IDFA is adding several new sessions – including the two-part “Chocolate Academy” and a “Mystery Basket” challenge – to its popular Ice Cream Technology Conference, March 12-13 in St. Petersburg, Fla. This premier event for ice cream and frozen dessert professionals is the only meeting that focuses specifically on frozen dessert research, technology, new market trends and opportunities.

“The ice cream technologists who attend this conference are some of the most creative, innovative people in the food industry, so we work hard to keep the conference program fresh and cutting edge,” said Cary Frye, IDFA vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs and host of the Ice Cream Technology Conference. “We’re excited about several of our newer, hands-on sessions.”

In the two-part “Chocolate Academy,” attendees will learn the fundamentals of chocolate and chocolate compounds with a focus on formulation and applications that inspire best practices and troubleshooting for ice cream and novelties. These sessions include a tasting of top food trends as they come to life in ice cream.

The academy’s featured speaker is Laurent Besin, Barry Callebaut’s technical services and applications manager. Besin is also a Master Chef who studied in France and Belgium, gaining his masters degree in bakery, pastry and chocolate at “l’Institut Technique des Métiers de l’Alimentation.”

The “Ice Cream Flavor Mystery Basket” session will borrow a concept from the popular Food Network cooking show “Chopped.” Attendees will work in teams using the mystery baskets’ secret ingredients that represent the latest culinary trends identified by three flavor supplier creators: Kerry Ingredients, Star Kay White and Sensient Flavors. Each of the teams will be able to choose additional ingredients from an Inspiration Buffet™ to develop a prototype ice cream product that will be presented, then tasted and judged by attendees.

The Ice Cream Technology Conference will once again feature the Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition. Attendees will taste the latest and most interesting flavors and novelties submitted by their peers, then vote for their favorites in each of three categories: most innovative ice cream flavor currently in the market, most innovative prototype flavor not yet in the market and most innovative novelty currently in the market.

• Read the full conference agenda here.

The Ice Cream Technology Conference will be held March 12-13, 2013, at the Renaissance Vinoy in St. Petersburg, Fla. Register today.

For more information, contact Maria Velasco, IDFA meetings assistant, at mvelasco@idfa.org.