Overview
IDFA’s Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference is a dynamic, information-rich meeting focused exclusively on the information that yogurt and cultured dairy product professionals need. Learn about the most recent developments in the category and be inspired by new ideas as you network with industry peers and respected experts. Find out what’s new in ingredients, cultures, processing technology and packaging. Plus, experience new ingredients and products presented during the Innovative Product Contest.
Who Should Attend?
All professionals in the yogurt and cultured dairy products field — including executives, marketers, plant operations, research and development, and quality assurance staff — will gain new insights, ideas and solutions by attending the conference. Suppliers to the industry are also encouraged to attend.
Agenda
| March 29, 2022 | Event | Speaker | Location |
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| 8:00am - 8:30am |
Networking Breakfast
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| 8:30am - 8:45am | Welcome Remarks | ||
| 8:45am - 9:30am |
General Session: Consumer Trends for Yogurt and Ice Cream Consumption
Leading practitioners from McKinsey’s global consumer practice discuss trends in ice cream and yogurt markets and how those markets are growing and evolving. Specific focus of the session is on key consumer behaviours for this category as well as how those have been affected by the pandemic. The session concludes with thoughts on what the trends mean for product innovations for ice cream and yogurt categories. </br>
<b>Speakers: Anne Grimmelt,</b> Senior Expert, McKinsey & Company</br>
<b>Chirag Pandya,</b> Partner, McKinsey & Company </br>
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| 9:30am - 10:15am |
General Session: Dairy Protein from Precision Fermentation for Food Applications
Speaker: <b>Christine Bunting,</b> Senior Director of Food Applications, Perfect Day </br>
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| 10:15am - 10:45am |
Networking Break
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| 10:45am - 11:30am | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 10:45am - 11:30am |
Concurrent Session: Global and Micro Trends Shaping Innovation in Cultured Dairy
During the pandemic, much of our attention has been centered around supply. The lower number of launches in the last two years compared to pre-pandemic years shows the sacrifices made in terms of new product innovation. As we draw closer to the eventual end of this era, more companies will resume launching new, innovative products. Now is a great time to consider what your next product will be. At Chr. Hansen, we have been paying close attention to consumer and processor behaviors – gathering insights from all over the world. In this talk, we will be looking at some of the global trends we’ve identified that may draw inspiration for your own brand.
</br>Speaker: <b> Erika Gayhart,</b> Associate Marketing Manager – Food Cultures & Enzymes, Chr. Hansen, Inc.</br>
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| 11:30am - 12:15pm | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 11:30am - 12:15pm |
Concurrent Session: Unlocking Nature’s Capabilities to Provide Extended Freshness in Mild Yogurt with Bioprotective Cultures
Consumers want a great sensory experience and expect fresh fermented products to deliver consistent taste, texture, and freshness through to the end of shelf-life, all while reducing food waste and maintaining a clean ingredient list. At IFF, we have developed innovative starter cultures that combine a toolbox for premium texture modulation with game-changing full control of post-acidification. We associate these starters with bioprotective cultures chosen for their limited impact on post-acidification and good antifungal activity. Through examples, we will illustrate how you could re-imagine yogurt recipes and yogurt production processes to reduce waste, expand distribution reach, and deliver a premium taste experience with an expanded shelf-life while reinforcing the healthy image of yogurt. </br>Speaker: <b> Manon Duquenne,</b> Sr. Application Specialist, Cultures & Dairy Enzymes for Dairy, Cheese, and Plant-Based Alternatives, IFF Health and Biosciences </br>
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| 12:15pm - 1:30pm |
Networking Lunch
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| 1:30pm - 2:15pm | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 1:30pm - 2:15pm |
Concurrent Session: Better for All: Creating Future Culture Linked to Functional Foods and Sustainability
In a relatively-post pandemic world, consumer needs have shifted as their behaviors and actions are reprioritized and reorganized. While the larger consumer motivations remain consistent year over year, certain needs have taken precedence -from health and lifestyle to tastes and sustainability – dominating consumers’ purchase and consumption behavior. In “Better for All”, Kerry’s dairy experts will bring to life how evolving consumer motivations are creating untapped opportunities in the yogurt &cultured categories and will address these through practical application demonstrations and solutions. This session will take you on a journey of consumer motivations and developer needs to create products for the future. Join us to discover how the dairy industry can address the unmet needs of consumers’ rapidly evolving expectations while delivering craveable, functional and sustainable taste experiences. </br>Speakers: <b> Annika Day,</b> Dairy & Plant-based Dairy Strategic Marketing Lead, Kerry </br> <b> Nathan Pratt, Ph.D., RD,</b> Nutrition Scientist, Kerry </br>
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| 2:15pm - 3:00pm |
Concurrent Session: Advances in Clean Label Yogurt Textural and Stabilization Solutions
Consumer trends are continuing to drive movements such as organic, clean label, “free from” and non-GMO formulations, as interests in the type and source of ingredients used in popular food and beverage products continues to shift. Advances in clean label texture solutions now allow yogurt manufacturers opportunities to maintain the eating experience consumers expect in yogurts and plant-based yogurt alternatives without sacrificing the functionality that traditional ingredients, such as gelatin and modified food starch, deliver. Replacing lost functionality and stability requires a deep technical understanding and tailored approach. In this session, food scientists from Tate & Lyle will present the common texture challenges associated with producing clean label yogurts, and then demonstrate ways to overcome with formula recommendations to ensure a high-quality finished yogurt product. Our team will also review sensory analysis, specifically Qualitative Descriptive Analysis comparisons of some market leading yogurts and yogurt alternatives compared to similar formulas using clean label texture ingredients. To finish our educational session, Tate & Lyle will provide clean label yogurt prototypes for tasting. Attendees will leave this session with viable options and recommendations to produce consumer-friendly, clean label yogurts that deliver on flavor, quality, and texture. </br>Speakers: <b> Mark Robert, </b>North American Director of Dairy Innovation, Tate & Lyle </br>
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| 2:15pm - 3:30pm |
Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition, Part I: Most Innovative Flavor and Most Innovative Novelty
Don't miss your chance to compete and help judge the annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition! Taste the latest and most interesting flavors and novelties and vote for your favorites of 2022. In Part I, attendees will judge samples for the Most Innovative Ice Cream Flavor and the Most Innovative Ice Cream Novelty Product currently in the market.
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| 3:30pm - 4:15pm | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 3:30pm - 4:15pm |
Concurrent Session: Food Safety Considerations for Cultured, Plant- and Cellular-Based
Cultured dairy products manufactured under the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance have a long history of safety. This is due to the use of pasteurized milk, robust acid production, controlled cooling and storage, and environmental controls to prevent recontamination. While plant-based analogs mimic dairy in functionality, there are differences that may affect safety. Plants logically have different background microbial populations than dairy, thermal inactivation rates may vary between the various matrices, and differences in fermentable carbohydrate source may result in slower acid production depending on the starter culture and conditions used. Little research has been conducted to validate conditions that will yield equivalent safety. This presentation will outline considerations that need to be addressed to provide comparable safety for dairy and plant-based cultured products. </br>Speaker: <b> Kathleen Glass, Ph.D.,</b> Associate Director, Food Research Insititute, University of Wisconsin </br>
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| 4:15pm - 5:00pm |
Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition, Part II: Most Innovative Prototype Flavor
Part II of this year’s Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition is devoted to the Prototype Ice Cream Flavor category. Entries are new products that are not yet in the market. Come taste and judge the samples for yourself and help choose the winner. Better yet, submit your company’s creation and see how it rates. Awards will be given for first, second and third place, as judged by conference attendees.
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| 5:30pm - 7:00pm |
Networking Reception
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| March 30, 2022 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:00am - 8:30am | Networking Breakfast | ||
| 8:30am - 9:15am |
General Session: Is Your Allergen Control Program Sufficient
Allergens are the cause of the majority of food industry recalls each year and with the growing variety of dairy and non-dairy products and ingredients used today by dairy manufacturers, allergen control is more important—and challenging—than ever before. Join us for a review of best practices and test methods for ensuring your program is up to par and will help keep your company’s name out of the headlines. </br>Speaker: <b>Charles McGuill </b> Product Manager, Hygiena</br>
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| 9:15am - 10:00am |
General Session: Front of Pack Labeling: Global Trends, US Implications
Front of pack labeling intended to help consumers identify "healthier" options is expanding internationally, and has been mentioned as an area of future work by FDA staff. Learn more about how various FOPL schemes identify healthier options and how these could affect dairy products. </br>Speaker: <b> Beth Johnson, MS, RD,</b> CEO and Founder, Food Directions</br>
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| 10:00am - 10:30am |
Innovative Cultured Dairy Product Contest
Don't miss your chance to compete and help judge the Innovative Product Contest. Taste the latest new products — including cultured milk, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and dips — created by your peers and vote for your favorites. Winners will be featured in an upcoming edition of Dairy Foods magazine.
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| 10:30am - 11:00am | Networking Break | ||
| 11:00am - 11:45am |
Concurrent Session: Approaches to Solving Texture and Formulation Challenges in Cultured Dairy Alternatives
Consumer demand for fermented dairy alternatives such as yogurt and sour cream alternatives continues to rise each year. Delivering on the texture of these products is critical to ensuring consumers will be repeat purchasers of the product. Consumers are also increasing their expectations of these products to be formulated with a significant source of protein that is similar to the traditional dairy equivalent. However, formulating these products with added plant protein is challenging due to issues that arise with texture and other performance characteristics. These products suffer from a several challenges in the texture including powderiness in vegan yogurt, melt resistance in vegan sour cream, and spreadability in vegan cream cheese. In this presentation, the specific challenges will be described and addressed in detail and solutions will be brought forth and explored. The broader impact of this session is that the viewers will be enabled to formulate higher quality plant-based dairy alternative and incorporate plant-based protein into them, which is currently lacking in the market in many cases. This will help to drive further growth of the plant-based eating movement and facilitate the use of plant-based protein into these products. </br>Speaker: <b> Bénédicte Coudé,</b> Principal Technologist – Global Dairy Applications, Ingredion, Inc. </br>
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| 11:00am - 11:45am | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 11:45am - 12:30pm |
Concurrent Session: Process Optimization of Shear Sensitive Products Such as Greek Yogurts
Texturized, shear sensitive products like yogurts require gentle processing to preserve the texture developed during the maturation of the white mass. Texture breakdown through the process is not really suitable, and has to be compensated by more expensive texturizing agents incorporated into the recipe. Texture breakdown cannot be avoided by processing the white mass through pipes, elbows, mixing elements. Texture loss can be drastic when using measuring instruments generating severe flow restrictions. It can be minimized, however, by selecting more appropriate instrumentation. Some examples of process optimization will be presented, showing how to continuously monitor the white mass texture without reducing it and how to meter white mass and fruits before packaging, while preserving the product integrity. </br>Speaker: <b>Olivier Réglat, Ph.D.,</b> Food and Beverage Industry Manager, Krohne, Inc. </br>
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| 11:45am - 12:30pm | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 12:30pm - 1:30pm |
Lunch & Awards Presentation
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| 1:30pm - 2:15pm | Ice Cream Tech: Concurrent Session | ||
| 1:30pm - 2:15pm |
Concurrent Session: New FDA Yogurt Standard of Identity and Update on FDA Standards Modernization
Modernization of FDA’s dairy food standards of identity is a long-standing priority for IDFA; however, progress to-date has been slow and, at times, disappointing for the dairy industry. In this session, learn why modernization is so important and take a deep dive into FDA’s recently finalized yogurt standard to understand its impact and what IDFA is doing to ensure it is revised to reflect current industry practices and modernized to meeting consumer expectations. </br>Speakers: <b> John Allan,</b> Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & International Standards, International Dairy Foods Association </br> <b> Sharon Balhorn,</b> Food Safety and Quality, Product Manager, General Mills, Inc. </br> <b> Matthew Graziose, Ph.D.,</b> Director, Regulatory Compliance, Chobani Inc. </br>
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| 2:15pm - 3:00pm |
General Session: IDFA Regulatory Updates
Join IDFA’s Regulatory and Scientific Affairs team to learn about IDFA’s top regulatory policy priorities and key issues impacting ice cream, cultured products as well as other dairy foods. Hot topics covered will include: FDA inspection and enforcement activity, upcoming changes related to Grade “A” regulations, FDA food safety policy updates, USDA bioengineered foods disclosure rollout, nutrition-related changes to federal food program requirements, and others. </br>Speakers: <b> John Allan, M.S.,</b>Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & International Standards, International Dairy Foods Association</br> <b> Michelle Matto, RD, AM, </b>AM Food & Nutrition, IDFA Consultant</br> <b>Danielle Quist, J.D.,</b> Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Counsel, International Dairy Foods Association </br><b>Joe Scimeca, Ph.D.,</b> Sr. Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association</br>
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Networking Breakfast
General Session: Consumer Trends for Yogurt and Ice Cream Consumption
Anne Grimmelt
Anne is a Senior Expert in McKinsey’s Stamford office and part of the Global Consumer Practice. She has 20+ years of experience shaping growth strategies of Consumer companies using growth capabilities, consumer insights, and trends. Anne is longtime leader and shaper of McKinsey’s Global Sentiment Survey, providing insights on financial sentiment and CPG shopping behavior of consumers around the world.
Chirag Pandya
Chirag Pandya is a dairy technologist and a Partner in McKinsey’s Silicon Valley office and part of the Global Operations Practice. He focuses on strategy and operations transformations across food and nutrition industries. Chirag co-leads McKinsey Food and Nutrition Excellence Centre focused on food and consumer health topics leveraging 20+ years of dairy and food industry experience and is a global thought leader on Future of Food. His experiences include assignments in Europe, Middle East, SE Asia and North America.
General Session: Dairy Protein from Precision Fermentation for Food Applications
Christine Bunting
Christine Bunting serves as Senior Director of Food Applications at Perfect Day, a consumer biology company on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow by developing new ways to make the foods you love today. In her role, she leads the food team to unlock the applications for Perfect Day protein that extend our impact into the dairy aisle and beyond.
Christine has been perfecting food experiences through technology and research for nearly three decades. She is passionate about discovering new ways to produce food ingredients with the ideal flavor and texture, while maximizing nutrition and health benefits—with a reduced environmental footprint.
Christine joined Perfect Day from Clif Bar & Company, where she most recently served as the Director of R&D for the ingredients team. In her over 8 years with Clif Bar, she led their team to discover innovative ways to maximize the use of their existing ingredients and incorporate new ones. The result was the beloved energy bar continuing to deliver on its promise to promote the health, joy, and energy consumers need to pursue their passions. Prior to Clif Bar, she held product and R&D roles at a number of leading global food and nutrition companies, including at M&M/Mars, DSM Nutritional Products, Rich Products Corporation, Nellson Nutraceutical, ConAgra Foods, Kellogg’s, and Nabisco (now Mondelēz Int’l).
Christine earned her BS in Dietetics from James Madison University, her MS in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her MJ in Global Food Law from Michigan State University. She is passionate about the future of animal-free protein and is driving Perfect Day to its vision of building a more equitable, resilient, and diverse food system for all of us.
Networking Break
Concurrent Session: Global and Micro Trends Shaping Innovation in Cultured Dairy
Erika Gayhart
Erika Gayhart is the associate marketing manager for Chr. Hansen’s food cultures and enzymes division in North America. She received her MS in Communication from Purdue University, focusing on strategic public relations and advertising. She serves as chair of Chr. Hansen’s Community Outreach Committee and is a member of IDFA’s Women in Dairy Network.
Erika has over a decade of experience in the dairy industry, wearing a number of hats which supported several business functions. In recent years, her focus has been on consumer activity and brand positioning. With her combined work and educational experience, she is aptly situated to offer the industry a unique perspective on consumer insights.
Concurrent Session: Unlocking Nature’s Capabilities to Provide Extended Freshness in Mild Yogurt with Bioprotective Cultures
Manon Duquenne
Dr. Manon Duquenne is a senior application specialist based in the IFF application laboratory at New Century, KS (US). She supports the development of new culture, enzyme and food protection solutions for cheese, fresh fermented dairy products, and plant-based alternatives. She also provides technical support for those solutions in North America, mainly in Canada. Manon has been working in the dairy industry for over 11 years. She has a background in process engineering and food microbiology and earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the National Institute of Technology for life, food and environmental sciences Agro Paris Tech (France).
Networking Lunch
Concurrent Session: Better for All: Creating Future Culture Linked to Functional Foods and Sustainability
Annika Day
Annika Day leads strategic marketing for dairy and plant-based dairy in Kerry’s North American market. A graduate of The University of Alabama, she has experience in digital marketing, partnership activation and nonprofit marketing. While not a food scientist by trade, Annika considers herself an amateur ice cream enthusiast and enjoys trying unique ice cream flavors in northern Illinois, where she resides, and in her travels.
Nathan Pratt, Ph.D., RD
Nathan Pratt is a nutrition scientist passionate about finding ways to make science easily used and understood to improve health. His past research has focused on nutrition profiling systems and consumer behavior. He has worked with the food and beverage industry for over 8 years to bridge the gap between consumer insights and nutrition science and to better leverage nutrition in strategies and product development. In his role as a nutrition scientist at Kerry, he is supports innovation, science communications, and is currently supporting the activation of Kerry's sustainable nutrition strategy and targets internally and externally.
Concurrent Session: Advances in Clean Label Yogurt Textural and Stabilization Solutions
Mark Robert
Mark Robert has been with Tate & Lyle for 14 years. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing Research & Development, Applications, and Technical Services related to the Dairy category in North America for Tate & Lyle. This includes development of strategic platform of Tate & Lyle products for the Dairy Industry, and overseeing Technical Service to NOAM Dairy customers. Mark previously held positions of Director of Technical Sales, New Product Development Manager at Tate and Lyle. Prior to joining Tate & Lyle, Mark was Director if R&D and Quality at Elgin Dairy Foods. He began his career at Elgin Dairy Foods, and worked there for 19 years, holding a variety of positions in R&D and Quality Control. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Illinois, and a Masters of Science from University of Illinois as well.
Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition, Part I: Most Innovative Flavor and Most Innovative Novelty
Concurrent Session: Food Safety Considerations for Cultured, Plant- and Cellular-Based
Kathleen Glass, Ph.D.
Kathleen Glass, Ph.D., is Associate Director, Food Research Institute University of Wisconsin-Madison where she assists FRI Director, Charles Czuprynski, Ph.D., by serving as liaison between the food industry and UW-Madison on food safety research questions and research. Specific duties include supervising the Applied Food Safety Laboratory at the Food Research Institute. There she works with the food industry to develop challenge studies to verify food safety based on control of growth and inactivation. A primary focus of her work is on formulation methods including traditional and natural antimicrobials to control major foodborne pathogens.
She has been reappointed for a third term on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), which provides impartial scientific advice to federal agencies to use in developing integrated food safety systems from farm to table and to ensure food safety in domestic and imported foods. She was also a committee member of the National Research Council FSIS Standing Committee on Food Safety and is currently a member of the International Association for Food Protection, where she also was President from 2004 to 2005.
She has a Ph.D. in Food Microbiology and Safety from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a MS, Biological Sciences (Microbial Genetics) from Northern Illinois University and BS, Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition, Part II: Most Innovative Prototype Flavor
Networking Reception
General Session: Is Your Allergen Control Program Sufficient
Charles McGuill
Charles McGuill is the Product Manager for Hygiena’s Allergen detection platforms. Charles has over 15 years’ of Food Safety experience; with roles in sales, marketing, and product management.
General Session: Front of Pack Labeling: Global Trends, US Implications
Beth Johnson, MS, RD
Beth Johnson, brings over 25 years of food policy experience serving inside and outside the government, including the Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and the National Restaurant Association, where she built strong relationships with a broad group of stakeholders and a unique and in-depth understanding of how industry can impact policy decisions. Over the years, Johnson has been involved in policy negotiations and development at the local, state, federal and international level. She also helped lead USDA’s work on CODEX and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Beth holds relationships with administration officials, agency career staff, key congressional offices as well as public health and consumer advocates that help pave the way for fruitful discussions for our clients. Johnson lives near Annapolis with her husband and two daughters.
Innovative Cultured Dairy Product Contest
Concurrent Session: Approaches to Solving Texture and Formulation Challenges in Cultured Dairy Alternatives
Bénédicte Coudé
Bénédicte Coudé is a Principal Technologist in Global Dairy Applications with Ingredion Incorporated. She works on the development of innovative dairy & dairy alternative applications with starch-based texturizers, plant-based proteins, and hydrocolloids. Prior to Ingredion, Bénédicte worked for 10 years in the cheese industry: at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research where she conducted research and troubleshooting on a wide variety of specialty cheeses and at Schuman Cheese where she specialized in the R&D of Italian type cheeses and development of vegan cheeses. Bénédicte has presented at the American Cheese Society, the International Cheese Symposium, the American Dairy Science Association conference and served as a technical judge at the National and International Cheese Judging Contest, the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest and the American Cheese Society Judging Contest. Bénédicte attended school in France for several years studying Biology and Agronomy and received a BS and MS degree in Agricultural Sciences before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received a MS in Food Science.
Concurrent Session: Process Optimization of Shear Sensitive Products Such as Greek Yogurts
Olivier Réglat, Ph.D.
Lunch & Awards Presentation
Concurrent Session: New FDA Yogurt Standard of Identity and Update on FDA Standards Modernization
John Allan
John Allan helps lead all dairy food safety efforts for IDFA and has responsibilities in federal, state and international regulatory, technical and scientific affairs. He engages on behalf of IDFA members with 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc., and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS). Allan also helps represent IDFA’s international interests through engagement with the International Dairy Federation and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Prior to joining IDFA, Allan worked for the American Frozen Food Institute and National Yogurt Association; the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization within the Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat; and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He graduated from the Univ. of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Master of Science in food science and technology. See LinkedIn profile.
Sharon Balhorn
Sharon is a Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Product Manager at General Mills where she has worked for 35 years, including 28 years of dairy experience. She engages with the Marketing and Research & Development teams on new product innovation, incorporating FSQR from early development concepts through manufacturing scale-up. She is a Council 1 member at the NCIMS Conference and serves on the Yogurt Committee for IDFA. Sharon also volunteers her technical skills to improve dairy operations in Africa through Partners in Food Solutions.
Matthew Graziose, Ph.D.
General Session: IDFA Regulatory Updates
John Allan
John Allan helps lead all dairy food safety efforts for IDFA and has responsibilities in federal, state and international regulatory, technical and scientific affairs. He engages on behalf of IDFA members with 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc., and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS). Allan also helps represent IDFA’s international interests through engagement with the International Dairy Federation and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Prior to joining IDFA, Allan worked for the American Frozen Food Institute and National Yogurt Association; the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization within the Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat; and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He graduated from the Univ. of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Master of Science in food science and technology. See LinkedIn profile.
Michelle Matto
Michelle Albee Matto is a registered dietitian with expertise in the areas of dairy food labeling, food regulation and nutrition policy. Her work focuses on dairy product standards of identity, food labeling, the federal nutrition programs, food allergens, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2010, she started her own consulting business, AM Food & Nutrition.
Before 2012, Matto worked for the International Dairy Foods Association for eight years, most recently serving as the assistant director of nutrition and regulatory affairs. She has also worked at that Food Research and Action Center in Washington, D.C. She received her Bachelor of Science in nutrition at Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y. and her Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Matto is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Institute of Food Technologists and is a past board member of the Washington D.C. chapters of the Institute of Food Technologists and the Society for Nutrition Education.
Danielle Quist
Danielle Quist leads IDFA’s work on environment, sustainability, packaging, worker safety, financial regulation, and environmental compliance, where she advocates industry positions and monitors regulatory issues impacting dairy processors. She has more than 20 years of legal experience and serves as IDFA’s legal counsel.
Before coming to IDFA, Quist worked as senior counsel for public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), where she co-led AFBF’s legal advocacy program, advised lobbyists on policy matters, and lobbied federal agencies on behalf of farmers and ranchers for almost 14 years. Before that, Quist worked on Capitol Hill as a counsel on the House Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs for former Congressman Doug Ose (CA). Previously, she was an associate at Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP, and served as a law clerk to Judge Eugene Sullivan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Quist earned her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and her Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York City. She is a member of the D.C. and New York Bars. Originally from southern California and New Mexico, she speaks Spanish.
Joseph Scimeca, PhD
Joseph Scimeca, PhD, leads IDFA’s Regulatory and Scientific Affairs team. Scimeca has extensive technical regulatory and scientific expertise that includes over 33 years of industry experience. In his position with IDFA, he provides strategic regulatory and scientific leadership for the dairy food and beverage industry covering a broad range of areas including product safety, quality, and labeling; nutrition and health policy; product identity standards; food defense; sustainability initiatives; Codex and other international standards; technical trade barriers; and emerging science and technologies affecting the dairy sector.
He comes to IDFA from Cargill Inc. where he worked for 16 years, serving most recently as Vice President of Global Regulatory & Scientific Affairs. For Cargill, Scimeca provided leadership for ensuring food, feed, and other consumer products were safe, protected against intentional acts of economic adulteration and bioterrorism, and in conformance with relevant food/feed regulations, standards, and internal policies. He managed a team of 30 regulatory professionals based in locations around the world that collaborated with their business partners in facilitating compliance against existing and emerging regulations. Previously, he held similar regulatory affairs roles with General Mills, Pillsbury, and Kraft.
Scimeca has a proven track record working with the FDA and USDA to lead the broad food industry in regulatory reform, with notable efforts in shaping and influencing FDA FSMA regulations, and with several foreign governments in their efforts to modernize food regulations, including China, Canada, India, EU, and Indonesia. Scimeca is skilled at building and leading private-public partnerships to advance food safety initiatives leading to improved public health.
He has and continues to chair or serve on numerous and varied technical committees for scientific, academic, and trade organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, IUFoST, IFT, ILSI, and JIFSAN, among others. He has authored nearly 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers, monographs, and book chapters.
In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and adult children, and finding time to run, backpack, and rock-climb. See LinkedIn Profile.
Click here for program PDF.
Speakers
John Allan
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and International Standards
John Allan
John Allan helps lead all dairy food safety efforts for IDFA and has responsibilities in federal, state and international regulatory, technical and scientific affairs. He engages on behalf of IDFA members with 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc., and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS). Allan also helps represent IDFA’s international interests through engagement with the International Dairy Federation and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Prior to joining IDFA, Allan worked for the American Frozen Food Institute and National Yogurt Association; the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization within the Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat; and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He graduated from the Univ. of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Master of Science in food science and technology. See LinkedIn profile.
Sharon Balhorn
Food Safety and Quality, Product Manager, General Mills, Inc.
Sharon Balhorn
Sharon is a Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Product Manager at General Mills where she has worked for 35 years, including 28 years of dairy experience. She engages with the Marketing and Research & Development teams on new product innovation, incorporating FSQR from early development concepts through manufacturing scale-up. She is a Council 1 member at the NCIMS Conference and serves on the Yogurt Committee for IDFA. Sharon also volunteers her technical skills to improve dairy operations in Africa through Partners in Food Solutions.
Christine Bunting
Senior Director of Food Applications, Perfect Day
Christine Bunting
Christine Bunting serves as Senior Director of Food Applications at Perfect Day, a consumer biology company on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow by developing new ways to make the foods you love today. In her role, she leads the food team to unlock the applications for Perfect Day protein that extend our impact into the dairy aisle and beyond.
Christine has been perfecting food experiences through technology and research for nearly three decades. She is passionate about discovering new ways to produce food ingredients with the ideal flavor and texture, while maximizing nutrition and health benefits—with a reduced environmental footprint.
Christine joined Perfect Day from Clif Bar & Company, where she most recently served as the Director of R&D for the ingredients team. In her over 8 years with Clif Bar, she led their team to discover innovative ways to maximize the use of their existing ingredients and incorporate new ones. The result was the beloved energy bar continuing to deliver on its promise to promote the health, joy, and energy consumers need to pursue their passions. Prior to Clif Bar, she held product and R&D roles at a number of leading global food and nutrition companies, including at M&M/Mars, DSM Nutritional Products, Rich Products Corporation, Nellson Nutraceutical, ConAgra Foods, Kellogg’s, and Nabisco (now Mondelēz Int’l).
Christine earned her BS in Dietetics from James Madison University, her MS in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her MJ in Global Food Law from Michigan State University. She is passionate about the future of animal-free protein and is driving Perfect Day to its vision of building a more equitable, resilient, and diverse food system for all of us.
Bénédicte Coudé
Principal Technologist – Global Dairy Applications, Ingredion, Inc.
Bénédicte Coudé
Bénédicte Coudé is a Principal Technologist in Global Dairy Applications with Ingredion Incorporated. She works on the development of innovative dairy & dairy alternative applications with starch-based texturizers, plant-based proteins, and hydrocolloids. Prior to Ingredion, Bénédicte worked for 10 years in the cheese industry: at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research where she conducted research and troubleshooting on a wide variety of specialty cheeses and at Schuman Cheese where she specialized in the R&D of Italian type cheeses and development of vegan cheeses. Bénédicte has presented at the American Cheese Society, the International Cheese Symposium, the American Dairy Science Association conference and served as a technical judge at the National and International Cheese Judging Contest, the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest and the American Cheese Society Judging Contest. Bénédicte attended school in France for several years studying Biology and Agronomy and received a BS and MS degree in Agricultural Sciences before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received a MS in Food Science.
Annika Day
Dairy & Plant-Based Dairy Strategic Marketing Lead, Kerry
Annika Day
Annika Day leads strategic marketing for dairy and plant-based dairy in Kerry’s North American market. A graduate of The University of Alabama, she has experience in digital marketing, partnership activation and nonprofit marketing. While not a food scientist by trade, Annika considers herself an amateur ice cream enthusiast and enjoys trying unique ice cream flavors in northern Illinois, where she resides, and in her travels.
Manon Duquenne
Sr. Application Specialist, Cultures & Dairy Enzymes for Dairy, Cheese, and Plant-Based Alternatives, IFF Health and Biosciences
Manon Duquenne
Dr. Manon Duquenne is a senior application specialist based in the IFF application laboratory at New Century, KS (US). She supports the development of new culture, enzyme and food protection solutions for cheese, fresh fermented dairy products, and plant-based alternatives. She also provides technical support for those solutions in North America, mainly in Canada. Manon has been working in the dairy industry for over 11 years. She has a background in process engineering and food microbiology and earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the National Institute of Technology for life, food and environmental sciences Agro Paris Tech (France).
Erika Gayhart
Associate Marketing Manager – Food Cultures & Enzymes, Chr. Hansen, Inc.
Erika Gayhart
Erika Gayhart is the associate marketing manager for Chr. Hansen’s food cultures and enzymes division in North America. She received her MS in Communication from Purdue University, focusing on strategic public relations and advertising. She serves as chair of Chr. Hansen’s Community Outreach Committee and is a member of IDFA’s Women in Dairy Network.
Erika has over a decade of experience in the dairy industry, wearing a number of hats which supported several business functions. In recent years, her focus has been on consumer activity and brand positioning. With her combined work and educational experience, she is aptly situated to offer the industry a unique perspective on consumer insights.
Kathleen Glass, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Food Research Insititute, University of Wisconsin
Kathleen Glass, Ph.D.
Kathleen Glass, Ph.D., is Associate Director, Food Research Institute University of Wisconsin-Madison where she assists FRI Director, Charles Czuprynski, Ph.D., by serving as liaison between the food industry and UW-Madison on food safety research questions and research. Specific duties include supervising the Applied Food Safety Laboratory at the Food Research Institute. There she works with the food industry to develop challenge studies to verify food safety based on control of growth and inactivation. A primary focus of her work is on formulation methods including traditional and natural antimicrobials to control major foodborne pathogens.
She has been reappointed for a third term on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), which provides impartial scientific advice to federal agencies to use in developing integrated food safety systems from farm to table and to ensure food safety in domestic and imported foods. She was also a committee member of the National Research Council FSIS Standing Committee on Food Safety and is currently a member of the International Association for Food Protection, where she also was President from 2004 to 2005.
She has a Ph.D. in Food Microbiology and Safety from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a MS, Biological Sciences (Microbial Genetics) from Northern Illinois University and BS, Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Matthew Graziose, Ph.D.
Director, Regulatory Compliance, Chobani Inc.
Matthew Graziose, Ph.D.
Anne Grimmelt
Senior Expert, McKinsey & Company
Anne Grimmelt
Anne is a Senior Expert in McKinsey’s Stamford office and part of the Global Consumer Practice. She has 20+ years of experience shaping growth strategies of Consumer companies using growth capabilities, consumer insights, and trends. Anne is longtime leader and shaper of McKinsey’s Global Sentiment Survey, providing insights on financial sentiment and CPG shopping behavior of consumers around the world.
Beth Johnson, MS, RD
CEO and Founder, Food Directions
Beth Johnson, MS, RD
Beth Johnson, brings over 25 years of food policy experience serving inside and outside the government, including the Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and the National Restaurant Association, where she built strong relationships with a broad group of stakeholders and a unique and in-depth understanding of how industry can impact policy decisions. Over the years, Johnson has been involved in policy negotiations and development at the local, state, federal and international level. She also helped lead USDA’s work on CODEX and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Beth holds relationships with administration officials, agency career staff, key congressional offices as well as public health and consumer advocates that help pave the way for fruitful discussions for our clients. Johnson lives near Annapolis with her husband and two daughters.
Chirag Pandya
Partner, McKinsey & Company
Chirag Pandya
Chirag Pandya is a dairy technologist and a Partner in McKinsey’s Silicon Valley office and part of the Global Operations Practice. He focuses on strategy and operations transformations across food and nutrition industries. Chirag co-leads McKinsey Food and Nutrition Excellence Centre focused on food and consumer health topics leveraging 20+ years of dairy and food industry experience and is a global thought leader on Future of Food. His experiences include assignments in Europe, Middle East, SE Asia and North America.
Nathan Pratt, Ph.D., RD
Nutrition Scientist, Kerry
Nathan Pratt, Ph.D., RD
Nathan Pratt is a nutrition scientist passionate about finding ways to make science easily used and understood to improve health. His past research has focused on nutrition profiling systems and consumer behavior. He has worked with the food and beverage industry for over 8 years to bridge the gap between consumer insights and nutrition science and to better leverage nutrition in strategies and product development. In his role as a nutrition scientist at Kerry, he is supports innovation, science communications, and is currently supporting the activation of Kerry's sustainable nutrition strategy and targets internally and externally.
Mark Robert
North American Director of Dairy Innovation, Tate & Lyle
Mark Robert
Mark Robert has been with Tate & Lyle for 14 years. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing Research & Development, Applications, and Technical Services related to the Dairy category in North America for Tate & Lyle. This includes development of strategic platform of Tate & Lyle products for the Dairy Industry, and overseeing Technical Service to NOAM Dairy customers. Mark previously held positions of Director of Technical Sales, New Product Development Manager at Tate and Lyle. Prior to joining Tate & Lyle, Mark was Director if R&D and Quality at Elgin Dairy Foods. He began his career at Elgin Dairy Foods, and worked there for 19 years, holding a variety of positions in R&D and Quality Control. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Illinois, and a Masters of Science from University of Illinois as well.
Olivier Réglat, Ph.D.
Food and Beverage Industry Manager, Krohne, Inc.
Olivier Réglat, Ph.D.
Hotel
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort
The Ice Cream Technology Conference and the Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference will be co-located at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida. You may make your hotel reservations online or directly with the hotel by calling (877) 803-7534. When calling, refer to the International Dairy Foods Association to receive the special room rate of $249 per night plus applicable taxes. The deadline to secure a room is March 7, 2022. We have reserved a large block of rooms, but once all the rooms have been booked, we cannot guarantee that additional space will be available.
Book OnlineCall for Proposals
This conference will showcase the most recent developments in the science of fermented dairy products, dairy cultures, processing and packaging technologies, as well as look at new products entering the market. Industry peers and experts will empower attendees with fresh new ideas to help their companies grow and prosper.
IDFA invites you to submit a proposal for a presentation or panel discussion for the Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference program.
Areas of interest for proposals include, but are not limited to:
- Consumer trends, retail sales and product marketing data;
- Quality and nutrition enhancement of cultured dairy products;
- Use of pre- and probiotics to deliver added value to consumers;
- Innovations in processing and packaging;
- Original responses to constraints imposed by government standards/regulations (e.g., standards of identity)
- Novel ingredients, cultures, flavoring and sweeteners for the dairy industry; and
- Efficiency, cost-saving ideas and sustainability improvements for processing, packaging and distribution.
Please complete the proposal submission form by November 19, 2021. IDFA will contact you if your recommendation is accepted.
Registration
Registration fees for Dairy Forum are based on your company's IDFA membership status. For more information about membership, please email membership.idfa.org.
Q: Registration Substitutions
Registration is non-transferable from one company to another; however, substitutions within companies are welcome at any time. Please email registrar@idfa.org if you would like to make a registration substitution.
Q: Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to March 1, 2022 for a full refund, minus a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received after March 1, 2022, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the processing fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable after March 15, 2022. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Q: News Media
Credentialed members of the news media are welcome to register at a special rate by contacting mherrick@idfa.org. News media must present credentials to qualify.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
Innovative Product Contest
This competition offers the opportunity for dairy processors, as well as flavoring suppliers, to showcase their latest cultured dairy products (cultured milk, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, dip) and flavors.
All conference attendees are invited to submit one entry to compete in each of the two categories:
- Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Product
- Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Prototype Flavor
An award will be given for first place winners in each category, judged by conference attendees, and will be featured in an upcoming edition of Dairy Foods magazine.
The deadline for contest submissions was March 22, 2022. Please contact mlembke@idfa.org with any questions.
Sponsored by:
Guidelines for Contest Submissions
- A company representative must register for the Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference to participate.
- Limit of one (1) entry per company, per category.
- Please plan for your product submission to arrive between March 24 and March 28. If your product is received after March 28, we cannot guarantee that your entry will be included in the contest.
- Please send enough product so that 200 individuals may sample the submission. For example, if your product is a 6-10 oz. container, send 40 containers; if it is a 16-32 oz. container, send 20 containers.
- If the cultured dairy product is submitted in the original retail containers, the product will be placed in individual portion cups for the contest.
- Be sure to pack the shipment well, wrapping each container in bubble wrap or paper to help protect it from damage during the extreme cold temperature of the dry ice.
- The box MUST be clearly marked "Must Be Refrigerated" and "IDFA Product Contest".
- A shipping label will be provided – Please complete and attach the label to your shipped box(es).
- Once the product is shipped, email rgleeson@idfa.org with the information below. If you do not email the required information, we cannot guarantee that your entry will be included in the contest.
- Tracking number
- Arrival date
- Submission name and product type
- Company contact attending the conference
Sponsors
The Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference delivers high value and an opportunity to engage with more top-level decision makers than ever before — including executives, plant managers, regulatory compliance personnel, product development specialists, research and development professionals, quality assurance staff, plant engineers, and operations personnel.
Sponsorship is one of the best ways to brand your organization as a thought-leader and to highlight your commitment to advancing the dairy industry. IDFA offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities.
Please contact mlembke@idfa.org for more information.