Inside IFT Part 1—Informational Highlights

The Institute of Food Technologists’ 2007 Expo (www.ift.org) will take place July 29–31 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, offering “The Best in Food Thinking.” The show floor will feature more than 1,000 exhibitors and a number of trends presentations, in addition to the event’s broad technical program.

Visit P&F at Booth 5432.

SFC Breakfast Meeting

Americans spend some $60 billion on snack food each year. Technical Product Inc. president Steven Witherly argues that because humans crave foods with high caloric density and high levels of salt, fat and sugar, it’s no wonder that Krispy Kreme Donuts, Doritos and Diet Vanilla Coke are so popular. (Witherly, for example, theorizes that Oreos’ success is due in large part to the cookie’s exploitation of organoleptic and mouthfeel contrasts—salty and sweet, light and dark, crunchy and creamy.) In his new book, Why Humans Like Junk Food, Witherly examines the “physiological basis for food pleasure and why these cravings occur.” In addition, he dissects food’s pleasure principles. During his speech at the Society of Flavor Chemists breakfast meeting, Witherly will detail 15 key food perception principles. The presentation will provide flavorists a better understanding of the physiological principles behind good food design. Monday, July 30; Hilton Chicago Hotel; 720 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL; www.flavorchemist.org

Flavor Insights

Regular P&Fnow contributor Mintel will be hosting a number of trends and tasting presentations during the IFT Expo, including “Emerging Flavor Trends.” Held at the Global New Products Pavilion, the presentation will address emerging flavors in new US product introductions and trace them back to their global origins. Mintel Pavilion; Sunday, 7/29; Monday, 7/30; and Tuesday, 7/31–4:30 PM

Innova will host “Taste the Trends,” a multipart poster session and demonstrational. The flavor section will include looks at a large number of international products and a look at prototype beverage concepts and tastings. Innova Pavilion; Sunday, 7/29–Tuesday, 7/31

Technical Highlights

Monell’s Gary Beauchamp will present “Emerging perspectives on human salt taste” during an afternoon symposium entitled, “Salt: Biochemistry of taste perception.” Sunday, 7/29–4:35 PM; N427d

Wild’s Debra Poskanzer will moderate a discussion on sensory science called “Factors contributing to performance, preference and perception. Monday, 7/30–2:00 PM; N427bc

As part of the food chemistry oral session, Theresa Gnadt (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) et al. will discuss the effect of commercial masking agents and lactones on soymilk aroma and flavor. Tuesday, 7/31–5:05 PM; N426a

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