A Matter of Science and Food (IFT 18) gave food industry professionals and science enthusiasts the chance to network, collaborate and share information. Attendees were given the opportunity to showcase their inventions, listen to expert panel discussions and explore the logistics of the industry. There was a ton of information to take away from this year’s show, so I decided to make a list of the top 5 things that I learned at IFT 2018.

• 1.     Food trends require science to come to life in products. Plant protein, coconut, coffee flavors, and fermented foods were just a few of the trends that I spotted at this year’s show. Often, what’s overlooked is the incredible amount of science and technology required to deliver products that meet consumer needs – yes, price, taste, convenience, and safety still matter – but science is necessary to deliver the trend. The IFT Show is one of my favorite places to see the hard work of food scientists in action, along with the continuing evolution of the food and beverage industry. 

• 2.     Our CFBN Members are killing it and making a difference.  A few examples….
• ·       Edlong – demonstrated and explained the art of dairy-free options
• ·       Imbibe – showed off innovative beverage trends
• ·       FoodMinds – presented multiple panels highlighting food industry efforts
• ·       FONA International – took time to teach educators about food science
• ·       IFSH – provided guidance for food safety and researching needs
• ·       CoreFX – shared a range of dry dairy, cheese and nutritional lipid ingredients
• ·       Kinsa Group – connected talented candidates to leadership opportunities

• 3.     The World attends IFT. The IFT18 show presented many amazing opportunities, including the chance to network with international representatives from:
• ·       ProChile
• ·       Invest Chile
• ·       Wallonia Trade Office/Belgian Trade Commission
• ·       New Frontiers in Food

• 4.     Business connections are invaluable, especially in the world of food science and technology. Truly, it’s the relationships that we create in industry that generate value and innovation over time.  The annual IFT shows make this incredibly clear. I’m so proud of CFBN’s relationship with the Chicago Section IFT, and we seek to grow and extend the incredible relationships that this group has been creating since 1941.  It’s also fun to connect with friends and colleagues from all over the country and the world. There are simply too many for me to list…but IFT 2018 brought us all together (again!)

• 5.     Chicago is the best place for IFT.  My favorite IFT experiences have always been in Chicago (despite my clear biases). Next year’s IFT show is set to take place in New Orleans, LA, and I’m sure it will be a great show (who doesn’t love New Orleans, beignets, and Cajun food?)…but what’s most exciting is that IFT will be returning to Chicago in 2020, and for the following 10 years! Is Chicago truly becoming the Silicon Valley of food? I sure think so!