Overview
April 8 & April 13 – 14, 2021
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.
In light of on-going developments with COVID-19 and after thoughtful consideration, IDFA has decided to move the 2021 Ice Cream Technology and Yogurt & Cultured Innovation conferences to a fully online, virtual experience. We believe this is the safest approach for the well-being of our audience and we are excited that a virtual event makes it possible to broaden the learning opportunities and engagement with the industry at this time.
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.
Premier Sponsor
Title Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
Agenda
| April 8, 2021 | Event | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00pm - 1:45pm | FDA Update | ||
| 1:45pm - 2:30pm |
The Evolution of Industry 4.0 and Its Impact On Your Plant
The flow of data coming out of dairy plants has never been greater than it is now, nor is it likely to decrease in the future. Today’s business leaders see and understand the value of data and are using this information in ways not possible before: making real-time, informed decisions, which are positively impacting everything from supply and demand and logistics, to research and development and even “just in time” maintenance. This wealth of data, made possible by technologies that are being hailed as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or “Industry 4.0,” is here to stay and will forever change the way plants are managed. In this session, we will briefly explore the DNA of Industry 4.0, its potential for our enterprises, as well as explore some of the pitfalls that may lie ahead.<br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>C. Mitch Vanover, P.E.</b>, Automation Manager, Hixson
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| 2:30pm - 3:00pm | Networking Break | ||
| 3:00pm - 3:45pm |
Cellular-Derived Proteins – Making Whey and Milk Without the Curds and Cows
Cellular agriculture companies around the world are developing dairy ingredients, eggs, gelatin and even meat and seafood without the animal. This revolutionary technology has garnered significant investments from leading food stakeholders on a global basis, and presents fascinating regulatory questions. Today's session will highlight recently commercialized, high profile products of cellular agriculture. We'll consider hot button issues such as labeling at both the federal and state levels, how FDA is approaching safety oversight, and what we can expect going forward. We'll highlight key issues that the ice cream, yogurt and the broader food industry should consider when looking at using these novel ingredients in dairy foods or manufacturing and marketing finished dairy analogue products entirely produced without the animal. <br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Brian Sylvester</b>, Special Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
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| 3:45pm - 4:30pm |
Food Microbiology Testing: What's Next?
With rapid technology transformation and the ever-shortening innovation cycle, the age of “linear” (single test method for a single analyte) is morphing into the age of a “dynamic” testing. This trend is driving a greater focus on data analysis and the borrowing of ideas from the successes of the Silicon Valley. Data based modeling will not only allow dairy industry customers to see what’s happening now, but also predict the events of the future. This presentation will highlight how this transition is taking place in the food industry, and what dairy companies can do to prepare for it.
<br><i>Speaker</i>: <b>Vikrant Dutta, PhD</b>, Senior Staff Scientist, bioMerieux Inc.
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| April 13, 2021 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 1:00pm - 1:45pm |
Staying Relevant Without Succumbing to a Fad: The Past 20 Years in Review
So much has changed in the food world in the past 20 years, and the ice cream, yogurt and cultured dairy industries have evolved to stay relevant to consumers. There have been some great success stories, as well as some short-lived concepts. This presentation will explore the trends, the fads, the approaches and the achievements of the past two decades to provide insight as you plan your future innovations. We’ll look at 20 product concepts and identify what gave the trends their fuel and how you can continue to evolve to stay relevant to disruptive and demanding consumers, including the emerging generation Z. <br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Donna Berry</b>, Food Scientist, Editor and Consultant, Daily Dose of Dairy <br>
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| 1:45pm - 2:30pm |
Probiotics: From Evidence to Marketplace
Over 70% of the $44 billion global retail market for probiotic products comes from sales of probiotic-containing yogurts. Dr. Sanders will discuss the current evidence for health benefits of probiotics and other emerging issues such as adequate intake of live microbes, postbiotics, safety, and taxonomy changes for key probiotic microbes.<br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D.</b>, Executive Science Officer, International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics
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| 2:30pm - 3:00pm | Networking Break | ||
| 3:00pm - 3:45pm |
Natural Solutions for Reducing Sugar
Consumers are increasingly focusing on sugar content and are looking for healthy and natural products that taste great. At the same time, health organizations, governments and retailers are setting objectives to reduce sugar and added sugar in foods. This session will describe natural solutions which manufacturers of cultured dairy products can use to achieve their goals. <br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D.</b>, Principal Scientist, Chr. Hansen, Inc.
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| 3:45pm - 4:30pm |
Dairy Protein Ingredients for Fermented Product Innovations – Chemistry and Processing Implications
Focusing on dairy protein ingredients used for yogurt/fermented product manufacture (conventional and high protein), this presentation will delve into the chemistry and process implications in recipes incorporating these ingredients and offer insights into some of the common formulation problems encountered.<br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Hari Meletharayil, Ph.D.</b>, Vice President, Product Research, National Dairy Council/Dairy Management Inc.
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| April 14, 2021 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 1:00pm - 1:45pm |
Yogurt Innovation Powered by Enzymes: Developments in Lactose Conversion and Protein Modification Enable Yogurt Producers to Expand their Market
In the past, lactose conversion was narrowly applied for lactose-free milk production, and protein modification for whey and soy protein hydrolysate production. But newly developed variants of the beta-galactosidase and endo-peptidase enzyme classes are powerful new tools for yogurt product developers looking to design differentiated new products, including nutritional claims, avoidance of acid-whey, and creating the next generation of plant-based yogurts. This session will introduce yogurt producers to enzyme technology and demonstrate how new enzyme development can power these innovations in yogurt.<br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b> Craig Sherwin, Ph.D., CFS</b>, Technical Services Manager, Food & Beverage, Novozymes North America Inc.
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| 1:45pm - 2:30pm |
Hydrocolloids 101: Stabilizers for Dairy or Plant Based Yogurts
The rapid growth in this category has allowed for many options to be developed: dairy and/or plant-based, short shelf life (refrigerated) and long shelf life (ambient), non-flavored and flavored, responsibly sourced, low sugar, digestive health options and more. While this is good news for consumers, it does provide challenges for formulators. Throw in the need for protein stabilization, syneresis control, suspension of particles, mouthfeel enhancement and clean label ingredients, formulation solutions can seem impossible. Please join us as we walk through options for incorporating these versatile ingredients.<br>
<i>Speakers</i>: <b> Veronica Borne</b>, Manager, Technical Services, Americas Distribution, CP Kelco<br>
<b> Dorra Djebbi-Simmons</b>, Application Scientist, Sales-Technical Services, CP Kelco
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, | |
| 2:30pm - 3:00pm | Networking Break | ||
| 3:00pm - 3:45pm |
The Role of Fruit in Cultured Dairy
This presentation will cover several key touchpoints within the value chain of fruit preparation, starting with the demand for global sourcing with a focus on the impact of fruit varietals. We will explore how different types of white mass interact with fruit preparations as well as solutions to meet the needs of today’s consumer, including taste and texture, clean label and plant-based. <br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Felicia Francisco, MBA.</b>, Marketing Manager for U.S. & Canada, Agrana Fruit US Inc.
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<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Abbey Kelly</b>, Senior Product Developer, Agrana Fruit US Inc.
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, | |
| 3:45pm - 4:30pm |
Advancements in Starter Technology and Functional Benefits in Yogurt
In this presentation, we will focus on recent advancements in starter culture development for yogurt production. Topics include an overview of current trends in the market, the challenges these trends represent to the design of starter cultures, and the technology and innovation available for the improvement of dairy starter cultures. We will present selected examples of strain development (e.g., bacteriophage resistance, natural texture and flavor, strain safety) to highlight recent advancements and the current state of yogurt starter culture development. <br>
<i>Speaker</i>: <b>Laura Simdon</b>, Culture Development Group Manager, International Flavors and Fragrances
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Mark Kantor, Ph.D.
Mark Kantor is a nutrition scientist in the Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling at the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He works on regulatory initiatives related to the Nutrition Facts label, including health claims. He also serves as an FDA representative to Healthy People 2020-2030, a public health program administered by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. Before joining FDA, Dr. Kantor was a faculty member at the Univ. of Maryland, College Park. He has degrees in food science and nutrition from Rutgers and Cornell and conducted postdoctoral research at the Miriam Hospital, Brown Univ. in Providence.
The Evolution of Industry 4.0 and Its Impact On Your Plant
Speaker: C. Mitch Vanover, P.E., Automation Manager, Hixson
C. Mitch Vanover, P.E.
In his role as Manager of Hixson’s Automation Department, Mitch Vanover leads a team of professionals in the design and management of electronic control systems and operations. With more than 35 years of experience, including 25 serving the food and beverage industry, Mitch has in-depth knowledge of the automation field, including the application of programmable controllers, data collection systems, and Human Machine Interfaces in industrial control systems; development of front end engineering documents, creating operation manuals, troubleshooting and training course materials, and conducting training for such systems; and detailed project execution including project checkout and startup experience. Mitch holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the University of Southern Indiana.
Cellular-Derived Proteins – Making Whey and Milk Without the Curds and Cows
Speaker: Brian Sylvester, Special Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
Brian Sylvester
Brian P. Sylvester advises food, dietary supplement, cosmetic, OTC drug, veterinary pharmaceutical, and animal feed clients on a broad range of regulatory, legislative, and compliance issues before FDA, USDA, and analogous food and drug regulatory bodies. His practice spans enforcement actions, audits and investigations, regulatory compliance, advertising, import/export, due diligence, consumer litigation, comment preparation, shaping policy at the federal and state levels, and new product development.
Mr. Sylvester has specific expertise in developing regulatory strategies to commercialize alternative proteins using plant, microbial and animal cell-based technologies. Drawing on his tenure as a regulatory lawyer with USDA, Mr. Sylvester has particular experience counseling clients on strategic considerations around engagement with and advocacy before USDA and FDA on a range of complex issues, including those of first impression. He is a prolific author and frequent speaker at industry-leading events in the U.S. and around the world, and is regularly called upon to offer insights on trending legal issues by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Food Navigator-USA, among others.
Food Microbiology Testing: What's Next?
Speaker: Vikrant Dutta, PhD, Senior Staff Scientist, bioMerieux Inc.
Vikrant Dutta, Ph.D.
Vikrant joined bioMérieux over 4 years ago. He came to bioMérieux from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA), where he was employed as a Senior Microbiologist. He earned his doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from MAFSU (India), and then his PhD in Microbiology from NC State University (Raleigh, NC). Vikrant has over 15 years of experience in various aspects of food safety with specific expertise in molecular assay development and commercialization. He has authored or co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles/book chapters and has been awarded a number of times for his contributions towards food safety.
Staying Relevant Without Succumbing to a Fad: The Past 20 Years in Review
Speaker: Donna Berry, Food Scientist, Editor and Consultant, Daily Dose of Dairy
Donna Berry
Donna Berry is the owner of Dairy & Food Communications, a company that specializes in business-to-business writing, speaking and consulting projects in the dairy, beverage and food industries. She has a Bachelors Degree in Food Science from the University of Illinois and product development industry experience with Kraft Foods. She has been writing for the dairy trade since 1993; she opened her own business in 2001.
Donna has been tracking consumer behaviors and food trends, with an emphasis on dairy, for nearly 25 years. She currently writes for numerous trade publications, including Dairy Business News, Food Business News, Meat & Poultry, Baking & Snack and Culinology. Until February 2012, she had been the ingredient technology editor and new products trend tracker for Dairy Foods magazine.
After 18 years on Dairy Foods, she decided it was time to share her knowledge via other publications and media channels. Almost immediately she started her own website, aptly named BerryOnDairy.com, which includes an email newsletter called Daily Dose of Dairy that focuses on innovations in dairy products and related beverages.
Donna is a native of Chicago, where she currently resides with her husband, two sons and dog. Donna enjoys traveling, both domestically and abroad, and makes grocery store visits a priority in every city she visits, which enables her to be an authority on ingredient technology and new product trends.
Probiotics: From Evidence to Marketplace
Speaker: Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., Executive Science Officer, International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics
Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D.
Dr. Sanders is an internationally recognized consultant in the area of probiotic microbiology, who for 30 years has helped numerous food and supplement companies develop and communicate about probiotic products.
Dr. Sanders served as the founding president of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) and is currently the organization’s Executive Science Officer. This international, non-profit association of academic and industrial scientists is dedicated to advancing the science of probiotics and prebiotics.
Dr. Sanders received her B.S. in Food Science at University of California - Davis, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science with an emphasis in microbiology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Natural Solutions for Reducing Sugar
Speaker: Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Chr. Hansen, Inc.
Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D.
Dr. Mirjana Curic-Bawden is a Principal scientist at Chr. Hansen Inc. in Milwaukee.
Mirjana has more than 30 years of experience, of which 25 years as a scientist is with Chr. Hansen in Denmark and US. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Biotechnology from the Danish Technical University, with emphasis on microbial physiology and metabolism of lactic acid bacteria. She has global perspective and extensive experience in development and application of thermophilic, mesophilic cultures, and probiotics in fermented dairy and plant-based products.
Mirjana has been regular speaker at the Cultured Dairy Short courses at CDR Madison, Penn State University, and Cornell University, as well as at the IDFA Cultured Dairy Conferences from 2006-2016. She is also a frequent contributor to trade magazines on topics related to yogurt cultures and probiotics.
Dairy Protein Ingredients for Fermented Product Innovations – Chemistry and Processing Implications
Speaker: Hari Meletharayil, Ph.D., Vice President, Product Research, National Dairy Council/Dairy Management Inc.
Hari Meletharayil, Ph.D.
As Vice President of Product Research at Dairy Management Inc., Hari leads various product research programs in cheese , fermented products and dairy beverages. Hari also coordinates activities across the different dairy centers and application labs that are a part of the nationally coordinated network of technical centers to drive dairy innovation and sales on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.
Hari has more than 16 years of experience in academia and industry, most recently at PepsiCo leading beverage innovation efforts. He also has experiences with Nestle and the National Dairy Development Board in India.
Hari received his B.S. in dairy technology followed by his M.S in Dairy chemistry from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. He has a Ph.D. in dairy manufacturing from South Dakota State University.
Yogurt Innovation Powered by Enzymes: Developments in Lactose Conversion and Protein Modification Enable Yogurt Producers to Expand their Market
Speaker: Craig Sherwin, Ph.D., CFS, Technical Services Manager, Food & Beverage, Novozymes North America Inc.
Craig Sherwin, Ph.D.
Sherwin is Technical Services Manager at Novozymes, leading business, research and strategy for North America in dairy and protein enzyme applications. Prior, he led applications research at Agropur and at General Mills. He studied Food Science at N.C. State University and University of Minnesota, and post-doctorate at the University of Wisconsin for Kellogg. He has pursued numerous volunteer leadership activities including the US-International Dairy Federation and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Board of Directors. In his career, he has been an active promoter of open innovation and collaboration as well as food science education.
Hydrocolloids 101: Stabilizers for Dairy or Plant Based Yogurts
Speakers: Veronica Borne, Manager, Technical Services, Americas Distribution, CP Kelco
Dorra Djebbi-Simmons, Application Scientist, Sales-Technical Services, CP Kelco
Dorra Djebbi-Simmons
Dorra joined CP Kelco in 2019 where she has been working closely with different customers on a variety of projects ranging from product development using CP Kelco hydrocolloids to helping customers troubleshoot and solve their challenges. She and her team were among the first winners of the CP Kelco commercial team topline growth award in 2020. Dorra holds a B.S and an M.S in Food Engineering from the National Engineering School of Sfax, Tunisia, and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Louisiana State University.
Veronica Borne
Veronica Borne is the Manager of Technical Services for North America and Latin America Distribution at CP Kelco. She and her team help customers trouble shoot all things hydrocolloids with CP Kelco’s distribution partners and customers. After nearly a decade on the bench as a product developer, she decided to follow her passion of technical services. She holds a B.A. in Food Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The Role of Fruit in Cultured Dairy
Speaker: Felicia Francisco, MBA., Marketing Manager for U.S. & Canada, Agrana Fruit US Inc.
Speaker: Abbey Kelly, Senior Product Developer, Agrana Fruit US Inc.
Felicia Francisco
Spending much of her career in the food industry Felicia is focused on understanding the “why” in order to deliver meaningful and impactful insights. Throughout her tenure at AGRANA Fruit she has collectively built a global perspective through travel and personal connections in far reaching regions allowing her to gain a holistic view across multiple categories. With a focus on refrigerated dairy Felicia incorporates her passion for food into her work as well as an ecosystem of market research tools in order to better understand the current and future trends impacting the category. Discovering traditions that shape and define cultures, understanding the impact and the role of food within them continues to inspire her work and partners well with the technology and social media that’s shaping our world today.
Felicia received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an MBA with a focus in Marketing from Benedictine University.
Abbey Kelly
Even from a young age, Abbey has always enjoyed making food for others. Desiring to turn a hobby into a career, she discovered food science and has been working as a developer in the food industry for the last seven years. At AGRANA she gets to combine her creativity and technical knowledge to create unique fruit preparations to meet the needs of her customers and ultimately the consumers.
Abbey received her Bachelor of Science in Food and Culinary Science from the University of Arkansas.
Advancements in Starter Technology and Functional Benefits in Yogurt
Speaker: Laura Simdon, Culture Development Group Manager, International Flavors and Fragrances
Laura Simdon
Dr. Laura Simdon is the Culture Development Group Manager at the Madison, Wisconsin location of International Flavors and Fragrances. She leads a team of R&D scientists innovating new lactic acid bacterial strains and starter cultures to meet customer needs for production of foods such as yogurt, cheese, and fermented plant-based beverages. The group also runs a phage technical services laboratory that tests customer samples for the presence of acidification inhibitors such as bacteriophage. Laura has a background in microbiology and metabolic engineering and earned her Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her undergraduate degree in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Minnesota.
All Times Eastern
Speakers
Donna Berry
Food Scientist, Editor and Consultant | Daily Dose of Dairy
Donna Berry
Donna Berry is the owner of Dairy & Food Communications, a company that specializes in business-to-business writing, speaking and consulting projects in the dairy, beverage and food industries. She has a Bachelors Degree in Food Science from the University of Illinois and product development industry experience with Kraft Foods. She has been writing for the dairy trade since 1993; she opened her own business in 2001.
Donna has been tracking consumer behaviors and food trends, with an emphasis on dairy, for nearly 25 years. She currently writes for numerous trade publications, including Dairy Business News, Food Business News, Meat & Poultry, Baking & Snack and Culinology. Until February 2012, she had been the ingredient technology editor and new products trend tracker for Dairy Foods magazine.
After 18 years on Dairy Foods, she decided it was time to share her knowledge via other publications and media channels. Almost immediately she started her own website, aptly named BerryOnDairy.com, which includes an email newsletter called Daily Dose of Dairy that focuses on innovations in dairy products and related beverages.
Donna is a native of Chicago, where she currently resides with her husband, two sons and dog. Donna enjoys traveling, both domestically and abroad, and makes grocery store visits a priority in every city she visits, which enables her to be an authority on ingredient technology and new product trends.
Veronica Borne
Manager, Technical Services, Americas Distribution, CP Kelco
Veronica Borne
Veronica Borne is the Manager of Technical Services for North America and Latin America Distribution at CP Kelco. She and her team help customers trouble shoot all things hydrocolloids with CP Kelco’s distribution partners and customers. After nearly a decade on the bench as a product developer, she decided to follow her passion of technical services. She holds a B.A. in Food Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist, Chr. Hansen, Inc.
Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D.
Dr. Mirjana Curic-Bawden is a Principal scientist at Chr. Hansen Inc. in Milwaukee.
Mirjana has more than 30 years of experience, of which 25 years as a scientist is with Chr. Hansen in Denmark and US. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Biotechnology from the Danish Technical University, with emphasis on microbial physiology and metabolism of lactic acid bacteria. She has global perspective and extensive experience in development and application of thermophilic, mesophilic cultures, and probiotics in fermented dairy and plant-based products.
Mirjana has been regular speaker at the Cultured Dairy Short courses at CDR Madison, Penn State University, and Cornell University, as well as at the IDFA Cultured Dairy Conferences from 2006-2016. She is also a frequent contributor to trade magazines on topics related to yogurt cultures and probiotics.
Dorra Djebbi-Simmons
Application Scientist, Sales-Technical Services, CP Kelco
Dorra Djebbi-Simmons
Dorra joined CP Kelco in 2019 where she has been working closely with different customers on a variety of projects ranging from product development using CP Kelco hydrocolloids to helping customers troubleshoot and solve their challenges. She and her team were among the first winners of the CP Kelco commercial team topline growth award in 2020. Dorra holds a B.S and an M.S in Food Engineering from the National Engineering School of Sfax, Tunisia, and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Louisiana State University.
Vikrant Dutta, Ph.D.
Senior Staff Scientist | bioMerieux Inc.
Vikrant Dutta, Ph.D.
Vikrant joined bioMérieux over 4 years ago. He came to bioMérieux from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA), where he was employed as a Senior Microbiologist. He earned his doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from MAFSU (India), and then his PhD in Microbiology from NC State University (Raleigh, NC). Vikrant has over 15 years of experience in various aspects of food safety with specific expertise in molecular assay development and commercialization. He has authored or co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles/book chapters and has been awarded a number of times for his contributions towards food safety.
Felicia Francisco
Marketing Manager for U.S. & Canada, Agrana Fruit US Inc.
Felicia Francisco
Spending much of her career in the food industry Felicia is focused on understanding the “why” in order to deliver meaningful and impactful insights. Throughout her tenure at AGRANA Fruit she has collectively built a global perspective through travel and personal connections in far reaching regions allowing her to gain a holistic view across multiple categories. With a focus on refrigerated dairy Felicia incorporates her passion for food into her work as well as an ecosystem of market research tools in order to better understand the current and future trends impacting the category. Discovering traditions that shape and define cultures, understanding the impact and the role of food within them continues to inspire her work and partners well with the technology and social media that’s shaping our world today.
Felicia received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an MBA with a focus in Marketing from Benedictine University.
Mark Kantor, Ph.D.
Nutrition Scientist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Mark Kantor, Ph.D.
Mark Kantor is a nutrition scientist in the Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling at the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He works on regulatory initiatives related to the Nutrition Facts label, including health claims. He also serves as an FDA representative to Healthy People 2020-2030, a public health program administered by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. Before joining FDA, Dr. Kantor was a faculty member at the Univ. of Maryland, College Park. He has degrees in food science and nutrition from Rutgers and Cornell and conducted postdoctoral research at the Miriam Hospital, Brown Univ. in Providence.
Abbey Kelly
Senior Product Developer, Agrana Fruit US Inc.
Abbey Kelly
Even from a young age, Abbey has always enjoyed making food for others. Desiring to turn a hobby into a career, she discovered food science and has been working as a developer in the food industry for the last seven years. At AGRANA she gets to combine her creativity and technical knowledge to create unique fruit preparations to meet the needs of her customers and ultimately the consumers.
Abbey received her Bachelor of Science in Food and Culinary Science from the University of Arkansas.
Hari Meletharayil, Ph.D.
Vice President, Product Research | National Dairy Council/Dairy Management Inc.
Hari Meletharayil, Ph.D.
As Vice President of Product Research at Dairy Management Inc., Hari leads various product research programs in cheese , fermented products and dairy beverages. Hari also coordinates activities across the different dairy centers and application labs that are a part of the nationally coordinated network of technical centers to drive dairy innovation and sales on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.
Hari has more than 16 years of experience in academia and industry, most recently at PepsiCo leading beverage innovation efforts. He also has experiences with Nestle and the National Dairy Development Board in India.
Hari received his B.S. in dairy technology followed by his M.S in Dairy chemistry from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. He has a Ph.D. in dairy manufacturing from South Dakota State University.
Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D.
Executive Science Officer | International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics
Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D.
Dr. Sanders is an internationally recognized consultant in the area of probiotic microbiology, who for 30 years has helped numerous food and supplement companies develop and communicate about probiotic products.
Dr. Sanders served as the founding president of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) and is currently the organization’s Executive Science Officer. This international, non-profit association of academic and industrial scientists is dedicated to advancing the science of probiotics and prebiotics.
Dr. Sanders received her B.S. in Food Science at University of California - Davis, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science with an emphasis in microbiology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Craig Sherwin, Ph.D.
Technical Services Manager, Food & Beverage, Novozymes North America Inc.
Craig Sherwin, Ph.D.
Sherwin is Technical Services Manager at Novozymes, leading business, research and strategy for North America in dairy and protein enzyme applications. Prior, he led applications research at Agropur and at General Mills. He studied Food Science at N.C. State University and University of Minnesota, and post-doctorate at the University of Wisconsin for Kellogg. He has pursued numerous volunteer leadership activities including the US-International Dairy Federation and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Board of Directors. In his career, he has been an active promoter of open innovation and collaboration as well as food science education.
Laura Simdon
Culture Development Group Manager, International Flavors and Fragrances
Laura Simdon
Dr. Laura Simdon is the Culture Development Group Manager at the Madison, Wisconsin location of International Flavors and Fragrances. She leads a team of R&D scientists innovating new lactic acid bacterial strains and starter cultures to meet customer needs for production of foods such as yogurt, cheese, and fermented plant-based beverages. The group also runs a phage technical services laboratory that tests customer samples for the presence of acidification inhibitors such as bacteriophage. Laura has a background in microbiology and metabolic engineering and earned her Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her undergraduate degree in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Minnesota.
Brian Sylvester
Special Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
Brian Sylvester
Brian P. Sylvester advises food, dietary supplement, cosmetic, OTC drug, veterinary pharmaceutical, and animal feed clients on a broad range of regulatory, legislative, and compliance issues before FDA, USDA, and analogous food and drug regulatory bodies. His practice spans enforcement actions, audits and investigations, regulatory compliance, advertising, import/export, due diligence, consumer litigation, comment preparation, shaping policy at the federal and state levels, and new product development.
Mr. Sylvester has specific expertise in developing regulatory strategies to commercialize alternative proteins using plant, microbial and animal cell-based technologies. Drawing on his tenure as a regulatory lawyer with USDA, Mr. Sylvester has particular experience counseling clients on strategic considerations around engagement with and advocacy before USDA and FDA on a range of complex issues, including those of first impression. He is a prolific author and frequent speaker at industry-leading events in the U.S. and around the world, and is regularly called upon to offer insights on trending legal issues by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Food Navigator-USA, among others.
C. Mitch Vanover, P.E.
Automation Manager | Hixson
C. Mitch Vanover, P.E.
In his role as Manager of Hixson’s Automation Department, Mitch Vanover leads a team of professionals in the design and management of electronic control systems and operations. With more than 35 years of experience, including 25 serving the food and beverage industry, Mitch has in-depth knowledge of the automation field, including the application of programmable controllers, data collection systems, and Human Machine Interfaces in industrial control systems; development of front end engineering documents, creating operation manuals, troubleshooting and training course materials, and conducting training for such systems; and detailed project execution including project checkout and startup experience. Mitch holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the University of Southern Indiana.
Registration fees are based on your company's IDFA membership status. For more information about membership, please email membership.idfa.org.
Member: $599
Non-Member: $799
Government: $395
Cancellation Policy: Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to March 23, 2021 for a full refund. Your registration fee is non-refundable after March 23, 2021. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
For those interested in sponsorships, the Ice Cream Technology Conference offers several options to be seen and heard. 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. Please contact Melissa Lembke for more information: (202) 220-3512, mlembke@idfa.org.
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