Newswise — CHICAGO – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Food Science and Technology (ALACCTA) are hosting the inaugural Food Science & Innovation Conference at the Hilton Guadalajara in Mexico, February 27-29, 2012. The conference will bring together the region’s food professionals to meet and exchange perspectives on leading practices, issues and hot topics impacting the global food industry.
“This conference will convene experts from the food science and technology profession to exchange ideas on ongoing global impacts on the food industry and the food supply system,” said IFT President Roger Clemens, DrPH. “It will foster critical discussions that will identify new trends and emerging challenges that will ultimately serve as catalysts to generate different and important international perspectives and foster new ideas within the food industry.”
The opening session will feature Elsa Murano, PhD., Professor and President Emerita of Texas A&M University and former Undersecretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2001 to 2004. In her presentation, she will explore how science plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and sufficiency of the food supply. Dr. Murano also will offer suggestions on how to prepare the next generation of food scientists to be positive contributors in resolving global food issues.
Presentations will feature leaders in the food science industry as well as technology experts. Participants also will have the chance speak with other professionals in attendance.
Session highlights include:
Perspectives on the Global Food Industry•Luis Fernandez, Applications Technology Leader, Cargill (moderator)•Gregorio de Haene, Senior Vice President Technology, SIGMA Alimentos•Francisco Sanchez Diaz, Senior Manager of Innovation, Gerber Latin America
Global Issues in Food Safety Regulation•Robert B. Gravani, IFT Past President, Cornell University (moderator) •Phyllis Marquitz, Assistant Regional Director Latin America, FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition•Maria Lourdes Costarica, Food and Agriculture Organization (retired)•Octavio Carranza, Director General, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA)
The Global Consumer of the Future•Jairo Romero, Chairman of the Board at Colombian Association of Food Science and Technology, ACTA (invited moderator)•Jorge Sarasqueta, Director-Latin America. Innova Market Insights•Tim Scerba, Director General, Edelman México
Additional Sessions of Interest: •Food Science Educational and Outreach Needs of Mutual Interest to the U.S. and in Latin America: A Team Approach•Natural Antimicrobials in Mexican Food Safety•The Protective Antioxidant Effect of Tropical Fruits•Use of Ionizing Radiation Process on Food•Competitiveness and Food Safety•Creating Opportunities and Value through the Food Safety Modernization Act•Innovation and Sustainable Development of Appellation of the Origin of Tequila•Probiotics, Biotechnology and Health•Does the Nutritional Label Reflect What We Are
The conference will close with one of the most successful businessmen in Japan and Mexico. Carlos Kasuga Osaka, Founder of Yakult Mexico, will provide insights on leadership and growing a successful business through his inspiring story. Brought to Mexico by Osaka in 1981, Yakult is a company dedicated to manufacturing probiotic yoghurts created through the fermentation of a milk and sugar mix with a special bacteria known as lactobacillus casei. Osaka is President of the International Life Sciences Institute, and Vice President of the Committee for the Centennial Celebration of the Japanese Migration to Mexico.
###
About IFT The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a nonprofit scientific society. Our individual members are professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT's mission is to advance the science of food, and our long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, contributing to healthier people everywhere.
For more than 70 years, the IFT has been unlocking the potential of the food science community by creating a dynamic global forum where members from more than 100 countries can share, learn, and grow. We champion the use of sound science across the food value chain through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education, and by furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit ift.org.
RSS