D.C., where he helps to develop policy recommendations to improve physical activity and healthy eating. He has worked with the Ministry of Health in several countries, including Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, and Costa Rica. Additionally, he helped organize the 2006 regional conference on the implementation in the Americas of the World Health Organization Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health in Costa Rica and the WHO/PAHO Task Force on Trans-fatty Acids in April 2007.

Jacoby has worked in public health nutrition for the last 20 years in areas that encompass child and maternal health/nutrition and chronic disease prevention. His technical expertise extends to the design, evaluation, and planning of public health nutrition programs. Prior to joining PAHO, he was the Principal Investigator at the Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru, and a consultant to the Offi ce of Epidemiology, MOH, Peru.

As Keynote Speaker, Jacoby will discuss the state of the industry regarding consumer health.

Barbara O. Schneeman is Director, Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements, U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. She oversees the development of policy and regulations for dietary supplements, nutrition labeling and food standards, infant formula, and medical foods.

She has also served as a member of the faculty and administration at the University of California, Davis, including Chair of the Dept. of Nutrition, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and Associate Vice Provost—University Outreach. She will discuss the regulatory landscape for health and wellness.

A. Elizabeth Sloan, President, Sloan Trends & Solutions Inc., Escondido, Calif., and a contributing editor to Food Technology magazine, will share her expertise in following and analyzing food industry trends as she provides insights into consumer health and wellness.

She has served as consumer and marketing columnists for several food industry magazines, as well as Senior Vice President and International Director of Food and Nutrition at Hill and Knowlton Inc. public relations firm. She was the first scientific director of the American Association of Cereal Chemists, and Manager of Nutrition Communications and Technical Services for General Mills Inc.

Experts Share Knowledge
Two panels of industry experts will provide you with additional insights to developing and marketing healthful food and beverage products.

Bill Kurtis, Chairman and Founder of Tallgrass Beef Co., as well as a network anchor, documentary host and producer, and multimedia production company president, will moderate Wednesday’s session, Health Programs and Policies Impacting Consumer Market Segments. The panelists will discuss the healthcare initiatives and policies that face each organization. In response to major health concerns, the nation’s top health-based associations are publishing policies and implementing consumer wellness programs.

Suzy Badarocco, President, Culinary Tides, will moderate Thursday’s session, Qualifi ed Predictions as Trend Precursors. Learn from the panelists as they gauge the future of health and wellness products, specifically within the ingredient, marketing, and regulatory arenas. Be inspired to look beyond your own product portfolio and your competitor’s front door to see from where the next food trends will emerge.

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Customized Learning
Distinct from other conferences of its kind, this program incorporates a multidisciplinary approach that is structured in tracks to offer you the opportunity to customize your learning experience. Choose one of the three tracks of breakout sessions that focus on your professional role, or move between tracks for broader exposure to key issues that span the lifecycle of a health and wellness product.

Food Safety & Regulations
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

• Late Breaking Session that focuses on a timely topic within the regulatory arena

• Examining Domestic and International Systems that Maintain Food Safety and Minimize Risk

• So the Food is “Functional” But is it Legal?

• A Closer Look: In-Depth Perspectives on Health Claims

Thursday, February 28, 2008

• The Skinny on Going Natural

• Protecting Your Intellectual Property: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights

Marketing & Packaging
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

• From Science to Sound Bites—Translating Research into “Marketingease”

• What Will Make it Sell? Creating Actionable Perceptions About a Product’s Healthfulness

• Science-based Strategies that Resonate with Anti-aging and Athlete Audiences

• New Technologies in Food Packaging that Enhance Shelf Life, Wellness, and Sustainability

Thursday, February 28, 2008

• Strategize Your Product Positioning to Meet Consumer Health and Wellness Needs

• Consumer Perceptions on Health Foods and Their Impact on Purchasing Behavior

Product Development
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

• Tastes Too Good to be Healthy? Sensory-based Approaches to Product Development

• Applying Insights Gained from Obesity Trends to Effect Product Development

• Omega-3 Applications with Potential for Boosting Cardiovascular Health

• Addressing the Needs of Boomers and Athletes When Creating Functional Foods

Thursday, February 28, 2008

• Leveraging a Consumer-centric Approach to Drive Health and Wellness Innovation

• An Extensive R&D View into Developing Functional Foods

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Register Today > > >
Continuing education credits are available to members of the American Dietetic Association, Research Chefs Association, and Product Development and Management Association.

Visit www.ift.org/ftpc for fee information and to register.