Scientific Sessions: Monday Morning Highlights
General Session
Making sense of sustainability: What consumers really think
Session 111, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S402ab
Track: Sustainability
Sustainability has become a buzzword across the food industry, but what does it really mean to consumers? Which platforms and claims carry the most weight? And does sustainability really affect how consumers buy, especially as household budgets have tightened? In this session, Mintel will debut findings from custom consumer research conducted for the IFT Annual Meeting. In addition to sharing new consumer research findings, this session will feature a live consumer panel. The panel will include primary household shoppers who represent the continuum of sustainable consumers. They will participate in a lively Q & A session that highlights what everyday shoppers think about sustainability.
Symposia
Technical marketing: Effectively bridging the gap between R&D and marketing
Session 97, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S502ab
Track: Education & Professional Development
The symposium will consist of three presentations focused on three key areas. The first presentation will offer insights on efficiently delivering messages between marketers and scientists and highlight the key issues in communicating to audiences of mixed technical understanding. The second presentation will discuss the importance of integrating marketing in the innovation process and explore the role of cross-functional teams in the execution of the innovation process. The third presentation will examine how bridging the divide between the R&D and marketing functions helps to meet customer needs and brings value to the customer.
Biotechnology: What food companies need to know
Session 98, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S402ab
Track: Emerging Technologies & Ingredient Innovations
Biotechnology is quickly becoming one of the top issues for food companies. It can be a tricky route to navigate, especially for companies doing business internationally. Consumers are inundated with mixed messaging about biotechnology, which understandably leaves food companies concerned about public sentiment. When it comes to biotech food products, there are numerous and diverse regulatory processes, legal implications, and consumer attitudes. This session will provide practical knowledge to prepare food companies to successfully navigate the complex biotech landscape, minimizing product development and business risk. Topic experts will share tips to negotiate the regulatory and legal processes. Results from the International Food Information Council’s 14th Annual 2009 Consumer Perspectives on Biotechnology study will also be presented at this session.
Probiotics: Insights and health applications
Session 101, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S401ab
Track: Food, Health & Nutrition
New research on beneficial relationship between probiotics and human health continues to unfold. The probiotic food market continues to grow with a host of probiotic strains now added to a broad array of dairy and other food products. The latest research on probiotic-related health outcomes will be reviewed. New research on genomic sequencing of probiotic microorganisms will provide insights about attributes of probiotics that interact with the gastrointestinal tract and can be impacted by food form. Steps and procedures to assure the performance of a probiotic product through shelf life and prevalent quality issues will be discussed. The session will conclude with an overview of the global regulatory environment and translating probiotic-related research into health related messages.
The brave new world of fiber: New functional applications, simplified measurement, labeling, and health
Session 102, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S401cd
Track: Food, Health & Nutrition
Knowledge about fiber has experienced significant new developments in recent years that has provided many new opportunities to the product development scientist. Foods making claims related to fiber has been one of the fastest growing categories in the past few years and the trend has accelerated in the past year. Consumers are eager to purchase food products that contain fiber for health benefits, such as prevention of constipation, preventing heart disease, lowering of cholesterol, weight loss management, and many more. Furthermore, the development of fibers with differing textural effects and the understanding of their innovative utilization in a wide range of foods and beverages has also increased dramatically. This session will describe innovative functional application of fibers, interpretation of new analytical methodology to be used for labeling of fibers, and provide the latest update on the nutritional and health aspects of fibers.
Nut food safety: Challenges and considerations when developing controls to address pathogen contamination in nuts as well as other low water activity foods and feed
Session 103, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S504ab
Track: Food Microbiology
Although different nut commodity and industry groups have developed programs over the past decade to address food safety, there is still much work to be done. Although addressing nuts in particular, this symposium has broader value to other low water activity products, including seeds, as well as fresh produce and other commodities. This symposium will: 1) share research from different nut crops that shows persistence of pathogens in that commodity, describes environmental factors affecting survivability and growth, and highlights inactivation characteristics to various processes; 2) describe the challenges involved with establishing and validating technologies or processes for adequate destruction of microorganisms. A focus will be placed on examining differences among various nuts as well as on conditions such as moisture which may influence the ability to achieve a desired level of microbial kill; 3) explore the sensory and quality attributes of pasteurization processes on nuts; and 4) describe product vulnerability to recontamination after the lethality step and provide insight on how to implement strong sanitation and pathogen environmental programs to minimize the risk of product recontamination.
Food Irradiation: Applications and acceptability of irradiated food
Session 104, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: 501ab
Track: Food Processing & Packaging
Ionizing radiation is a nonthermal processing technology that effectively inactivates foodborne pathogens. Despite its limited use in the past, the use of food irradiation is increasing as consumers are beginning to appreciate the benefits of irradiated food. Food irradiation is being used to treat several commodities in the United States and there are several requests before the FDA to allow for its expanded use. This session will provide the attendees with an understanding of the current uses of this technique, as well as the potential for the technique to enhance the safety of the food supply. The benefits of food irradiation will be discussed, as well as some of the reasons that this process has not been adopted more readily by consumers and/or food manufactures.
Compendial quality standards for food ingredients: An efficient first line defense against economically motivated adulteration
Session 105, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S501cd
Track: Food Safety & Defense
Recent incidences of food ingredients that have been adulterated for economic gain highlight the necessity of applying tighter standards to keep the food supply chain safe. However, economically motivated adulteration presents a huge challenge in the marketplace as its analytical detection is not always straight forward and as evidenced with the authentication of a newly emerging value-added botanical extract. The benefits and limitations of novel approaches utilizing advanced molecular biological techniques will be presented and discussed with real-life examples. Food manufacturers are the pivotal point between consumers and ingredients producers as it’s their product name that consumers will identify and potentially vilify.
Harmonization of global food protection efforts
Session 106, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S403ab
Track: Food Safety & Defense
To better ensure a safe food supply in a sustainable global economy, it is essential to harmonize all aspects of food protection efforts, from legislation and regulations to management practices throughout the global supply chain. Harmonization of efforts must be multidisciplinary and results-oriented to minimize the vulnerability of the global food system to incidental or intentional biological or chemical contamination. Food protection programs must have a comprehensive farm-to-table approach, encompassing all parts of the supply chain from primary production through processing, transportation, storage, retailing, food service, and consumption. Regulatory standards and specifications must also be considered.
Food texture design and optimization: Texture design for healthy food
Session 107, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: N426a
Track: Product Development
Food texture is one of the most significant challenges (besides flavor) in product development and promoting the uptake of healthy foods. The reduction of fat, inclusion of fiber, reduction of sugar/high-fructose corn syrup, and addition of several health promoting ingredients can lead to undesirable changes in food texture. The utilization of formulation science techniques to design and optimize food textures to achieve parity with the consumer preferred textures of the higher calorie, higher sugar, higher fat food products can greatly promote wellness through greater acceptance and uptake of healthier food products. This session will outline critical challenges in formulation, processing, and shelf life/stability and discuss the best approaches to address them.
Gluten-free foods: Opportunities and challenges
Session 108, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: N427ab
Track: Product Development
The gluten-free market is growing quickly with sales of gluten-free food and beverage products expected to reach $2.6 billion by 2012. This session will provide an overview of the gluten-free market, the importance of a strict gluten-free diet for these consumers, including foods and ingredients allowed and ones to avoid, as well as nutritional issues for those on a gluten-free diet. Speakers will also discuss how pulses (for example, peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas) and novel grain ingredients (such as amaranth, quinoa, teff) are considered to be gluten-free and can be successfully incorporated into tasty, nutritious foods. Formulation and processing challenges, as well as product labeling and regulatory issues, will be addressed.
Food regulation: Evolutionary changes in revolutionary times
Session 109, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S505ab
Track: Public Policy, Food Laws & Regulations
The symposium will examine four recent regulatory developments in the United States and China that were intended to support food safety and improve health for the people of these nations and better enable trade. The question will be explored with each regulatory development: Are the intended benefits achieved? The presenters will also address whether national legislation is the optimal channel by which to achieve food safety and international trade. The issues that will be examined include those addressed by proposed national legislation in the United States (which may become law before IFT 2010 convenes), new regulations in the United States and China, and greater emphasis on enforcement activities in the United States.
Bringing sustainability to your products with 10 key principles
Session 110, Monday, 8:30–10 a.m.
Room: S503ab
Track: Sustainability
The food supply chain affects every individual on the planet. As a result, sustainable development of the food supply chain is imperative. Sustainable development has been defined as meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” A sustainable food supply would then mean that food is produced and consumed in a way that supports the wellbeing of generations. The food industry has the capability of meeting this goal, though it is currently falling short. Areas of environmental impact and ways to improve them will be discussed, as they relate to food processors, such as sourcing, waste reduction and recovery, packaging options, and processing with minimal water and energy use.
Food scientists—fast track your research by teaming up with the business side of your organization: Are you optimizing your contributions to the business enterprise?
Session 112, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S502ab
Track: Education & Professional Development
Food scientists who acquire four key competencies—concise communications skills, financial knowledge to secure funding, cross-functional team leadership skills, and understanding of the strategic direction and business drivers of the organization—are more likely to be viewed as leaders in their organizations. This session will brief participants on the qualitative research done by Lake Forest Graduate School of Management on the specific business competencies currently needed for working in a business enterprise, allow participants to calibrate their business learning needs, examine the difference in the viewpoints between scientists and their business counterparts, and demonstrate the importance of refining business acumen skills. It will also help participants to prepare for the transition from creating breakthroughs to managing breakthroughs by sharing best practices and emerging trends relevant for food technologists.
Understanding dietary fiber: Source, definitions, and impact on food quality and health implications
Session 114, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S503ab
Track: Food Chemistry
The papers in this presentation will clarify the classifications of dietary fiber, including soluble, insoluble, and how they relate to the published definitions, as well as the legal definitions used by the FDA for addition to foods. The classification of the resistant starches, RS1 through RS4, as dietary fiber sources will be described and brought into perspective. Information on allowed FDA health claims will be presented. The impact of food processing and storage on the function of dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, in foods will be evaluated, along with the impact of dietary fiber on human health.
Texture: Where sensory experience and analytical knowledge meet
Session 115, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S504ab
Track: Food Engineering
During this session we will address texture in relation to: 1) food engineering, focusing on the individual and combined role of the macronutrients proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and 2) sensory perception, focusing on engineering structures and their breakdown for required mouthfeel and aroma release. It will be explained how new insights, using new analytical tools and principles, have led to advances in engineering new and adapting existing food systems.
Functional foods and nutraceuticals in the prevention of cancer, inflammation, and diverse degenerative diseases
Session 116, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S401cd
Track: Food, Health & Nutrition
This session will discuss nutraceuticals derived from dietary spices, anthocyanins and other phytochemicals that have demonstrated a broad spectrum of preventative biochemical functions in cardiovascular disorders, advancing age-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and diverse degenerative diseases.
Sodium reduction: Striking the right balance?
Session 117, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S403ab
Track: Food, Health & Nutrition
Attendees will understand how the brain processes signals about sodium intake. They will also learn about some of the key cerebral hormones involved in processing signals about salt balance. They will learn what some companies are doing to create new flavors that trick the palate into thinking it has sodium or has a higher intake of sodium.
Dietary supplement safety assessment: Past, present, and future
Session 119, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S501cd
Track: Food Safety & Defense
With the growth in dietary supplement use in many countries, there is an increasing need to assess the safety of such products. The safety assessment of these products is not an easy task. Challenges exist with both the quantity and quality of information with respect to toxicological and clinical effects. Adverse reactions are typically under-reported, and the interpretation of reported cases is often difficult. This symposium will address not only some of the historical and continuing challenges faced when assessing dietary supplement safety, but also will highlight emerging initiatives and toxicological methods aimed at overcoming these challenges.
Novel nonlinear inactivation kinetics models and risk assessment tools for controlling food safety using nonthermal technologies
Session 120, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: N426a
Track: Food Safety & Defense
Nonthermal processing technologies are gaining increasing usage for the production of commercial foods by increasing food quality attributes. The recent FDA approval of commercially sterile low-acid foods treated with high-pressure or microwave heating demonstrate the rapid advances in this area. This symposium introduces novel predictive modeling applications to address food safety with nonthermal technologies for spores, pathogens, and spoilage organisms in response to high pressure (HPP), pulsed electric fields, and chemical agents.
From open innovation, partnerships, knowledge-interactions, and design to consumer solutions
Session 121, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S401ab
Track: Product Development
Topics to be covered are: 1) a paradigm shift from open innovation to sharing is winning; 2) the next generation of open innovation—opening up the complex; 3) academia challenges and innovation paradigm shifts required to reinvent R&D; and 4) how design is stepping up to the home plate of innovation.
Innovations in biofunctional ingredients for optimizing pet health
Session 122, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: N427ab
Track: Product Development
This session will highlight the latest developments in biofunctional ingredient innovation to optimize pet health given by world-class scientists in veterinary medicine who have dedicated their lives to reducing cancer and other disease conditions, as well as improving the overall health in dogs through the aging process. Discussion will include focus on plant-derived and other natural sources of ingredients that have strong potential to reduce inflammation and cancer, and improve neurological and cognitive function in dogs. They also may have ramifications for improving human health and nutrition. Challenges, opportunities, and the latest successes in the development of pet food products utilizing these biofunctional ingredients for pet health promotion will be reviewed.
Global regulatory approval for food ingredients: Canada, United States, and South America
Session 124, Monday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Room: S504cd
Track: Public Policy, Food Laws & Regulations
The course will provide an overview of the key technical, legal, and regulatory requirements for gaining approval for food ingredients and additives and dietary supplement products on a global basis. This information is critical for product development for global markets.