Keep an eye out for these theater sessions at SupplySide West/ Fi North America 2023!

Sweet Innovations: Chocolate, Confections & More

In this insightful session, Dr. Linsen Liu, Vice President of Sciences at Guittard Chocolate Co. shares his journey in the field of chocolate and confections. Join us to explore:

• Insights into the world of chocolate and confections.
• Technical aspects of enhancing the sensory experience of chocolate in various products.
• Balancing consumer desires for indulgence and healthier options.

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 11:15am PDT

Location: Booth #1350

The Great Debate: A Battle for the Generations

Join us for an interesting discussion about how different generations choose their food and drinks. We'll talk about what Boomers like to buy, whether Gen Z cares a lot about being eco-friendly, and if Millennials feel the same. An expert who studies the market will share interesting facts about what each group prefers in terms of taste, how food feels, and if it's a good choice.

What you will learn:

• The distinct F&B preferences of various generations, including Boomers, Gen Z and Millennials.
  
• The nuanced aspects of taste, texture, and sensory experiences, illuminated by a market expert's analysis.
• How to cater to a diverse range of tastes and values that align with different generational preferences.
  

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 11:15am PDT

Location: Booth #1350

Fireside chat: Mission possible

Hear from two established, respected CPG founders, Clarice Owens (Cofounder, Healthy Oceans Seafood Co.) and Marc Washington (Founder and CEO, Supergut) about how being mission driven has helped establish their industry presence.

In this session moderated by Audarshia Townsend, Content Director, Food & Beverage Insider, you can gain insights into:

• How these founders have helped develop a voice for sustainable farming, sourcing ingredients with integrity
• How they have worked towards establishing a network for the next generation of food and beverage leaders.

Date & time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 12:00 – 12:30 pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350

Legal Survival Guide for Food Brands: Insights from a Foodborne Illness Attorney on Staying Lawsuit-Proof in a Risky World

Discover invaluable insights into safeguarding your business against potential lawsuits, as seen through the lens of a seasoned food safety attorney. With a strong focus on legal responsibilities and managing risks, this presentation equips you with actionable strategies to fortify your brand's commitment to food safety, foster trustworthy relationships with food safety collaborators, and enhance consumer confidence. Join us for a concise 30-minute presentation where our expert speaker will delve into:

• Regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and supplier verification processes that uphold industry standards and ensure consumer protection.
• Uncover the essential elements of HACCP plans, allergen management, and GMP implementation to create a clean manufacturing environment.
• Learn the art of sourcing ingredients safely, vetting suppliers, and ensuring their strict adherence to stringent safety measures.
• Delve into the art of building strong partnerships with contract manufacturers to uphold quality and safety throughout the supply chain.
• Acquire valuable insights into preventing foodborne illnesses, being prepared for recalls, and adhering to effective labeling compliance.

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 12:45pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350

How to Handle a Product Recall Like a Pro

While the word ‘recall’ is not something any CEO or compliance leader wants to hear, it is a reality of doing business in the F&B industry. In this presentation, you will take a deep dive into navigating a recall – whether to avoid one or handle one. The focus will be on:

• How to identify potential recalls
• How to develop a recall plan
• How to communicate with your customers during a recall
• How to dispose of recalled products

We will also touch upon the difference between a recall and a market withdrawal, and how to avoid the pitfalls of
both. If you’re responsible for food safety at your company, make sure you don’t miss this one!

Date & Time Wednesday October 25th, 2023 1:30 – 2:00 pm PDT

Location Booth #1350

The future of food is upcycled: Meet 3 ingredients leading the way

‘Upcycled’ is no longer just a buzzword. Learn more about upcycled ingredients, their origins and the different sustainable formulations that can be developed. Here’s what is in store for you in this session:

• Join Food & Beverage Insider associate editor Heather Carter and Upcycled Food Association CEO Angie Crone for a mini-awards ceremony featuring three top innovators in the upcycled ingredient sector.
• Experts Jason Leibert of Solnul, Sean Bredt of Outcast Foods and Andrew Richard of Comet Bio share insights utilizing upcycled ingredients in the F&B industry, opportunities and challenges surrounding formulation, why these ingredients are important to the future of the industry and the importance of consumer appeal.

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023, 2:15 – 2:45 pm PDT

State of Sweeteners

Choosing the right sweetener can depend on various factors, including formulation requirements, the intended audience, caloric content, and compliance with regulations. With the rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes, health factors have become a significant consideration. There are growing concerns about the safety of numerous natural and alternative sweeteners. Get the latest insights from consumer demands to scientific research that will guide your product development and ingredient purchase decisions.

Join for stimulating, relevant lessons in:

• The weigh up between sweeteners and health considerations
• The latest scientific research on sweeteners and their production
• Current consumer demands to guide your product development process

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 3:00pm - 3:30pm (PDT)

Location: Booth #1350

Ensuring Ethical Supply Chains: Navigating the EU Due Diligence Directive and Challenges of Alternative Ingredient Sourcing

Delve into the essential elements of EU diligence and its significant impact on global sourcing and traceability within supply chains. Gain in-depth knowledge about the EU Due Diligence directive, exploring its essential criteria and effective implementation methods for ensuring ethical practices throughout supply chains. Additionally, acquire insights into the complexities and challenges of sourcing alternative ingredients, understanding the hurdles businesses encounter in meeting regulatory and consumer requirements. Join us to access valuable information and strategies aimed at enhancing transparency, compliance, and sustainability in your global supply chains.

Those who come will gain valuable insights such as:

• The key elements of the EU Due Diligence Directive
• The practicalities of implementing the directive into different businesses
• Multiple strategies in maintaining and expanding supply chains effectively

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 3:45pm-4:15pm (PDT)

Location: Booth #1350

Go Nuts: Formulation and Sustainability Considerations

The popularity of nuts is on the rise among both consumers and product developers due to their health benefits, diverse flavor options, and adaptability to various products. Nevertheless, creating an excellent new product for consumers involves numerous factors to consider, such as sustainable sourcing, product development, and safe production methods. Participate in this engaging panel discussion to discover the latest trends and best practices in bench techniques, ingredient selection to meet sustainability requirements, and effective allergen management during production.

This sessions key takeaways include and understanding of:

• How to sustainably and safely source your nuts
• The trends and techniques that are hot in the nut industry
• How to ensure allergen management is tight during the production phase

Date & Time: Wednesday October 25th, 2023 4:30pm - 5:00pm (PDT)

Location: Booth #1350

What does an inclusive industry look like?

What does diversity really look like in the real world and in the F&B industry? Join this insightful session where we interview a few diversity champions, and discuss:

• How we can build a better industry because of our differences.
• Fresh ideas on how we move the industry forward.

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023, 10:30 – 11:00 am PDT

Location: Booth #1350

Taste of Food ingredients North America: Women of color food scientists introduce heritage ingredients

Join us for a unique session where R&D specialists introduce us to:

• Global ingredients and modern spins on heritage dishes.
• Opportunities disruption, from snacks to beverages to new takes on plant-based offerings.
• An ingredient indigenous to their homeland and the innovative ways it can be used.

The best part: You will have the chance to taste and smell each ingredient!

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023, 11:15 – 11:45 am PDT

Location: Booth #1350

Formulating for Growth

With health issues like diabetes, heart problems, obesity, and cancer getting more common in the US, people and the government are paying even more attention to how food is made and what it's made of. This means they're focusing on things like salt, sugar (especially the extra sugar added to food), and fats. Some folks are embracing the idea of using food to stay healthy, while others are using supplements for specific health problems. NielsenIQ (NIQ) will tell us all about the newest trends in how wellness is shaping the way food is made. Here's what you'll learn:

This is what you'll discover:

• The latest trends on added sugar, fat, and salt, especially considering the FDA's new ideas about what's "healthy"
• A closer look at how food and drinks are being made to help with diabetes, which is becoming a bigger issue
• Checking out the trends in "clean label" food and drinks, and also what's happening with supplements
• Understanding how food as medicine and supplements are used to tackle important health problems.
  

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023 12:00pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350

Top food industry trends

In this session underwritten by Cargill, the focus is on:

• What finished products are trending today?
• Trending ingredients and how they will inspire the product pipeline.
• What’s new in packaging, and the reality of sustainable packaging.
• Join this interactive session and take up the challenge of identifying the pros and cons of popular food packaging options.

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023 12:45 – 2 pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350

How to build a great-tasting functional beverage

Balancing taste with the nutritional benefits is one of the biggest challenges manufacturers of functional beverages face. In this session, product developers share:

• Groundbreaking ingredients for your functional beverage formulations
• How to follow nutritional supplement trends into beverage development—and how you can make them taste good. 

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023 2:15 – 2:45 pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350

Inside Organic: Elevating the Benefits of Organic from Seed to Shelf

This Inside Organic session will bring together top industry experts to dive into the data shaping today’s organic marketplace and tackle issues that can be a barrier to elevating organic certification. Here’s what is in store for you:

• Sherry Frey, Vice President Total Wellness, NielsenIQ, will share the latest insights on today’s organic consumer.
• Panel discussion on understanding, verifying, and elevating organic certification lead by industry veteran Gwendolyn Wyard, founding partner and manager of Strengthening Organic Systems and former Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for the Organic Trade Association.

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023 3:00 – 4.15 pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350

CPG roundtable: 3 founders define sustainability practices

Hear from the founders of two CPG companies, Ari Newman and Paul Newman of K'UL Chocolate, and Michelle Johnson, CEO of Ghost Town Oats about sustainability and what it means for their businesses. Find out more about:

• How sustainability is an integral part of their mission statements, whether it’s sourcing ingredients from local farmers or investing in recycled packaging.
• How you can make sustainability a core part of your own business operations.

Date & Time: Thursday October 26th, 2023 4:30 – 5 pm PDT

Location: Booth #1350