How do corporate chefs influence new product innovation? Prepared Foods profiles refrigerated foods giant Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, Ore., and interviews Chef Sean Dwigans, Culinary Business Development Manager; and Chef Todd Ketterman, Culinary Manager. In this installment, Dwigans and Ketterman share how they research food trends and incorporate new flavors, tastes, textures and ingredients.

Prepared Foods discusses clean label shelf life preservation strategies and ingredient options with Zal Taleyarkhan, Director of Innovation and Corporate Research Chef at Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations, Chicago.

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Prepared Foods recently welcomed Pam Smith, Culinary Innovator and Leader of Food Service Outreach for the Mushroom Council to walk us through some quick mushroom trends and discuss the rapidly growing use of mushrooms in foods and beverage formulations for flavor, nutrition, and health.

What do top-selling new foods and beverages have in common? Prepared Foods breaks it down with Joan Driggs, Circana’s vice president for content and thought leadership. Driggs identifies trends fueling success for Circana’s top New Product Pacesetters at both the retail and convenience store channels.

Mayana Chocolate Owner and Chief Chocolatier Daniel Herskovic joins Prepared Foods Executive Editor-Technical David Feder for a chocolate chat that looks at the global favorite flavor in its traditional role as the king of candy and confections as well as its uses in savory and other uncommon formulations.

The Institute of Food Technologists’ IFT FIRST 2024 conference and expo was one of the organization’s best shows ever. Immunity and Dairy Fermentation scientist Dr. Dana McCurdy shares with the Prepared Foods’ audience highlights of the show.

Prepared Foods talks food and beverage tree nut ingredient applications with Robin Puskas, chief innovation officer at JPG Resources.