New Orleans was the scene of this year’s IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo. The topics discussed were topics and innovations focused on the present and future of the food industry.
The keynote speaker, Doug Rauch, current CEO of Conscious Capitalism and former CEO of Trader Joes, highlighted the challenges facing the current and future food supply. He discussed how most of the population has a very fuzzy concept of where food comes from. In the US, “hunger has a new face – obesity”. The issue in the US is not a full stomach, but instead a shortage of nutrients and getting a healthy meal. His opinion is that the next big food revolution will be about what we are wasting, and how consumers need to change attitudes about purchasing imperfect or blemished foods. A final area where he saw ways to reduce food waste is reducing the confusion on code dating products to reduce waste of still edible items.
IFT is funding a website and documentary on the future of food, and feeding the increasing population of the world. In the session “A Filmmaker’s Perspective: FutureFood 2050 Panel Discussion”, website author Josh Schonwald and film director Scott Hamilton Kennedy highlighted how both entitites focus on the challenges the food industry will face, and how the science of food is progressing to aid in feeding and sustaining the world.
Clean label ingredients were highlighted all throughout the expo, and in the seminars. Sessions on further processed meats and beverages highlighted changes that could make ingredient declarations simpler, and the challenges that come with adjusting the ingredient listing to make it “less frightening” to consumers. Mintel offered daily in-booth sessions on “What’s next for clean label”, noting that the “no additives” package claim is gaining global popularity, and the future focus will be on label simplicity.
Some suppliers delved into an emerging alternative protein sources:
- Solazyme featured AlgaVia™ algal protein with 50% protein and 15-20% dietary fiber content, an algal flour that offers emulsification properties, and a high stability high oleic liquid oil derived from microalgae. This oil has a very high omega-9 (EU) content, is extremely stabile, and won them a 2014 IFT Food Expo Innovation Award. Solazyme also had their ingredients featured on the Cooking Up Science stage, in an alfredo sauce and smoothie.
- Roquette (EU) introduced Algility HP algal protein this year at the expo, as part of their Aligility protein line, which includes an algal flour and chlorella. It would easily be introduced in protein smoothies due to the thickening and emulsifying characteristics.
Also in the emerging alternative proteins category, there was a very informative session titled “Real Pioneers: Experience with Insect Ingredients, Processing, Products, and Marketing”. The consensus of the presenters is that insect protein is more sustainable than animal protein, and in some cases more nutritious, but the biggest challenge facing this ingredient is acceptance by the general population.
The future landscape of the food industry is definitely in for changes. And as seen in the topics discussed at this year’s IFT meeting, these changes will include paradigm shifts for both consumers and manufacturers. While it may take a few years for acceptance on both sides, these changes will help feed the growing global population.
Additional Information:
IFT Live
Natural Resources Defense Council – “The Dating Game: How confusing food date labels lead to food waste in America”
Chapul Cricket Bars – sustainability
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