Wellness 11 Conference to Help Industry Develop Products for Health-Conscious Consumers

Wellness 11 will feature three concurrent tracks: Consumer Lifestyles and Demographics highlights how life choice affect eating habits; Health Issues focuses on diseases and conditions as well as foods being developed to address them; and, Weight Management identifies product development opportunities within this arena.

3/9/2011 --- Consumers want food and beverages that address health concerns, on-the-go lifestyles and aging issues. But how can food professionals meet this demand when faced with flavor and functionality challenges? Presented by Food Technology magazine, Wellness 11, March 23-24 in Chicago, offers a unique combination of the latest advances in healthful foods and the practical knowledge to apply these advances to product development initiatives.

Wellness 11 will feature three concurrent tracks: Consumer Lifestyles and Demographics highlights how life choice affect eating habits; Health Issues focuses on diseases and conditions as well as foods being developed to address them; and, Weight Management identifies product development opportunities within this arena.

Highlights of Wellness 11 sessions include:
 Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

 European Strategies for Reducing Obesity
Can obesity be curbed by imposing a “fat tax” on certain foods? Will the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) tighten its regulations on the substantiation of health claims? This session will provide an overview of the obesity rates within the EU as well as address how nutrition labeling systems are impacting consumer purchases.

Moms’ Panel: Processed Food Through the Eyes of Shoppers
How do consumers define processed food? Which brands, according to consumers, do the best job of being considered "unprocessed?" HealthFocus International has researched the factors that shoppers consider when determining whether a food or beverage is processed or unprocessed. Hear highlights from this study first hand in addition to a live moderated panel of primary household shoppers in the Chicago area. You'll also gain perspective from Innova Market Insights on the identification of those products that meet shoppers' criteria for unprocessed foods.

Nutritionally Gluten-Free: The New Frontier
When gluten-free foods were first introduced, they contained minimal nutrition and had less-than-ideal sensory qualities. Today, consumers expect such products to be on par, in both quality and nutrition, with their gluten-containing counterparts. This expectation has opened the door to a new frontier of ingredients. This session will show how to successfully launch gluten-free foods by using nutritional flours and fibers to create healthy, tasty products.

Showcase of Health-Promoting Nutrients & Ingredients
This fast-paced session will feature multiple presenters showcasing health-promoting nutrients and ingredients, demonstrating their applications-based structure and function, and citing references to substantiate claims. Examples include the effect of flaxseed on cardiovascular health; the impact of Vitamin-D on bone and immune health; galactooligosaccharides (GOS) for digestive and immune health; glutathione for immune health; and whey protein for satiety and weight management.

Leveraging Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes to Market Food Products that Aid in Sustaining Long-Term Weight Management
What is the ideal diet? Does it even matter? It’s clear that we need to better understand consumers and their motivations. This session will examine the role that behavior and attitude play in weight management, and how these factors link to the diet and health choices that consumers will ultimately make. The presenters will discuss the impact of a lifestyle modification program, in addition to an analysis of snacking and breakfast meals supported by quantitative and qualitative shopper insights.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The 2010 Sodium Reduction Guidelines: Challenges and Opportunities
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have recommended a gradual reduction in the amount of sodium in the diets of Americans to less than 2,300 milligrams per person daily, and 1,500 milligrams for some special populations. Recognizing that Americans currently consume much more than that amount (3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, with 70 percent coming from processed foods), the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has concluded that voluntary approaches to reduce sodium intake do not work. Therefore, reduction of the sodium content of foods must be gradual and unobtrusive to the consumer, while their taste receptors eventually adjust to the lower levels of sodium. This session will address the formulation challenges needed and innovative technologies that reduce the sodium content in foods while maintaining food safety, palatability, and physical properties.

New Dietary Guidelines: New Opportunities for Industry
What direction do the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans offer to the food industry to spark innovation and promote health? What are the health, wellness, and communications opportunities, associated with new dietary guidance, waiting to be harnessed by food companies? Federal communications initiatives and a robust consumer campaign will be presented, both of which include ways for all segments of the food industry to help answer the call-to-action of helping Americans eat more healthfully and maintain a healthy weight. Consumer research and insights on food guidance symbols, compelling consumer messaging, and breakthroughs for communicating about caloric and energy balance will also be discussed.

Heart-Healthy Product Development Competition 
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death for adults in the United States and Canada. To address this public health issue, as well as highlight the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans call to consume less than 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), IFT Student Association (IFTSA) and CanolaInfo launched a new student competition focused on developing heart-healthy products The competition finalists from Texas Tech University, Rutgers University and Louisiana State University will present their products on March 23 and the winners will be announced on March 24. The winning team will receive a check for $3,500, complimentary registration to the 2011 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in New Orleans for all team members and a trophy.