IFT to Hold Webinars on Food Additives, GRAS Status
The Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific organization with global members spanning academia, government and industry, is hosting a webinar on “Additives: State-Level Actions, National-Level Impacts” that will be held on Friday, Feb.16 from noon to 1 p.m. CT. The webinar will address the complex and confusing environment food scientists are currently facing as stakeholders increasingly focus on food additives safety.
Specifically, the webinar will focus on the recently passed California Food Safety Act and related legislation in Illinois (SB2637) and New York (S6055) banning brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye #3. Illinois is also expected to pursue banning titanium dioxide as part of the Illinois Food Safety Act.
Recently, IFT weighed in on the potential impact of the proposed Illinois Food Safety Act in public comments that can be found here.
“In a complex world where consumer groups, state-level legislations, and the FDA all seek to identify, review and prioritize food additive safety, it is essential for food scientists to understand the concerns, science and implications of the resulting actions,” said IFT Chief Science and Technology Officer Bryan Hitchcock. “This webinar will help attendees gain clarity on what they should be thinking about related to these proposed and active bills, which could have far-reaching impacts that will create a variety of challenges.”
Food toxicology experts Craig Llewellyn, PhD, and James R. Coughlin, PhD, will offer their perspectives on the history and widespread implications of the state-level actions on food products, supply chains, and businesses, as well as the significant challenges and opportunities for U.S. food scientists related to the state-level legislation.
To register for “Additives: State-Level Actions, National-Level Impacts,” go to https://info.ift.org/additives-lunch-and-learn.
The webinar is presented by IFT’s Concierge Service, which helps companies address the implications of the California Food Safety Act and similar bills, provides regulatory assistance with new and imported products, supports conquering product development hurdles, identifies and consolidates existing research, and assists with other time-sensitive tasks. IFT’s Concierge Service provides teams on-demand access to trained food scientists and other experts. To learn more, go to www.ift.org/concierge-service. To learn how IFT’s Concierge Service helped Eagle Foods and Daily Harvest save time and speed innovation, check out this Brain Food Blog.
GRAS Webinar
IFT will also host “Decoding GRAS: Regulatory Understanding in the New Product Development Process,” a free webinar that will explore the intricacies of GRAS determinations during the product development process. The webinar, which is open to the public, will be held Friday, March 1, from noon to 1 p.m. CT. GRAS, which stands for “Generally Recognized as Safe,” is a designation applied to ingredients that have been recognized as safe by qualified experts. The upcoming webinar will provide key insight to the regulatory journey of determining an ingredient as GRAS and will equip food and beverage professionals with the skills needed to efficiently navigate the process.
The webinar will feature former FDA official Stephen Gendel, PhD. An internationally recognized expert on food safety, assessing new food products, and food policy and regulation, Gendel brings with him over two decades of experience advancing science and policy in the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. As the first FDA Food Allergen Coordinator, he contributed to the creation of agency policies, guidance documents, and regulations.
“Understanding the complexities around GRAS ingredients is essential in the product development process,” added Hitchcock. “The GRAS webinar will provide indispensable knowledge that food and beverage professionals can use to strategically tackle this consequential step in the product development journey.”
To register for the “Decoding GRAS” webinar, go to https://www6.ift.org/Ecommerce/Meetings/MeetingDetail?productId=63618777.
The Institute of Food Technologists is a global organization of over 11,000 individual members from more than 100 countries committed to advancing the science of food. Since 1939, IFT has brought together the brightest minds in food science, technology and related professions from academia, government, and industry to solve the world’s greatest food challenges.
IFT works to ensure that its members have the resources they need to learn, grow, and innovate to advance the science of food as the population and the world evolve. IFT believes that science and innovation is essential to ensuring a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. For more information, visit ift.org.
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