IFT17 session tracks include:

• Food, Health & Nutrition
• Food Chemistry
• Food Engineering
• Food Processing & Packaging
• Food Safety & Defense
• Product Development & Ingredient Innovations
• Public Policy, Food Laws & Regulations
• Sensory Science
• Sustainability

What’s new?

The show’s theme this year is Go With Purpose, which reflects the latest research, innovative solutions and groundbreaking thinking that will be shared throughout the event. To go along with this theme, IFT has expanded its program offerings to include a suite of programs called IFTNext. It includes short courses, debates, roundtables and critical panel discussions designed to challenge and engage attendees in conversation and activities that provoke a better understanding of how global, transdisciplinary collaboration can advance and instill innovative solutions to advance the science of the food. The highlights include:

• Start Up Alley — Talk one-on-one with a leading group of entrepreneurs developing innovative products and solutions in food science.
• Critical conversation hot topic talks — powerful, interactive talks exploring topics in food science and its related fields.
• Debates and roundtables — participate in thought-provoking debates and roundtable discussions tackling important and sometimes controversial topics.

Featured presentations 

This year’s featured sessions include Processed Food: The Good, the Bad and the Science, a panel moderated by Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspel, and a presentation by Andrew Pelling, scientist, entrepreneur, professor at University of Ottawa and TED senior fellow. The session takes place Monday, June 26, 9-10:15 a.m.

The premiere of the “Food Evolution Film,” with panel discussion to follow, takes place Tuesday, June 27, 8:30-10:30 a.m. From Academy Award-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy and narrated by science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson and made possible by IFT. The film is set amidst a polarized debate marked by fear, distrust and confusion: the controversy surrounding GMOs and food. The film begins a rationale conversation about the use of sound science and its role in the global food system.

A presentation on consumer trends in 2017 will also take place on Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Silvia Dumitrescu from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) will give a sneak peak of the IFIC’s Foundation’s 2017 Food & Health Survey (in its 12th year) to gain a better understanding of what consumers think about food and nutrition.

Advances in 3-D Printing will take place on Tuesday from 3:45-5:45 p.m. This presentation and live demonstration will include the analysis of flowability and printability of different product streams and characterization of resultant printed products.

GMOs...So What? (Tuesday and Wednesday, June 27-28, 1:15-2:15 p.m.) is a two-part presentation allowing attendees to actively participate and discuss how the GMO controversy has impacted them and their business, what it means for the future and how to better position the conversation to include sound science.

In addition to featured sessions and IFTNext programming, the show will feature product competitions and several ePoster presentations.

To learn more about specific events, and for more exhibitor and attendee information, travel arrangements, directions and registration links, visit www.am-fe.ift.org.