Agenda

The National AI Initiative Act of 2020 became law in January 2021, mandating coordinated efforts across the entire Federal government to accelerate AI research and application. Since then, multiple funding streams from government agencies (including NSF, NIH, USDA) have indicated a focus on AI technologies and applications. The utility of AI and machine learning tools for analyzing large and complex datasets and generating modeled outcomes is rapidly evolving, and researchers are exploring ways to leverage AI. Understanding the potential of these technologies can inform cross-sector resource allocation and strengths and limitations. This session will start with an overview of the AI landscape. Speakers will convey current applications and the promise of AI specifically for food and nutrition, to include the capabilities and limitations of these tools for advancing our understanding of the complex relationships between food, nutrition & health.

Continuing Education Hours: IAFNS is an approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners can request 1 CPEU per contact hour for this live session.

What will it take to fulfill the "moonshot" promise of a future with 100% safe and sustainable food packaging? Adoption of safe, sustainable packaging has hit some serious roadblocks, complex regulatory landscapes, safety concerns with potential contaminants and technological challenges. The topic is highly relevant to state and federal regulatory bodies as they move to restrict or ban some widely used packaging chemicals such as PFAS and phthalates and supports the food industry’s efforts to comply with these requirements.

Reducing the presence of heavy metals in the US food supply is a priority for regulators, food companies and growers. In this session, speakers will provide an update on the FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative and the agency’s efforts to set action limits for heavy metals in baby foods. New research findings on prioritizing and mitigating exposure to heavy metals in baby and infant foods will be presented. This includes prioritization of foods and related mitigation practices based on exposure risks for sensitive populations, and the impact of these strategies on the predictability of supply. Finally, session panelists will summarize challenges and opportunities in reducing heavy metals in fresh produce from the perspective of growers in the western US.

Continuing Education Hours: IAFNS is an approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners can request 1 CPEU per contact hour for this live session.

Global food polices are being implemented around the concept of “ultra-processed” or “highly processed” foods, due to a growing body of research suggesting relationships to adverse health outcomes. However, there are several different existing schemes for classification of foods as “ultra-processed” which categorize foods differently and can be applied differently depending upon the researcher. Successful nutrition policies are based on validated metrics, which when applied consistently in research, point to substantial evidence for health impact. As the dialogue intensifies around the concept of “ultra-processed”, it is critical to solidify the science basis of these schemes to support regulations and polices that can be impactful to public health. In this session, recent discussions around on this topic including those hosted by IAFNS and USDA will be summarized. A panel with diverse perspectives will share ideas on the future of this discussion and the potential impact on the food & beverage ecosystem globally.

Interest in bioactive food components remains high for researchers, the food and supplement industries, and consumers seeking foods with elevated health benefits beyond traditional nutrients. Speakers will cover how bioactives have historically been considered in dietary guidance and the evolution of thought on dietary recommendations. Speakers will provide an update on the current science on bioactive food component benefits, to include gut chemistry and personalized responses. Given interest in food processing, the effects of various common food processing technologies on the bioavailability, concentration, and bioactivity of compounds will be reviewed.

Continuing Education Hours: IAFNS is an approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners can request 1 CPEU per contact hour for this live session.

Pathogenic bacteria evolve to develop resistances against traditional sanitation strategies requiring alternative methodologies to ensure the safety of foods. The use of bacteria from the native food microbiome as a protective tool could be a valuable mitigation strategy to reduce foodborne illness. Bacteria, like lactic acid bacteria, can inactivate pathogenic bacteria through a competition for nutrients and physical space or through the production of inhibitory antimicrobial byproducts. This session will focus on the types of bacteria that are present on foods, their use as protective cultures against pathogenic bacteria in food production and the regulatory implications for the use of non-chemical treatments.

Continuing Education Hours: IAFNS is an approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners can request 1 CPEU per contact hour for this live session.

Across the globe, different countries regulate food additives, food ingredients, and food differently.  Additionally, global expert groups and authorities have different approaches. These approaches can range from hazard-based to risk-based. When non-aligned conclusions are reached by authoritative bodies, the outcomes have implications for policy and regulation domestically and worldwide. With discussions including case studies, this session will also include special considerations for regulators in communicating risk.

Continuing Education Hours: IAFNS is an approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners can request 1 CPEU per contact hour for this live session.

In a world with an abundance of complex and often conflicting scientific knowledge, how do journalists and their editors synthesize stories and decide what to cover?  How do reporters stay ahead of what’s important and interesting to their readers as interests change and evolve? Can scientists work more effectively with reporters to get their message out? In this session, these questions and others will be addressed by science reporters and experts in science communications.