Personalized nutrition, it is a fad or the way of the future? One of the biggest trends this year in food innovation is in personalization. From apps that can deliver micronutrient and vitamin deficiency data anywhere, any time to “wearables” synched to a huge database that uses AI and machine learning to track nutrition and behavior data and suggest personalized recipes or menus, there is a convergence of nutrition and technology. This discussion will explore the promises of personalized nutrition as well as what food product, sensory, manufacturer, and marketing professionals need to consider as they work together to develop future food products for consumers and whether investing in this technology will help them retain customers or better yet, grab a larger percentage of their market share.

IFT is happy to work in coordination with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to host this exciting conversation. Please join us!

Note-The content and view of the speakers do not represent the Institute of Food Technologists or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

IFTNEXT content is made possible through the generous support of Ingredion, the IFTNEXT Platinum Content Sponsor.

Speakers:
Ashley Vargas, PhD, MPH, RDN, FAND
Dr. Vargas is a scientist and clinician focusing on diet, genes and health. Dr. Vargas is driven to improve public health by monitoring and evaluating health science policy in the Office of the Director at NIH. Additionally, she continues her research on the role of diet, genes and the microbiome in cancer. Dr. Vargas was trained as a clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and uses her experience as a clinician to inform research decisions. During her PhD training (University of Arizona: Nutritional Sciences), Dr. Vargas developed skills as a molecular epidemiologist. She continued to advance her epidemiological training during her MPH training (Harvard University). In her spare time, Dr. Vargas serves in various capacities for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics where she has been awarded Fellowship (FAND) for her contributions to the fields of nutrition and dietetics.

David Dunaief, MD
Dunaief is an internist specializing in integrative medicine. He focuses on reversal, prevention and treatment of chronic diseases through nutrition, fitness and stress management. Dr. Dunaief regularly writes, researches and presents on integrative medicine topics in addition to his clinical practice with locations in Brooklyn and Setauket, NY. He has been working in the integrative medicine field for over 11 years. He graduated from Stony Brook University Medical School in New York and did his residency at Mercy Medical Center/University of Maryland in Baltimore. He then completed a three-year fellowship with Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller Eat to Live.

Jeff Hilton
Hilton is partner and co-founder of BrandHive, a leading global healthy-lifestyle branding agency celebrating 21 years working with dietary supplement, functional food and beverage, and health and beauty brands. Jeff brings 38 years of advanced business and marketing insight to his clients, and has been recognized by Advertising Age magazine as one of the nation's Top 100 Marketers.  Jeff is also a recipient of Nutrition Business Journal’s Personal Service Award.

Emily Contois, PhD, MPH, MLA
Contois is a food and culture scholar at Brown University. She explores the connections between food, nutrition, the body, health, and identities in the everyday American experience and popular culture. Her current book examines how media representations of food, cooking, and dieting construct and negotiate masculinities in our current historical moment. This fall she will join the faculty of the University of Tulsa as Assistant Professor of Media Studies.

All IFT webcasts are free for IFT Premier and Student members.