Baking & Snack - April 2023 - 93

SPECIAL REPORT
Meeting Preview: IFT FIRST
IFT FIRST will explore how the food system can overcome its biggest challenges.
by Lucas Cuni-Mertz
T
The food science community returns to McCormick
Place in Chicago July 16-19 for the Institute of Food
Technologists' (IFT) annual meeting, IFT FIRST Annual
Event and Expo. The largest food innovation expo in
North America is expected to draw 17,000 attendees and
800 exhibiting companies, offering networking, educational
sessions, competitions and more.
" IFT FIRST is one of the most important food events in
the world as it unites the visionary leaders guiding the global
transformation of our food supply and provides them
with a unique platform to share cutting-edge ideas, demonstrate
modern food system solutions and collaborate on
ways to ensure a healthier and more sustainable future, "
said Christie Tarantino-Dean, IFT chief executive officer.
In accomplishing these objectives, this year's theme
is Innovation in a Time of Crisis: Can We Future Proof
the Food System? Sessions will explore topics such as
sustainability, upcycling, turning food waste into profit,
food safety and how consumers' food choices are impacted
by crisis.
The opening keynote, Embedding Innovation Into
Everyone's DNA, will be given by Duncan Wardle, former
head of innovation and creativity for The Walt Disney
Co. Mr. Wardle will discuss common mistakes companies
make when innovating and how they can make the innovation
process easier, as well as his own experience at Disney.
Innovation Across the Supply Chain for Healthy
People and Planet, the second day's keynote, will feature
winners from the Global Food System Challenge, an
initiative challenging participants to design innovations
that transform the food system. The challenge, formed
and funded by the Seeding the Future Foundation,
awards $1 million each year to the winners.
The foundation will also host The Pitch at the Startup
Pavilion on the expo floor, where 100 food startups will be
able to take part in a " multi-stage rapid-pitch " competition
spanning three days. The winning startup will receive
$10,000 and two runners-up will win $2,500 each.
IFT First will additionally offer fireside chats and
Business FIRST sessions on the expo floor, offering listeners
20 to 30 minute case studies and presentations on
ingredients, trends and applied science.
This year's show will debut an Innovation Lab on the
final day, an interactive lab where attendees can solve
real-world product development problems using fundamental
and applied science. The show will also host
a career fair this year, allowing job applicants to connect
with food science and CPG companies, as well as companies
exhibiting for the first time.
For more information and to register for the event,
visit iftevent.org/attend/registration.
*
IFT FIRST will be
held July 16-19 at
McCormick Place
in Chicago.
IFT
*
www.bakingbusiness.com / April 2023 Baking & Snack 93
©Iuliia Sokolovska
http://www.iftevent.org/attend/registration http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - April 2023

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