Visit Booth 1838 to explore GLP-1 insights, soy protein innovation, and soybean oil application—plus connect with experts and suppliers to solve your toughest formulation and performance challenges.
“Food ultimately isn’t about optimization. It’s about people. Food is about memory and generosity and curiosity. It’s about the exchange of cultures.”
During Monday's keynote, chef and bestselling author J. Kenji López-Alt challenged attendees to think differently about creativity, arguing that the best innovations emerge by combining scientific rigor with a deep understanding of the people food is meant to serve.
From a keynote discussion on food safety to a candid conversation with consumers, Day 1 explored one of the industry's biggest challenges: building public trust in food science.
Experts from government, academia, nonprofits, and industry discussed why transparency, plain-language communication, and collaboration are essential to closing the gap between food science and public understanding.
Three consumers shared how they navigate nutrition advice, what shapes their food choices, and where confusion persists—offering food scientists a candid look at today's health and nutrition landscape.
From left: Blake Harris (IFT), Mercy Lung'aho (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture), Paul Bowen (Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable), and Carmen Moraru (Cornell University)
Developing new technologies is only part of the challenge. Industry, academic, and nonprofit leaders discussed what it will take to scale promising solutions—from sustainable processing and water stewardship to food security—and why collaboration and trust are essential to making meaningful progress.
“Each time I come, I gain new insights. I see new trends in food science, I see new innovations. I get refreshed. I get connected. I make new collaborations.”
— Bolanle Otegbayo, professor of food science at Bowen University in Nigeria, on why she's been coming back to IFT FIRST since 2010.
See what's turning heads across the Expo Hall—from AI-powered product development and protein-forward prototypes to functional ingredients and bold new flavor concepts.
