Inside the Can’t-Miss Keynotes and Featured Sessions at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo

CHICAGO – April 18, 2023 – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, has unveiled its keynote and featured speakers at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, which is being held July 16-19, 2023, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The opening keynote address on Embedding Innovation into Everyone’s DNA will be delivered by Duncan Wardle, former head of innovation and creativity at Disney, from 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. CST on Monday, July 17. The second-day keynote on Tuesday, July 18, will include three winners from the second annual Global Food Systems Challenge discussing Seeding the Future: Innovation Across the Supply Chain for Healthy People and Planet. This will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. CST.

The final day keynote, which is being held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. CST on Wednesday, July 19, will include both small and large companies dispelling the myth that small companies have an edge over large companies when it comes to innovating and bringing new products of technologies to market quickly in David and Goliath: Considering How Organization Size Impacts Innovation.

“Our global food supply is facing new challenges that require new solutions. Our top global food-science leaders recognize this and are guiding the technology and innovation movement that is driving our food systems forward today. We are thrilled to welcome many of those great leaders to IFT FIRST as they share their valuable and much-needed insight with the IFT community,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean.

In addition to the three keynote addresses at IFT FIRST, there will also be five featured sessions, each featuring a panel of food experts from around the world.

Reimaging Food Waste to Put the ‘P’ in Profit & Loss will examine the hottest product innovation ideas capitalizing on upcycled food waste or by-products, which in turn will help attendees significantly improve the profit and loss statement at their respective organizations.

“Agricultural and food processing by-products such as fruit and vegetable skins, pulp, seeds, and stems can be defined as low-value or scrap materials—written off in the manufacturing plant ledgers, never to be thought of again. However, these by-products have other potential uses in industries or applications such as packaging, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals,” said Bryan Hitchcock, Chief Science and Technology Officer at IFT.

The educational session will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Monday, July 17.

Food Tech Innovations That Are Changing How the World Eats will feature leading food tech companies sharing the latest groundbreaking innovations that have forever-changed food consumption. From tailor-made stabilizing solutions to precision fermentation techniques to biomanufacturing, innovative products are adding value across the food supply and serving as the next generation of protein solutions or sustainable ingredients.

“Functional foods are exploding, and the pace of change is accelerating due to tumultuous times and shifting consumer habits and a global climate crisis. Despite these challenges, there are many opportunities to tap into these evolving trends via novel tech and create inspiring food product development solutions and innovate in a time of crisis,” added Hitchcock.

The educational session will be held from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, July 17.

Science of Food Is Critical to Finding Urgent Health and Nutrition Solutions for a Growing Global Population features a can’t-miss collection of experts discussing the important role food science plays in addressing global crises. From formulation and production to packaging and palatability, food science professionals are critical to bringing forward solutions at scale that consumers want, and the planet needs to help achieve these goals.

“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all UN Member States, provides a blueprint for people and the planet, as well as an urgent call for action to enable science to accelerate transformation goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, clean water and sanitation,” said Anna Rosales, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Nutrition at IFT.

The educational session will be held from 4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 17.

Expect the Unexpected: Failure to Anticipate Threats Is a Critical Food Safety Risk will address the tough questions organizations must be asking themselves, including what type of investments must be made and what strategies must be implemented now, to meet today’s food safety risks.

“Shutdowns of meat packing plants and oil pipelines due to ransomware attacks; fake organic grains due to fraud; systemic network outages due to maintenance failures; attacks on power grids—the failure to anticipate risk and plan risk mitigation strategies may be the biggest food safety issue companies face. The risk is very real, and failure to anticipate what targeted threats and unthinkable breaches could happen can be a costly misstep for the food industry,” said Tracy Fink, Director of Scientific Programs and Food Safety at IFT.

The educational session will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18.

The final education session will be a consumer panel focusing on How Consumers’ Food Choices Are Impacted by Crisis. The panel will look at how the food community can work together to bolster trust among consumers to create a more transparent and sustainable future.

“Increasingly, consumers are prioritizing the health of the planet in their purchasing decisions. With consumers wanting more sustainable, planet-friendly solutions or all-natural ingredient innovations, plant-based alternatives and proactive health-and-wellness trends will continue to impact new product development,” concluded Rosales.

The educational session will be held from 1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18.

To learn more about IFT FIRST, go to www.iftevent.org.

Early-bird registration ends on April 21, 2023. To take advantage of the attendee discount, go to www.iftevent.org/attend/registration. IFT members receive a special discount to IFT FIRST. To become a member or learn more, go to www.iftevent.org/membership.

About Institute of Food Technologists
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a global organization of approximately 12,000 individual members from more than 100 countries committed to advancing the science of food. Since 1939, IFT has brought together the brightest minds in food science, technology and related professions from academia, government, and industry to solve the world’s greatest food challenges. IFT works to ensure that its members have the resources they need to learn, grow, and advance the science of food as the population and the world evolve. IFT believes that science is essential to ensuring a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. For more information, please visit ift.org.

Media Contact
Dennis Van Milligen
Senior Manager, Public and Media Relations
Institute of Food Technologists
630-853-3022
[email protected]