The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is focusing on the future of artificial intelligence in food. In particular, how AI is advancing health-driven food innovation while also addressing sustainability and food security, during IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo, returning to McCormick Place in Chicago July 12-15.

The Artificial Intelligence Keynote, “Designing with Intelligence: Practical AI for Faster, Smarter, Safer Food Innovation,” is taking place Wednesday, July 15, from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT, and will feature Alon Chen, CEO and Co-Founder of Tastewise, sharing real-world use cases where AI is converting consumer signals into science-based decisions for product developers and R&D leaders. The keynote which will provide valuable insights around product development, course design, research, policy, and environmental health.

“AI is already reshaping nearly every part of the food ecosystem and it’s here to stay. The advantage will go to teams that use it to amplify expertise, not replace it. AI can speed formulation, strengthen quality and consistency with predictive tools, and turn consumer signals into better decisions, but only when it’s built on trusted data, validated by humans, and guided by strong governance,” said Jay Gilbert, IFT Director of CoDeveloper and Digital Products. “IFT FIRST attendees will get to experience first-hand what comes next with AI and how can they better leverage it for product development, technical problem solving, insights and operations.”

 The show will have much more about AI as well:

 AI SESSIONS at IFT FIRST

• “Foundations of AI in Product Development” 

1. Sunday, July 12 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

• “Designing AI Workforce Literacy for Food Systems: A Practical Blueprint for Smart, Accessible Training”

1. Monday, July 13, 11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. CT
2. Speaker: 

• Hanyu Chen, Purdue University

• “From Artificial to Affective Intelligence: Teaching Technology to Taste Emotion”

1. Monday, July 13 – 2:15 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.
2. Speaker: 

• Constantinos Pantidos, Brand Aviators

• “How Are Emerging AI Tools Transforming Food Innovation End-to-End, From Consumer Understanding to Scaled Innovation?”

1. Tuesday, July 14, 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. CT
2. Hosts:

• Jacob Smith, RTI International
• Cindy Stewart, Innovative Food Science Consulting LLC

• Pelin Thorogood, Radicle Science
• Anshul Dubey, PepsiCo
• John Ennis, Aigora

• The Energy Edge: Leveraging IoT-Driven AI to Power Energy Efficiency in Food Production”

1. Tuesday, July 14, 12:00 p.m. – 12:20 p.m. CT
2. Speaker: 

• Pedro Medina, Haystack Data Solutions

• “Artificial Intelligence in Food Science and Nutrition: A Discussion with IFT’s Journals Editors”

1. Tuesday, July 14, 1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. CT
2. Moderator:

• Richard Hartel, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Chang Chen, Cornell University

• Product Innovation in the Age of AI: A Hands-On Workshop”
• Wednesday, July 15 – 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

• “Assessing AI Tools for High-Risk Food Safety and Regulatory Decision”

1. Wednesday, July 15, 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. CT
2. Host:

• David Tonucci, Bell Flavors & Fragrances

• Vera Dickinson, Innova-Q
• Todd Austin, Aptean
• Matt Riesenbach, ECI Software Solutions

• “How Do We Balance AI and Human Expertise in Food Innovation?”

1. Wednesday, July 15, 1:10 p.m. – 1:55 p.m. CT
2. Hosts:

• Amrita Ray, Northern Crops Institute
• Mohamed Badaoui Najjar, PepsiCo

• Liangji Xu, Amano Enzyme
• Anna Thomas, Stanford University
• Panos Kostopoulos, Proxy Foods
• Ellen Kuhl, Stanford University 

 Also, a special guided AI-themed tour will take place on Tuesday, July 14, from 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. CT. The tour will explore how AI is being applied to food research, product development, manufacturing, and quality. This tour will connect attendees with exhibitors using AI-enabled tools and platforms for tasks such as formulation design, predictive modeling, and process optimization. At each stop, participants will see concrete use cases and discuss where AI can support decision making, reduce development time, and improve consistency in real-world settings.  

To learn more, visit www.ift.org/ift-first-event/.