LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — While excitement is growing about the 2nd annual Flavor Summit-Industry Perspectives this February 22-24, several potential participants have shared their concerns about attending in person because of the Covid omicron variant. Taking into consideration that some speakers and participants are limited in their travel and with safety as a primary concern, the conference will now be offered virtually.
“We are offering the same level of presentations and plan to have an engaging opportunity with sponsors, exhibitors, and students,” said Yu Wang, associate professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and event organizer. “All registered attendees will be sent a swag bag with materials from exhibitors and sponsors.”
For those interested participants who can travel to central Florida, a special evening social kickoff to the conference will be hosted at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred the evening of February 22. This will be a great opportunity for industry and academia to gather in person and enjoy a lively reception with exhibits from sponsors and exhibitors. There will also be a tasting of new fruit and vegetables from the UF breeding programs.
The registration fee for the conference is reduced to $99 for participants and $69 for students. There will be an in-person social the evening prior to the conference hosted by the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. Those wishing to attend will be asked to pay an additional $49. Exhibitors may participate for $125-200.
Topics to be addressed during the summit include smell and taste in the time of Covid-19, predicting odor character from molecular structure, Relationships between chili intake, desensitization and personality, and strawberry breeding to enhance consumer satisfaction.
For more information, please contact Yu Wang at yu.wang@ufl.edu or Jamie Burrow at jdyates@ufl.edu.
Speakers (invited)
- Diana Klaser Cheng, Nourish R&D Botanical Research Leader
- John Hayes, Penn State University
- Joel Mainland, Monell Chemical Senses Center
- Steven Munger, UF Center for smell and Taste
- Vance Whitaker, University of Florida/IFAS
- Thomas Kauz, Symrise
- Stephen Fenimore, Givaudan
- Ken Kraut, ADM
–Ruth Borger, UF/IFAS