Innovation was center stage during the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 2014 Annual Meeting & Food Expo in New Orleans, June 21-24. Considering 2014 also marks IFT’s 75th anniversary, the event was filled with celebration, innovation and an emphasis on feeding our growing global population.
The show floor was buzzing with excitement, which was no surprise considering more than 16,000 food industry technologists and professionals were in attendance. Food Product Design’s Executive Editor Lynn A. Kuntz and Assistant Editor Rachel Adams were in attendance and brought back a wealth of information about new products, ingredients and food trends.
A big topic of discussion this year was IFT’s FutureFood 2050 initiative designed to increase the dialogue on food issues via written stories and a documentary film. With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, food science will play a key role in feeding this population. However, misinformation has caused concern among consumers about our food and where it comes from.
According to Josh Schonwald, contributing editor to FutureFood 2050, who participated in a panel about the initiative, FutureFood 2050 will highlight individuals who are “contributing in an impactful way" to solving the challenge of feeding a growing planet. On the other hand, despite skepticism of “big food" by consumers, many are beginning to understand the role of functional foods in their diets, and are turning to packaged foods to meet their dietary needs.
As such, ingredients that meet those demands—such as fiber or protein, among others—along with those that meet demands for “natural," non-GMO and clean label, were seen across the immense show floor.
For example, Cargill introduced a soybean oil made from identity-preserved (IdP), conventionally bred (or non-GMO) soybeans, and also launched IngreVita, a low-cost blend of canola oil, fish oil and proprietary antioxidants to deliver long-chain omega-3s that boost nutritional value in products.
Naturex launched Acerola Cherry 17, as a natural solution for shelf-life extension for meat and poultryapplications. The cherry-based antioxidants protect meat pigments from oxidation and can also be used as a curing accelerator in cured meats. Also launched during IFT was its XtraBlend® RA, an antioxidant that combines acerola with rosemary extract to create a powerful synergistic blend that protects both color and flavor in meat products.
And what better way to explore a new ingredient than to try it? Naturex showcased the efficacy of the new ingredients in an all-natural Jamaican jerk beef jerky concept product that had been preserved with a completely natural ingredient system.
And of course, innovation didn’t stop with ingredients. In fact, the expo opened on Sunday by honoring three different companies for exciting technological innovations, in addition to ingredient innovations, as part of IFT’s 2014 Food Expo Innovation Awards.
Among 27 qualified entries, the selected winners included Arla Food Ingredients for its Nutrilac® proteins for acid whey; PerkinElmer, Inc., for its DairyGuard Milk Powder Analyzer, which applies advanced algorithms to screen for known and unknown economic adulterants in milk powder; and Solazyme, Inc., which was honored for its high-stability high oleic oil derived from microalgae, which delivers superior performance and healthful attributes for a wide variety of foods without compromising on critical taste metrics.
And although the high level of activity and sheer size of the expo hall floor made it possible to miss a thing or two, there was no missing Ardent Mills’ new Mobile Innovation Center (MIC). The MIC—basically a state-of-the-art test kitchen and bakery on wheels—was designed to make grain innovation accessible and portable. Each day of the expo, a new lineup of grain-innovative treats were available for sampling (of which, Food Product Design’s Assistant Editor Rachel Adams was lucky enough to try the Rue Royale Blackberry Pie, made with SafeGuard Ready-to-Eat flour, and the King Red Velvet Cake).
If you attended the show, drop me a line telling me what piqued your interest.
The show floor was buzzing with excitement, which was no surprise considering more than 16,000 food industry technologists and professionals were in attendance. Food Product Design’s Executive Editor Lynn A. Kuntz and Assistant Editor Rachel Adams were in attendance and brought back a wealth of information about new products, ingredients and food trends.
A big topic of discussion this year was IFT’s FutureFood 2050 initiative designed to increase the dialogue on food issues via written stories and a documentary film. With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, food science will play a key role in feeding this population. However, misinformation has caused concern among consumers about our food and where it comes from.
According to Josh Schonwald, contributing editor to FutureFood 2050, who participated in a panel about the initiative, FutureFood 2050 will highlight individuals who are “contributing in an impactful way" to solving the challenge of feeding a growing planet. On the other hand, despite skepticism of “big food" by consumers, many are beginning to understand the role of functional foods in their diets, and are turning to packaged foods to meet their dietary needs.
As such, ingredients that meet those demands—such as fiber or protein, among others—along with those that meet demands for “natural," non-GMO and clean label, were seen across the immense show floor.
For example, Cargill introduced a soybean oil made from identity-preserved (IdP), conventionally bred (or non-GMO) soybeans, and also launched IngreVita, a low-cost blend of canola oil, fish oil and proprietary antioxidants to deliver long-chain omega-3s that boost nutritional value in products.
Naturex launched Acerola Cherry 17, as a natural solution for shelf-life extension for meat and poultryapplications. The cherry-based antioxidants protect meat pigments from oxidation and can also be used as a curing accelerator in cured meats. Also launched during IFT was its XtraBlend® RA, an antioxidant that combines acerola with rosemary extract to create a powerful synergistic blend that protects both color and flavor in meat products.
And what better way to explore a new ingredient than to try it? Naturex showcased the efficacy of the new ingredients in an all-natural Jamaican jerk beef jerky concept product that had been preserved with a completely natural ingredient system.
And of course, innovation didn’t stop with ingredients. In fact, the expo opened on Sunday by honoring three different companies for exciting technological innovations, in addition to ingredient innovations, as part of IFT’s 2014 Food Expo Innovation Awards.
Among 27 qualified entries, the selected winners included Arla Food Ingredients for its Nutrilac® proteins for acid whey; PerkinElmer, Inc., for its DairyGuard Milk Powder Analyzer, which applies advanced algorithms to screen for known and unknown economic adulterants in milk powder; and Solazyme, Inc., which was honored for its high-stability high oleic oil derived from microalgae, which delivers superior performance and healthful attributes for a wide variety of foods without compromising on critical taste metrics.
And although the high level of activity and sheer size of the expo hall floor made it possible to miss a thing or two, there was no missing Ardent Mills’ new Mobile Innovation Center (MIC). The MIC—basically a state-of-the-art test kitchen and bakery on wheels—was designed to make grain innovation accessible and portable. Each day of the expo, a new lineup of grain-innovative treats were available for sampling (of which, Food Product Design’s Assistant Editor Rachel Adams was lucky enough to try the Rue Royale Blackberry Pie, made with SafeGuard Ready-to-Eat flour, and the King Red Velvet Cake).
If you attended the show, drop me a line telling me what piqued your interest.
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