The IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, produced by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), brought professionals in the science and business of food together with R&D experts in product development, and quality assurance/quality control, executive management, marketing, procurement, sales and more, from industry, academia and government.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, IFT showcased more than 100 educational sessions including Innova Market Insight’s Taste the Trends Pavilion, which turns 10 this year. Spotlighted was an upgraded, visually-enhanced presentation of Innova’s annual cutting-edge list of the year’s top 10 trends.

First on the list of trends was “Waste Not, Want Not,” a theme that fit well with IFT keynote presenter Doug Rauch’s message on the importance of reducing food waste. Lu Ann Williams, head of innovation at Innova Market Insights, says interest in reducing food waste is wide ranging, extending from food manufacturers to retailers to consumers. There’s been a surge in cookbooks that discuss using leftovers, Williams explains. It’s an appropriate post-recession theme, she observes, noting that the recession left many consumers more focused on discipline and cost-saving.

Ardent Mills brought its new Mobile Innovation Center (MIC) to the show floor in New Orleans and held a press event on Sunday, June 22, to herald its debut. The trailer truck features a state-of-the-art test kitchen and bakery, equipped with a suite of culinary and baking equipment and audiovisual capabilities, as well as ingredients and experts, providing product development teams to work hands-on with Ardent Mills’ team members. The MIC also featured three training stations, ovens, a walk-in refrigerator, a freezer and a flat-top grill.

To learn more about the show, visit live.ift.org.