The annual meeting will feature a Keynote Panel on “Delivering Science: Changing the Image of Food Science in the Marketplace” on June 12. Michael Specter, author of “Denialism, How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens our Lives,” will address how people are turning their backs on scientific impartiality, and are abandoning rational thought in favor of hearsay, rumors and vague promises. As a result, Specter sees this impacting consumer purchasing decisions and promulgating a rush to organic foods as well as vitamins, dietary supplements and “natural” cures that might do no good or might even cause harm. He gives voice to the growing fear that “denialism,” as he calls the phenomenon, will stifle scientific inquiry and progress, prevent scientists from remedying solvable problems, such as famine in Third World countries, and create new windows of opportunity for diseases to appear in the world.

Specter joins a panel of food industry experts in a discussion of this dangerous trend, its effect on the food industry and how the industry can turn the tide in order to ensure a safe and abundant food supply that contributes to healthier people everywhere.

New this year, the Beacon Lecturers program features renowned speakers identified by the program planning team to headline plenary sessions at this year’s Scientific Program. Beacon Lecturers will bring new, innovative ideas, focusing on what the food industry can learn both from itself and from other sciences and industries. These speakers will highlight applied and basic research from other disciplines, explore topics of interest to IFT’s multidisciplinary audience, and share insights that food professionals can apply within their own organizations.

Attendees also can visit the Knowledge Center, a new IFT resource area for information on the key industry focus areas and core sciences. In the Knowledge Center, attendees will find infor-mation detailing relevant IFT educational opportunities, as well as knowledgeable experts who can help attendees build a personalized Scientific Program education plan. Attendees also will find information on IFT groups of special interest, Trend & Solution Tour details and additional educational offerings at the Knowledge Center. In addition, the center is designed to act as a place to connect with people of the same professional interest.

This year, navigating the Annual Meeting & Food Expo also will be easier using IFT’s new smartphone application. Available for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry, this app will provide information, including floor plans, exhibitor details, Scientific Program information, full search capabilities and Twitter updates.

On the floor
Each year at the Annual Meeting & Food Expo, pavilions provide IFT exhibitors a forum to showcase products and services under one roof. Attendees can go to one location to find the latest product information for a particular aspect of the food industry or visit educational forums and presentations that focus on trends, tastings and the global marketplace. This year’s pavilions include the following: Asia Pac, Healthy Food Ingredients, Organic Food Ingredients, Sustainability, Food Safety and Quality, Global New Products presented by Mintel International, and Taste the Trend presented by Innova Market Insights.

Attendees also have the opportunity to take a Trend & Solution Tour, a self-guided tour that connects participants with companies on the expo floor that provide innovative products and services related to significant issues and trends facing the food industry. Printed guides for each tour will be located at the entrances to the Food Expo. The list of 2011 IFT Food Expo Trend & Solution Tours includes the following:
• Ingredients for Functional Foods,

• New Directions for Carbs,

• Next-Generation Fats and Oils,

• Taste Modification and

• Weight Management and Diabetes.

Scientific program
The Scientific Program brings together approximately 110 education sessions and more than 1,200 poster presentations, each led by experts in their respective fields of food science and technology. Attendees will learn about the latest research and its applications, discover new products and technologies, and exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world.

The Annual Meeting’s Scientific Program Advisory Panel and a volunteer group comprised of more than 500 food science and technology professionals identified the most critical challenges facing food professionals today and built an education program to help attendees address them. The 2011 Annual Meeting Scientific Program is organized around the key industry focus areas and the core sciences of the food science discipline.

The 2011 Key Focus Area program includes:
• Food Safety and Defense

• Food Health and Nutrition

• Food Processing and Packaging

• Product Development and Ingredient Innovations

• Sustainability

• Public Policy, Food Laws and Regulations

• Education and Professional Development

Core Science Program Tracks include:
• Food Chemistry

• Food Microbiology

• Food Engineering

• Sensory Science

In addition, the Scientific Program will offer more educational opportunities with Sunrise Sessions from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. on June 12 and June 14.

This year’s Sunrise Sessions will provide attendees with an overview of topics such as nanoscience, product development, sustainability, Agriculture & Food Research Initiative grant funding, structure-function of carbohydrate polymers and approaches for detecting economically motivated adulteration of food.

On June 12, the meeting also will offer IPEx (Intellectual Property Exchange), a special session designed specifically to bring intellectual property owners and those actively seeking innovative solutions together to exchange information and explore new business opportunities. Posters and tabletops will be staffed by intellectual property holders, giving attendees the opportunity to talk informally and network directly with them.

In addition, IFT’s Technical Field Trips will showcase what companies are doing within the food industry. This year, visits include a tour of Celebration Distillation Corp., New Orleans, on June 14. The distillery produces Old New Orleans Rum brands made from blackstrap molasses made from the sugarcane grown in Louisiana’s Mississippi Delta. Participants will observe the step-by-step process of producing rum, including fermentation, distillation, aging, blending and bottling. Following the tour, a rum sampling will take place in the tasting room. BI

WHAT TO SEE AT IFT

ADM/Matsutani LLC
500 Park Blvd., Suite 1240

Itasca, Ill. 60143
Website: fibersol2.com
IFT Booth No. 6439

ADM/Matsutani will be showcasing the latest fiber-fortified new products to hit the market featuring Fibersol-2, the slow fermentation soluble dietary fiber that has been shown in clinical studies to help support intestinal health. While visiting the booth be sure to ask about the company’s low-calorie solution to increase the fiber content and nutritional value of virtually any food and beverage product without affecting the taste or adding unwanted texture. Fibersol-2 is highly soluble, has a clear and transparent solution, offers acid stability, very low viscosity, is moisture retaining, has very low hygroscopicity and is very stable at high temperatures. Fibersol-2 is tasteless, improves body/texture and offers masking properties — while providing the benefits of fiber with superior digestive tolerance. Applications for Fibersol-2 are nearly limitless, including beverages, dairy products, dietetic foods and supplements.


Aibmr Life Sciences
4117 S. Meridian
Puyallup, Wash. 98373
253/286-2888
Website: aibmr.com
IFT Booth No. 7821

Aibmr Life Sciences is a full-service natural products consulting company with an international client list that includes start-ups as well as Fortune 500 companies. Aibmr offers more than 30 years of experience in the areas of nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, functional foods and beverages. Aibmr’s team of industry experts includes naturopathic physicians and Ph.D. research scientists who are qualified to assist a beverage company in a variety of areas such as the following: product research, self-affirmed generally recognized as safe (GRAS) determinations, U.S. Food and Drug Administration GRAS notifications, food additive petitions and New Dietary Ingredient notifications. Headquartered in Puyallup, Wash., Aibmr also has offices in Seattle and Bloomington, Ind. Aibmr invites companies to tap into its natural resources to ensure that their products are safe and effective and help them succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

Aloecorp
2660 Willamette Drive NE
Lacey, Wash. 98516
800/458-2563
Website: aloecorp.com
IFT Booth No. 4201

Aloecorp’s mission is to provide the highest quality aloe vera raw materials by continuously improving its operations and quality systems, conducting scientific research, maintaining clean and efficient operations, and providing excellent customer service that exceeds expectations. Being the world’s largest grower and processor of aloe vera ingredients has many benefits to its customers. Sustainable farming, state-of-the-art manufacturing and advanced scientific research place Aloecorp’s products among the purest and most dependable available, it says. The high quality of Aloecorp’s product is due to the fact that the company controls its processes every step of the way. It begins at Aloecorp’s farms where the aloe vera is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides and other harmful chemicals. It then processes the aloe vera juice, concentrates and powder using state-of-the-art procedures and techniques developed in its research laboratories. Aloecorp’s Established Standard of Excellence provide the basis of its quality certifications, including organic certifications.


BI Nutraceuticals
2550 El Presidio St.
Long Beach, Calif. 90810
310/699-2100
Website: binutraceuticals.com
IFT Booth No. 5453

BI Nutraceuticals is a global supplier of more than 200 natural and organic generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients for use in functional foods and beverages. BI has developed a database of its GRAS ingredients and has segmented those ingredients into 12 condition-specific, functional platforms, allowing food and beverage manufacturers to locate easily specific ingredients appropriate for new product development. BI also has received a Safe Quality Food 2000 certificate from The National Science Foundation, which provides independent certification that a supplier’s food safety and quality management systems comply with international and domestic food safety regulations. The certification provides an additional level of assurance and commitment to its customers that BI’s ingredients have been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest quality standards across all levels of the supply chain.


Fortitech Inc.
2105 Technology Drive
Schenectady, N.Y. 12308
518/372-5155
Website: fortitech.com
IFT Booth No. 5117

Essentially known as the founder and pioneer of the nutrient premix industry, Fortitech consistently leads the way in the field of custom fortification. For IFT 2011, the company has developed several samples demonstrating its versatility with a range of food and beverage product applications. Included among the samples are a lemon-lime flavored clear protein beverage with electrolytes targeting the sports nutrition market and two varieties of an all-in-one stick pack: a blood orange flavored weight loss formula containing chromium and L-carnitine and another addressing overall wellness that contains 12 fortifications such as B vitamins and vitamins A, D3 and E. The stick packs can be added to bottled water to create a functional and flavored on-the-go, health beverages. Fortitech also will feature a heart healthy antioxidant fortified salsa that includes vitamins A, C and E as well as CoQ10, lycopene and selenium and an energy enhancing gum which is fortified with taurine, guarana and B vitamins.


Hilmar Ingredients
9001 North Lander Ave.
Hilmar, Calif. 95324
209/667-6076
Website: hilmaringredients.com
IFT Booth No. 4942

Hilmar Ingredients can help beverage companies take concepts to nutritious reality with whey protein fortification. At IFT Food Expo, explore how the company has infused whey’s wellness benefits into a variety of beverage concepts. Try the new Hilmar 9420 whey protein isolate in a clear, high-protein sports drink. Hilmar 9420 reduces astringency in low-pH applications. Also try a whey protein fortified fruit and vegetable smoothie with two servings of fruit and a half serving of veggies; a chai spice protein shake with 16 grams of whey protein hydrolysate, a more easily absorbed protein for superior nutrition; and a chocolate dairy drink designed for markets where lack of refrigeration and supply infrastructure might limit fresh dairy. Privately held by 11 dairy farming families, Hilmar Ingredients supplies large volumes of whey protein and lactose from facilities in California and Texas. It offers a fully equipped pilot kitchen and research lab staffed by experienced scientists.

Roha Food Colors USA
5015 Manchester Ave.
St. Louis, Mo. 63110
888/533-7642
Website: rohagroup.com
IFT Booth No. 6051

Roha is a leading manufacturer of colors for the food, beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical industries. The distribution network spreads across six continents, covering more than 100 countries. The product range includes Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic colors, exempt (natural) colors, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and customized color solutions for customers’ specific needs. The expert team of technicians is always available to discuss a company’s color needs and provide required support. The company’s brand names include Natracol Natural Food Colors, Idacol Synthetic Food Colors, Idacos Cosmetic Colors and Idacoat Dispersions.


Sensient Technologies
2515 N. Jefferson Ave.
St. Louis, Mo. 63106
800/325-8110
Website: sensientfoodcolors.com
IFT Booth No. 4217

Inspired by a limitless palette, unmatched technology and the emotional connection between people and color, Sensient Colors has successfully defined memorable sensory experiences for the food and beverage industries for more than a century. Sensient Colors LLC is a unit of Sensient Technologies Corp., a leading global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances. Sensient employs advanced technologies at facilities around the world to develop specialty food and beverage systems; cosmetic and pharmaceutical systems; inkjet inks, specialty inks and colors; and other specialty chemicals. The company’s customers include major international manufacturers representing most of the world’s best-known brands.


Symrise Inc.
300 North St.
Teterboro, N.J. 07608
201/288-3200
Website: symrise.com
IFT Booth No. 5016

Symrise Flavors combine consumers’ high interest in new tropical tastes with the company’s leading edge technology in the development of a new line of tropical fruit flavors. Mango, guava, papaya, pineapple, lychee, passionfruit, pomegranate and coconut water comprise the line that was inspired by consumers across the country who participated in an online study. These participants represented key life stages. While they reported a preference for more familiar tropical tastes, they indicated enthusiasm, interest and a willingness to try new tropical varieties. Symrise beverage application specialists have created a wide range of prototypes designed to highlight the tropical flavors portfolio. Symrise has tested the new tropical flavors in ready-to-drink teas, confectionery and bakery products as well as in savory toppings and sauces. Beyond their exceptional taste appeal, some tropical flavors can be used as effective masking agents in products that contain vitamins and minerals.


Virginia Dare
882 Third Ave.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11232
718/788-1776
Website: virginiadare.com
IFT Booth No. 6130

Virginia Dare will feature trendy new flavors, varieties of vanilla, various masking flavors and assorted teas in its Garden of Flavors. Enjoy a refreshing fortified ice pop made with cooling cucumber and sweet carrot flavors paired with exotic fruit flavors. Attendees can experience vanilla’s delicate aromatics and complex, full-bodied flavor profile in a beverage. Vanilla flavors, extracts, concentrates and oleoresins are made from beans from every commercially viable origin. Show goers can taste the difference in beverages made with sweetener/sugar alternatives designed with Virginia Dare masking flavors. In addition, attendees can quench their thirst with an iced tea made from tea leaves sourced from around the world. Virginia Dare tea concentrates are offered in black, green, Assam, oolong, rooibos and white as well as natural fruit flavors. Visitors also can relax while enjoying a refreshing, healthy lightly flavored spa-type beverage.