IFT FIRST is an industry event relevant to professionals working across the international snacks market. Major food science, R&D and ingredient innovation event. Visitors should check the official event website for the next confirmed edition dates and programme updates. The current listing places the event at McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616, United States of America.
Ingredient innovation and product development opportunities
IFT FIRST is relevant to snack manufacturers and product developers looking for ingredients that can support new flavours, textures, nutritional profiles and manufacturing performance. The international snacks market is highly responsive to changing consumer expectations, with demand spanning indulgent, premium, spicy, high-protein, plant-based, reduced-salt and better-for-you propositions. Ingredient-focused events allow R&D, procurement and technical teams to compare suppliers and understand how different systems perform in real applications rather than assessing specifications in isolation.
For snack businesses, the commercial value lies in connecting formulation decisions with processing and positioning. Seasonings, flavours, oils, starches, proteins, fibres, coatings, binders and functional systems can influence taste, crunch, appearance, shelf life, nutritional claims and manufacturing consistency. IFT FIRST provides a forum for discussing those trade-offs with suppliers and for identifying ingredients that may help reformulate established products or create new concepts. It can also provide insight into clean-label expectations, sourcing, traceability, sustainability and cost pressures affecting ingredient selection.
International Snacks will monitor IFT FIRST for developments relevant to savoury snacks, snack nuts, baked snacks and related categories, including product launches, ingredients, processing technology, packaging, sustainability initiatives and route-to-market trends. Visitors should use the official event website for the latest information on registration, opening times, exhibitors, conference sessions and any changes to the published programme.
