CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — Representatives of the grain and milling industries recently gathered July 10-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, US, for IFT FIRST, the Institute of Food Technologists annual event and expo.

The theme of this year's event was "Hacking the Food Supply: Can We Synthesize a More Sustainable Future?" The theme falls in line with IFT’s mission in rebranding the event as FIRST: Food Improved by Research, Science and Technology, which gets to the transformative power the organization believes the global food system can have on the world. 

On the expo floor, attendees were able to take advantage of the new ingredients and solutions on display and the Startup Pavilion where consultants and entrepreneurs could network.