Great to see so many of you at IFT FIRST. Hope your flights home were not delayed too much because of Wednesday’s storm. I walked into my home just as it began to pour.
This IFT FIRST was unlike any Institute of Food Technology expo I’ve attended, and I’ve been to more than 30. Regulatory policy was changing—or threatening to be changed—every day of the expo. Nick Praznowski, director of industry analysis at Bader Rutter, sums it up quite nicely. He wrote:
“We’re watching a national food policy spectacle play out in real time. Three highly anticipated announcements affecting all of food production will soon be released. Brands, organizations and advocates are tuned in and anxious to influence the pending policies. Adding to the tension is an administration enthusiastically pressing for a new “healthy” America, fomenting vigorous debate as it pits regulators and agencies against corporate interests, and cabinet members against each other.”
Please link HERE to read the entire article.
I am not surprised by the recurring themes on the expo floor at IFT FIRST. Nutrient-dense foods for GLP-1 diets dominated the conversation, with protein and fiber teaming up as the perfect marriage for these products.
The other biggie was natural colors, with suppliers of these non-synthetic colors glowing. They have what the food and beverage industry wants. Some exhibitors were even sparkling. Today’s blog sponsor—Lycored—sparkled (using natural colors, of course) to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The company’s coloring capabilities in dairy are showcased throughout this blog.
On the first day of the expo, FDA approved gardenia (genipin) blue as a natural color, joining the three--galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract and calcium phosphate—which were approved on May 9, 2025.
That same day, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he wants to expand dairy recommendations in the federal dietary guidelines, which are set to be updated later this year.
“I grew up in a world where milk was the healthiest thing that you could eat,” said Kennedy during a news conference. “There’s a tremendous amount of emerging science that talks about the need for more protein in our diet and more fats in our diet. And there’s no industry that does that better than this industry.”
Also on July 14th, dozens of U.S. ice cream makers pledged to eliminate certified artificial colors from ice cream products made with real milk by Dec. 31, 2027. The commitment represents companies making more than 90% of the ice cream volume sold in the United States. Many commercial ice cream makers have already phased out certified artificial colors and many others are working with suppliers to phase them out.
The 2025 IFT FIRST ended with an announcement by FDA that it plans to revoke various food standards after concluding they are obsolete and unnecessary. This includes standards for 18 types of dairy products, including certain milk and cream products, cheeses and related cheese products and frozen desserts.
You can explore the list by linking HERE.
The International Dairy Foods Association has been requesting for many years to remove certain standards, saying a product could be considered misbranded or adulterated if a manufacturer uses a new, innovative technology or ingredient not specified in the law. Dairy foods currently account for about one-third of all standards of identity in the Federal Register.
I welcome your thoughts on all this action. Hope you recoup after an eventful IFT FIRST and reboot for next week. I can guarantee there will be more chaos.
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