The event theme, “The Time Is Now,” serves as a catalyst for Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, growers, innovators, investors and nonprofits to come together as a community to be at the forefront of a rapidly changing industry.

Last year saw ADM expand its building to add a 4,000-sq.-ft. culinary innovation center, which opened this summer. Prepared Foods Editor Bob Garrison attended an open house that included executive presentations and plant-based food presentations and samples involving ADM flavors and ingredients.

Included in the new plant is the latest in nut processing technology and is the only hazelnut processing facility in the Pacific Northwest that uses steam pasteurization—considered a growing requirement by many customers, and a value to growers who deliver their crop to HGO.

The Niagara grape is a white grape with a golden hue. It delivers a sophisticated flavor profile that is crisp, sweet, light and refreshing and its juice is a popular ingredient in the juices and soft beverages category. Now R&D specialists at Welch’s Global Ingredients Group have developed a de-characterized version of the juice that is perfect for fermentation and blending with wine made from more traditional wine grape varieties and even other fruits.

Among the collection’s offerings are seasonings and blends for proteins, sides and dairy. These items are also the starting point for food manufacturers and foodservice establishments to develop their own unique signature product offerings, with Fuchs’ culinary specialists at their side.

Prepared Foods reaches and serves all those food and beverage manufacturing professionals involved in the new product development cycle. These functional leaders are those in marketing, sales and consumer insights, R&D, innovation, culinary, purchasing and packaging.

AFS retreats cultivate working relationships in the natural products industry, which help bring the new ideas to market.

The newly designed website showcases the company’s products and services and combines functionality and design. The interactive website engages users to access multiple flavor samples and on trend information.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning help food and beverage manufacturers effectively “invert the pyramid” of traditional R&D and innovation.

Dairy manufacturers are reevaluating their relationships with sweeteners.