IFST Webinar: Enhancing Nutrition: Unleashing the Potential of Plant-Based Foods through Fortification Strategies

Organised by Food Science and Nutrition SIG

More people are eating a plant-based diet in the UK than ever before, and others are reducing the amount of meat and animal products they consume, for health or sustainability reasons. Previous Food Science and Nutrition SIG webinars have focused on the nutrients that may be more difficult to obtain from a plant-based diet, whereas this one will focus on possible challenges and their solutions.

There will be a broad overview of the plant-based food market, including considerations when introducing a plant-based product with respect to whether to fortify or not.
This will be followed by a brief explanation of biofortification, which can provide vitamins/minerals that might otherwise be missing in a plant-based diet, illustrated with a couple of examples (beans and millets).
Finally, a novel food fortification method where vitamins can be added to food and drinks in the form of dissolvable capsules.

Half the session is dedicated to Q&A, so there will be ample opportunity to ask the speakers questions after their presentations, perhaps on the commercialisation, consumer attitudes and perceptions, nutrition and regulatory aspects of plant-based food fortification.

What participants will learn about: 

•    Broad overview of the market
•    Considerations when introducing a plant-based product (to fortify or not)
•    Biofortification, with a focus on beans and millets
•    Novel food fortification methods

Who should attend: IFST Members and non-members, Industry colleagues, Academics, Food scientists, Nutritionists, Students.

Chair: Kate Halliwell, Chief Scientific Officer, Food and Drink Federation (FDF)

Kate is accountable for the FDF’s food safety, food law and labelling, and diet and health policy briefs.
The role involves extensive liaison with food and drink manufacturing companies to develop cross-industry policy positions and responding to scientific consultations.  Previously Kate led the FDF’s diet and health policy work, and before that worked for the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency on a range of nutrition and legislation policies.  Kate Chairs the IFST’s Special Interest Group for Food Science and Nutrition and is a registered nutritionist.

Speaker: Carole Bingley, Techincal Specialist, RSSL  

Carol is a Senior Associate Principal Scientist in the Product and Ingredient Innovation Team at Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL).
Carol has undertaken ingredient evaluation, product development and taste optimisation projects on a contract basis for clients in different food industry sectors and is also involved in projects for Mondelez International.
Carol worked with a wide range of sweeteners and bulking agents across many food categories. Recently, she has been involved with the development of vegan products.
She is a Food Science graduate from Reading University, has a Masters degree in Nutritional Medicine from Surrey University and is a Fellow of the IFST.  

Speaker: Jenny Walton, Head of Commercialization & Scaling (Global), Harvest Plus 

Speaker: Hannah Pearse, Nutrition Manager, Xampla

Live Q&A: Kate Halliwell, Carole Bingley, Jenny Walton and Hannah Pearse

IFST member - Free
Non-IFST member - £25.00

If you are an IFST member, please ensure that you are logged into the IFST website before completing your booking so you can access member rates for events. Published events fees will apply to non-members and members can only gain preferential rates by logging in to their IFST account.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, click here and please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions via info@ifst.org.

Please note: IFST is a registered charity with the mission of ‘recognising and empowering food professionals by promoting excellence in science and its application throughout the food chain’. Each year, we are proud to run over 60 events, including webinars and workshops, which engage with thousands of food professionals worldwide from over 50 countries. IFST members attend all webinars free of charge. All non-members who would like to attend our events will be charged a small fee and all attendees will receive a certificate of attendance.