Advance Registration Discount Ends May 14 for 2012 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo

CHICAGO, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Advance registration discount for the 2012 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo ends May 14th. Food professionals from all over the globe will be gathering together in Las Vegas, June 25-28. This is the only annual event that brings together professionals involved in both the science and the business of food -- experts from industry, academia and government. With more than 900 companies exhibiting, this event showcases the largest, most diverse collection of food ingredient, equipment, and packaging suppliers from all over the world. Over 100 educational sessions and 1,000+ poster sessions provide information on the latest developments and trends in food science. IFT's Annual Meeting and Food Expo was named in the Top 250 by the Trade Show News Network, as well as being awarded Trade Show Executive's Gold 100 Ranking of the Largest Shows of 2011.

View the video to see why people are going to the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

When & Where:
June 25-28, 2012
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

What:
Keynote Session: "The Importance of Innovation," will feature Starbucks President, CEO and Chairman Howard Schultz, who was named Fortune magazine's 2011 "Businessperson of the Year."  He will share insights on the importance of scientific innovation in creating thriving companies and communities, and filling the talent pipeline.

ADDITIONAL SESSION HIGHLIGHTS:

• Childhood Obesity Solutions: What Industry Can Do
• Food Science, Nutrition, and the Skin
• Functional Foods of Latin America: Flavor, Health Benefits, and Opportunities for Commercialization
• Specialized Nutrition: Opportunities in Medical Foods and Beyond for Aging, Developing, and Other Specialized Populations
• The Future of GRAS Ingredients and Food Additives: Impacts of the Changing Environment on Food Science
• Breakfast in the 21st Century
• Improving the Safety of Fresh Produce

Additional sessions presented from the following areas:

Food Safety & Defense
Food Processing & Packaging
Product Development & Ingredient Innovations
Public Policy, Food Laws & Regulations
Education and Professional Development
Sensory Science
Food, Health & Nutrition
Sustainability
Food Chemistry
Food Microbiology
Food Engineering

Real time information and updates can be found on IFT Live.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

• Follow the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo on ift.org/IFT12, Twitter @IFT, hashtag #IFT12 and Facebook.
• Follow the Institute of Food Technologists on Twitter @IFT, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

REGISTRATION:

• Advance registration discount ends May 14th: http://www.am-fe.ift.org/cms/?pid=1000642
• Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the media: contact Mindy Weinstein for more information

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Mindy Weinstein, Director of Media Relations, 312-604-0231, @IFTMedia

Stephanie Callahan, IFT Media Relations Specialist, 312-604-0273, @IFTFoodieFacts

About IFT
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a nonprofit scientific society. Our individual members are professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT's mission is to advance the science of food, and our long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, contributing to healthier people everywhere.

For more than 70 years, the IFT has been unlocking the potential of the food science community by creating a dynamic global forum where members from more than 100 countries can share, learn, and grow. We champion the use of sound science across the food value chain through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education, and by furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit ift.org.

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SOURCE Institute of Food Technologists