Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Ingredient Spotlight

IFT FIRST to address top consumer insights driving product development

Tradeshow to address biggest issues impacting the food, beverage industries

city skyline

Image Credit: Photo by pawel.gaul/E+ via Getty Images

June 3, 2025

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Chicago, is looking to equip food and beverage leaders with the knowledge to create game-changing products and solutions when it provides indispensable consumer insights at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, it shares. IFT FIRST is the annual food science and technology event that is taking place July 13-16, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

IFT FIRST unites top experts throughout the science of food disciplines across academia, industry, and government. Through cutting-edge scientific programming and multi-disciplinary discussions, IFT FIRST addresses the biggest issues impacting the food industry across novel technology and innovation, health and nutrition, sustainability and climate, food safety, and consumer insights, the association notes. The expo floor, a celebration of the latest food innovations and technologies, features some of the top food, health, and wellness companies in the world launching or showcasing the products and solutions that will help usher in a new era of food, it adds.

IFT also will unveil a revolutionary new approach to R&D and product development that will transform how food and beverage organizations anticipate and react to consumer trends and preferences, it notes.

“In every part of the food system, staying attuned to evolving consumer preferences is vital to being competitive and delivering what consumers want and need,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean, in a statement. “At IFT FIRST, you can expect a wide range of content — from expert-led scientific sessions to insights-driven programming — that will help attendees anticipate market shifts and spark the innovation necessary to lead the future of food.”

At IFT FIRST’s opening keynote, Michiel Bakker, President of Culinary Institute of America and former head of Google’s global workplace programs including Food at Google, will address Food as Experience Design: Applications in F&B Product Development where he will share insights on the importance of food and beverage businesses balancing profitability with public health and consumer demands and highlight the importance of integrating product and service for enhanced consumer engagement.

There also are several can’t-miss scientific sessions focused on consumer insights, including:

  • “How Can Improved Consumer Education Foster Sustainable Food Acceptance?”
  • “How Can Food Companies Earn Trust While Combatting Misinformation?”
  • “Meeting Industry Needs: Recruiting and Retaining Food Science Students”
  • “How Do Consumer Perceptions Influence Ingredient Avoidance and Purchasing Decisions?”

Hosts and panelists will include a variety of IFT member experts in leadership positions at top companies and from leading academic institutions including:

  • Jordan Allen (Ingredion)
  • Wolfgang Bindzus, PhD (Cereal Partners Worldwide by Nestlé and General Mills)
  • Edith DeVita (Mars Inc. and Mars Wrigley)
  • Clifford Hall, PhD (South Dakota State University)
  • Nitin Joshi, PhD (PepsiCo)
  • Jonathan Kershaw, PhD (Brigham Young University)
  • K.P. Sandeep, PhD (North Carolina State University)
  • Xiaolei Shi, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
  • Fatheema Subhan, PhD (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona)
  • Job Ubbink, PhD (University of Minnesota)
KEYWORDS: beverage ingredients IFT (Institute of Food Technologists) tradeshows

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Beverage News
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Alternative Drinks
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

Sting Energy

PepsiCo, Sting Energy unveil global partnership with Formula 1

top 100 beverage companies

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

people drinking Wynk

Mindful drinking prompts growth for THC beverages

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 26, 2025

FAST. FOCUSED. FUELED: Delivering Energy Consumers Can Feel

Learn how to formulate products that deliver the energy experiences that people want, and keep them coming back for more.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • IFT FIRST: Annual Event & Expo

    IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo returns to Chicago

    See More
  • BI News

    IFT to offer formulation insights

    See More
  • IFT FIRST

    IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo returns to Chicago

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • GlobalData_Consumer.jpg

    Consumer and Market Insights: Beer in the US; Trends and innovations in Beer

  • GlobalData_Consumer.jpg

    United States of America Beer & Cider Market Insights 2020

  • GlobalData_Consumer.jpg

    Where Next for Bottled Water? Exploring consumer trends and innovation opportunities in bottled water

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing