Technical Briefs | Institute of Food Science and Technology

IFST Technical Briefs are put together by subject-matter experts to give concise and scientifically reliable summaries of key food science and technology topics. They aim to provide technical managers with the knowledge they need to respond to industry requirements. If you have any questions about the series or would like to discuss the content of any of the Technical Brief documents, please contact us.

Forever Chemicals: Perfluorated Compounds Focus (including PFAS)

IFST's Technical Brief on Forever Chemicals answers the following questions:

What are forever chemicals?
Where do they originate?
Why are they a concern with food?
What legislation is in force?
How easy is it to measure and detect PFAS in food?
What control measures can be put in place in the food supply chain?

Intellectual Property

IFST's Technical Brief on Intellectual Property (IP) was created by the Food Innovation (Product and Packaging) Special Interest Group and includes information on:

What is meant by IP?
When should you start thinking about IP?
Choosing the right IP direction
Establishing IP ownership
Setting and steering an effective IP strategy

Artificial Intelligence and Food Safety

IFST's Technical brief on Artificial Intelligence and Food Safety answers the following questions:

What is AI?
What are the uses of AI in food supply chains?
How can AI be applied in a food context?
Computer vision systems
Natural language processing (NLP)

Food Reformulation for Salt

IFST's Technical Brief on Food Reformulation for Salt answers the following questions:

What is salt?
Where does sodium in the diet come from?
Why is sodium a concern for health?
Details of its functional role in food
Technical strategies to reduce salt in food products
Learnings - where are we now?
The future - where do we go from here?

Starting a Food Manufacturing Business

IFST's Technical Brief on Starting a Food Manufacturing Business covers the following:

The process once you have your idea
Where to start
Key aspects to consider
Food safety
Legal compliance

Setting up a Food Production Facility

IFST's Technical Brief on Setting up a Food Production Facility covers the following:

What building considerations are required?
How should materials be handled and transported?
What hygiene measures should be adopted?
Why should equipment be carefully considered?
Why is storage an important focus when building a food production facility?
How is food safety achieved?

Food Reformulation for Fats

IFST's Technical Brief on Food Reformulation for Fats covers the following:

What are fats?
Where do fats in the diet come from?
Why are fats a concern for health?
Details of their functional role in food
Technical strategies for reformulation of fats in food products
Sustainability implications
Learning - where are we now?
The future - where do we go from here?

Food Reformulation for Sugars

IFST's Technical Brief on Food Reformulation for Sugars covers the following:

What are sugars?
Where do sugars in the diet come from?
Why are sugars a concern in the diet?
What do sugars do in foods and what can I use to replace the functionality?
Technical strategies to reduce sugars in foods
Major challenges - where are we now?
The future - where do we go from here?

Acrylamide in Food

IFST's Technical Brief on Acrylamide in Food covers the following:

What is acrylamide?
Mechanism of formation
Analysis in food
What are the health risks?
What regulations and recommendations are in place?
What can the food sector do to reduce acrylamide?