Crowds of food industry professionals will start pouring through the doors of Chicago's McCormick Place South building this weekend for the opening of the IFT Annual Meeting + FOOD EXPO. This year's event - opened by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson - promises more than 800 exhibitors, 55 symposia and nearly 2000 technical abstracts.
Blue Pacific Flavors will introduce its latest Asian and Latin American-influenced range of Sun-Ripened True Fruit flavours (SRS) at the show.
The flavours - such as Guava, Lychee, Kumquat or Jamaica - are heat stable for hot-fill beverage or soft gel confectionery applications and are kosher and halal certified.
The company claims that its proprietary SRS technology does not use any traditional solvents which could mask aroma chemicals and other natural water or oil phase volatiles.
Cognis Nutrition and Health will emphasise new product development at the event, presenting a range of food products that incorporate the company's natural ingredients. One product making its debut from Cognis Germany is Lamequick, a whipping agent used in ready-to-eat mousses that provides basic functionality for aerated products such as desserts, decorating or cake filling creams, and frozen desserts.
Caramel colour company DD Williamson will display a caramelised apple product from 100 per cent apple juice concentrate. "We developed this product in response to our clients' need for clean labelling as 100 per cent apple," said Owen Parker, vice president for research and development at D.D. Williamson.
"First you add knowledge…" is the theme for Danish ingredients giant Danisco. Showcased products at this year's IFT exhibition include a range of flavoured beverages featuring Danisco's stabiliser systems, flavours and added fibre.
Munch on brownies featuring Benefat and Grindsted GA cake emulsifiers, sugar-free turtle candies featuring the company's sweetener products Litesse polydextrose and lactitol and barbecue chicken sandwiches with Danisco's Grinsted carrageenan and CFF stabiliser blend.
Dutch company Acatris, which has recently expanded its food business into the US, will highlight the Dadex line of customised antioxidant solutions at the Chicago exhibition. The Dadex family is available in liquid or dry form and includes synthetic and natural antioxidant systems.
The IFT opens on Sunday 13 July and runs until 16 July - the FoodNavigator.com team will be bringing you regular reports.