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Vital Statistics Experience: Chief Science Officer and EVP, R&D, PepsiCo; SVP, Global Beverages R&D, PepsiCo; SVP, Health Care & Nutrition R&D, Reckitt; VP, Wound Closure R&D (Ethicon), Johnson & Johnson; VP, Baby Care R&D and Oral Care R&D, Johnson & Johnson; Senior Director, Platform R&D and External Alliances, Alberto Culver; earlier roles in consumer R&D, patent strategy, and advanced technology, Johnson & Johnson Education: MS, Materials Engineering, Drexel University; BS, Textile...

Share A focus on gut health, concerns about alcohol, and innovative formulations are fueling rapid growth of kombucha and kefir. “What’s the most epic booch you’ve ever tasted?” This social media post suggests the soaring popularity of kombucha, especially among young adult consumers. Other nonalcoholic fermented beverages, particularly kefir, are also having a moment.

Share Food Technology editors interviewed experts across the IFT FIRST Expo Hall to uncover the trends shaping food innovation—and one message came through loud and clear: AI is moving from experimentation to competitive advantage. What’s next for AI in food? At IFT FIRST, Food Technology editors spoke with experts across the Expo Hall to find out.

Timeline Episode Description Food and beverage reformulation is becoming increasingly complex as companies respond to regulatory pressures, shifting consumer expectations, and ingredient and cost challenges. In this episode of Omnivore Presents: SciDish, experts explore how consumer insights, technical considerations, communication, and AI-enabled tools can help companies navigate reformulation more effectively.

Share Distinguished food law attorney and former U.S. Food and Drug Administration legal counsel Peter Barton Hutt passes away at 91. Peter Barton Hutt, the food and drug attorney widely regarded as the dean of food and drug law and a key architect of the modern U.S. food regulatory system, died Sept. 2, 2026. An IFT Fellow and longtime IFT member, he was 91.

Share The International Food Information Council surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults this spring to measure their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about gut health. Here’s a look at some of what they discovered. Source: IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions of Gut Health 2026 Author Mary Ellen Kuhn is executive editor of Food Technology magazine and director of content and creative services at the Institute of Food Technologists (mkuhn@ift.org).

Share IFT’s Sara Morris, Senior Food Safety and Traceability Scientist, will speak at Climate Week NYC on traceability, nature-positive supply chains, and sustainable food systems.

Share In a market where acquirers are seeking proven, protected innovation, clinical research, regulatory positioning, and defensible IP have become the new standard for building enterprise value. Startup founders in food and nutrition often think they have a marketing problem. On closer inspection, they find it’s an evidence problem—one that creeps up when the founder is heads-down solving short-term issues and loses sight of the ultimate goal: building a business worth acquiring.

Share Register for IFT’s free webinar on reformulation strategies, exploring science-based approaches to consumer expectations, nutrition, ingredients, and product performance.

Share Chamali Kodikara of the University of Manitoba becomes IFTSA president, bringing food science leadership and research expertise to students worldwide.