IFT First 2024 with Edlong: A View from Booth #S1102

It might be an exaggeration to say that IFT First is like our trade show Super Bowl.

But being lucky enough to have the largest global food technology and innovation expo in our hometown of Chicago, it’s only fitting that we pull out all of the stops.

This year wasn’t any different, and according to Dr. Bernd Koehler, Edlong’s Global VP of R&D, it appears to have been well worth it.

“There was a bit of concern that the weather would cause delays and rescheduling, but the numbers show otherwise. In fact, it’s my understanding that we had almost as many leads and interactions with potential customers on Day 1 this year, than we’ve had across all three days in past years. The part that is most exciting is that these are really interesting opportunities with companies that are in need of real solutions. Solutions that Edlong can provide.”

In Part I: Edlong at IFT FIRST 2024: Top Takeaways from the Showroom Floor, our team gave their insights on the industry trends and ingredients on display throughout the show.

Now, in Part II, we want to zoom in on Edlong at IFT FIRST and to give you a View from Booth #S1102.

Putting the Fun in Functional

As discussed in Part I, functional ingredients were making their presence known at IFT FIRST 2024.

That’s why Edlong looked to put the “Fun” in Functional with our demos this year, and that they did.

Our functional snack shop served up tasty treats and beverages that could benefit your health and your taste buds.

“Though I was disappointed not to attend in person, I was fortunate to sample Edlong’s demos before the show, and I’m glad I did. They effectively emphasized many of the major trends, particularly by offering better-for-you and functional options that still deliver great taste,” Says Edlong’s Global Director of Strategy & Innovation, Anne Marie Butler.

From the creamy and refreshing no-sugar-added Pink Drink to a range of mix-and-match crispy and crunchy snacks, a high-fiber cupcakes and more our full menu of FUN-ctional snack demos had something for everyone.

“I know I might have a biased view, but of all the samples I tasted, I would say my favorite thing was Edlong’s Feta and Balsamic Beetroot dip,” says Julie Drainville, Manager–Global Sensory. “It was so visually appealing, accompanied by the dragon fruit chip, and it really tasted delicious. It was great to see a concept that’s on trend, whipped feta dips, but with a new and unique take.”

Dr. Koehler agreed, saying, “Our plant-based flavors mimicked and captured the real goat cheese notes amazingly well. Honestly, I’m always impressed with what our flavorists can do. To develop something that just hits exactly where the original dairy flavor is and give you that exact same experience, even though it’s plant-based, that’s pretty incredible.”

Flavor for the Future – Leading Conversations

With over eleven decades (yes, that’s 110 years) of experience, Edlong has long seen it as our duty to not only participate in the discussions concerning our industry but also to help lead the conversations.

That was on full display in the fireside chats featuring members of Edlong’s leadership team.

In one conversation titled: Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA): Advocating on

Behalf of the Flavor Industry, Edlong Owner & CEO and last year’s FEMA President, Laurette Rondenet, sat down with FEMA’s Executive Director, George Southworth, and 2024 FEMA President (President & CEO at The Americas at Doehler Inc) Paul Graham.

This talk highlighted the myriad of ways that FEMA initiatives support the development of high-quality, safe, and sustainable flavorings that meet evolving consumer preferences.

With safety and consumers in mind, Edlong President Michael Natale and Global VP of R&D Dr. Bernd Koehler hosted the talk: “Can Functional Foods Help You Overcome Biases Against Processed Foods?”.

For an in-depth look at this topic, check out our two-part series, Rewriting the Narrative of Ultra-processed Foods.

To demonstrate the critical role of flavors in providing healthier options for consumers, they had attendees try a sample containing our Sweet Spot™ technology. Driven by flavor, Sweet Spot™ is able to modulate sweetness perception, allowing developers to create delicious and healthier products with less sugar while listing it as flavor, rather than a sweetener, on the label.

Hitting the Sweet Spot™ and More

“I had several conversations with current and potential customers that have been quite common in recent months,” explains Angela Lantman, Manager–Applications NA

“Among those, sugar reduction is still a hot topic. During the fireside chat, we had people compare a high-sugar milk with one that had a 70% reduction in sugar. The second utilized our Sweet Spot™ to bring the sweetness profile closer to the full sugar version.”

“A ton of companies are looking for ways to reduce sugar without sacrificing on taste and indulgence. This led to quite a few conversations about leveraging our Sweet Spot™ technology,” adds Lauren Hopkins –Sr. Director of Business Development–Americas.

“Looking past reductions, with the functional food space growing in popularity as well as plant-based, masking came up as a major challenge for these developers. There ended up being a lot of discussions around our masking suite, especially our newly launched Supermasker™ which can mask a range of proteins without out leaving and residual characterizing notes behind.”

Lantman elaborates, “Masking solutions for plant-based proteins like pea, fava bean, and chickpea came up a lot. That’s part of the reason we thought it was important to showcase our Supermasker™ in our chickpea chip in the snack mix demo. It allowed people to really see what Edlong’s solutions could do in these sometimes tricky applications.”

Though IFT FIRST 2024 might be in the books, we’re excited to keep the conversations and innovations going!

Missed us at IFT FIRST? Don’t want to wait until next year to talk with us? We’d love to show you everything that dairy taste can be for your next project. Reach out to our team today to get started working on your next innovation right away.

Read Part 1 of our IFT 2024 Recap