IFT and Process Expo: One Time, Two Shows

Consider it a one-time event. Or two food-related trade shows that just happened to be in adjoining halls of Chicago's McCormick Place.

Whichever scenario, there is no future for a combined Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo with the Food Processing Suppliers' Assn. (FPSA) Process Expo. But this past one appeared to do reasonably well.

The combination that was billed as a dream team a year ago unraveled even before the dual show opened its doors this July 18. FPSA already said it would hold its own show, a biennial event, starting in November 2011, also in Chicago's McCormick Place. IFT next year will return solo to New Orleans in June.

IFT, which was responsible for most of the logistics of the joint event, reported a healthy crowd this year: 21,500 attendees. There apparently was no practical way to figure how many came for the ingredients show versus how many showed up for the equipment. For IFT alone, that's close to previous Chicago events (IFT seems to always draw better than 20,000 in the Windy City) and far above the 15,000 who attended the 2008 New Orleans event and the 2009 Anaheim, Calif., show.

IFT reported for its hall more than 1,000 companies exhibiting in some 2,100 booths and taking up 230,000 net sq. ft.

FPSA had 333 exhibitors taking up 100,080 sq. ft. The association also conducted onsite sales for its 2011 show, and said it already had signed up 200 exhibitors requesting 156,400 sq ft.

Here are some of the developments we found interesting at the twin shows:

Barry Callebaut AG introduced Acticoa, a high-flavanol chocolate to meet increasing consumer demand for functional foods. Available in milk and dark chocolate, Acticoa has guaranteed levels of flavanols, linked to health benefits such as skin nourishment, protection against cell damage from free radicals, and maintenance of cardiovascular health. And the manufacturing process preserves up to 80 percent of flavanols found naturally in raw cocoa beans.

Bunge Oils won an IFT Innovation Award for its PhytoBake shortening. This vegetable-based plastic shortening includes phytosterols, which not only add structure to the shortening but have been proved to help lower blood cholesterol. PhytoBake adds zero trans fats and can lower saturated fats by 46 percent in some formulations. Parked outside McCormick Place was Bunge's M.O.E. (mobile oil experts) truck, which fried treats with Bunge oils, then used some of the spent cooking oil as a biodiesel fuel. It follows upon the food truck craze in some areas of the country.

Butter Buds Food Ingredients debuted Butter Buds-Bacon, a natural flavor concentrate made without animal products. Ideal for vegetarian products, seasonings, snacks, soups, salad dressings, cheese and prepared foods, it was developed using enzyme modification of sunflower oil to create the Kosher Parve-certified ingredient, which is heat stable and has an 18-month shelf life.

East meets West at IFT

As part of its commitment to provide a platform for future food technologists to engage in product innovation in China, while promoting California almond consumption in the rapidly growing Chinese market, the Almond Board of California (ABC) collaborated with Jiangnan University in China since 2004 to develop innovative products for the Chinese marketplace.

The annual Almond Student Innovation Competition has evolved into a national platform for food innovation as the ABC and the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology have worked together. Proof of the competition's success is reflected in the numbers of entries in 2009: 209 proposals were received from 1,020 students from 36 universities.

The grand prize winning team from Jiangnan University of Science and Technology came up with a great product, made from cooking and marinating blanched almond halves and slices with pickled chili. It's a great example of Western foods harmonizing with Chinese taste. The inspiration came from a traditional Chinese appetizer, and the innovation widens almond application by conceptualizing a fresh dish into a convenient snack with long shelf life and an excellent prospect for commercialization.

Cooking the almonds makes halves or slices tender while maintaining their unique crunch. Their acidic and spicy taste provides for unlimited usages, either as savory snacks or spicing or garnishing ingredients for salad or fast food menus.

The winning team was awarded 10,000 yen (nearly $1,500), a trip to a CIFST annual conference in Beijing, a trip to California and then to IFT,
Sponsored by the Almond Board, three students – Jia Liu, Shi Yin and Shanshan Huang -- and their Professor Zheng Zhao were at IFT, and attendees had great fun meeting them. R&D of the future is in great hands.

The price of cocoa has been steadily rising, while its supply is frequently in question. Issues surrounding insecure cocoa sourcing range from political instability and industry underinvestment, to drought, insect damage and plant disease. It all adds up to major worries about price pressures and supply shortages for consumer product manufacturers whose products rely on cocoa as a key ingredient. Comax Flavors developed a range of cocoa extenders and replacers, available in both powdered and liquid form, which can replace anywhere from 10 parts to 75 parts dutched cocoa in the finished product with one part Comax flavor. The results range from a rich chocolate taste with deep, complex notes to a light caramelic-type cocoa flavor.

ConAgra Mills put its Ultragrain flour into a consumer product: Ultragrain Pasta. The spaghetti, penne, macaroni and rotini were made with 51 percent Ultragrain, which has all the benefits and fiber of whole grains but the taste, texture and appearance of white, refined flour. Nine-Grain Orzo was made with both Ultragrain plus Sustagrain, a whole-grain oat flour, and some of ConAgra's Ancient Grains (amaranth, quinoa and teff). Another baking trend, gluten-free, was addressed by Eagle Mills Gluten-Free All-Purpose Multigrain Flour Blend, featuring five of the Ancient Grains.

A reliable, safe and natural source of polyphenols with potent antioxidant properties and bioavailability, Hidrox 12% is a new particulate-free hydroxytyrosol formula from Creagri Inc.'s  line of natural, organic olive polyphenolic ingredients. Hidrox 12% is a clean and soluble product, ideal for a number of foods and beverages, including clear water and juices.

David Michael & Co. relaunched Cocoa-Mate, its line of cocoa flavor extenders that can replace up to 30 to 50 per cent of the cocoa powder in a finished product. Cocoa-Mates can replace Dutched Cocoa flavors and Natural Cocoa flavors, and are available in natural and artificial varieties. Applications include ice cream, yogurt, beverages, puddings, toppings and bakery goods.

Color improves the allure of foods and beverages through visual appeal. In fact, D.D. Williamson's wide array of natural coloring, along with its caramel color, helps sell 1.5 billion servings every day. New products on display included: Darkest Class One ("plain" in E.U.) caramel color stable in low pH, high alcohol, and high salt for natural food and beverages; Caramelized sugar flavor, a natural flavor stable in low pH; Annatto extract stable below pH 3.0 in flavor systems for yogurt; and Certified organic annatto extracts.