The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will host its annual meeting and food expo July 13-16 at McCormick Place South in Chicago. The event invites food science and technology professionals to attend and learn about the newest products, trends, tools and techniques in the ingredient, equipment, processing and packaging sectors as well as the companies behind them. More than 1,000 exhibitors are scheduled to present at this year’s expo.

Last year, more than 11,000 people attended the 2012 Scientific Program, which included more than 100 educational sessions and more than 1,400 poster presentations, according to IFT’s website. Similarly, this year’s Scientific Program will host numerous educational sessions, many of which have a beverage focus. For instance, at 10:30 a.m. on July 14, Tokyo-based Ajinomoto Co. Inc. will sponsor the symposium titled, “Sweetening with Stevia: An Overview of Global Regulatory Developments, Improving Analytical Methods for Stevia Extracts, Market Trends, and Formulation Success and Challenges.” At 10:30 a.m. on July 15, Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF will sponsor “Omega-3 Fatty Acid Updates: Brain and Cardiovascular Health,” and at 1:30 p.m. it will sponsor “Diet, Mental Energy and Mental Well-being: A Landscape Overview of the Science and Consumer Perceptions.” And at 10:30 a.m. on July 16, Ajinomoto will sponsor the session “Hybrid Sweetener Systems: The New Trend in Beverage Formulation.”

The show also will feature specialty pavilions such as the Food Safety & Quality Pavilion, Healthy Food Ingredients Pavilion and Organic Food Ingredients Pavilion, among others. Market research firms Innova Market Insights, Duiven, the Netherlands, and Mintel, Chicago, also will offer data and insight into product trends and consumer preferences at special interest pavilions.

For more information or to register for the show, visit am-fe.ift.org.