The formulation and regulation of plant-based food and beverage products (FiNA)
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The global plant-based food market is expected to triple in the next decade, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2%, according to Future Market Insights. With growth, however, comes challenges. Considering FDA’s recent draft guidance on the labeling of plant-based milk, companies producing plant-based food and beverage products should be prepared for the unexpected. In this SupplySide West/FiNA education session, you’ll learn more about the regulatory stipulations behind various aspects of these products, formulation opportunities and challenges, and how plant-based technology is bringing this ever-growing category to new heights.
Join us for stimulating, relevant lessons in:
• The market size and changes in consumer demand.
• Understanding the particulars of the regulation of plant-based products.
• Unique formulation challenges and how to overcome them.
• New technologies that could change the game of creating plant-based products.
  • 9-9:05 – Introductions
  • 9:05-9:30 – Julie Johnson of HealthFocus International will present data and consumer research about the plant-based industry.
  • 9:30-9:55 – Justin Prochnow of Greenberg Traurig LLP will discuss regulation of plant-based foods, including naming of alt-dairy products (per FDA guidance), packaging/labeling to reduce litigation, novel ingredients and GRAS, legislation in various states and more.
  • 9:55-10:20– Laura Cuñer DuBois of Avafina Organics on developing nondairy alternatives and how sustainability plays a role.
  • 10:20-10:45 – Shelly Van Cleve of The Plant Based Seafood Co. on the landscape of the alt-seafood sector of the industry.
  • 10:45-11:00 – Nick Toriello of The EVERY Co. on precision fermentation and how it’s being utilized to create animal-free alternatives.
  • 11-11:10 – break
  • 11:10-12 p.m. – Panel discussion with all speakers moderated by Heather Carter, followed by audience Q&A.

In partnership with:

Underwritten by:

Date & Time
Tuesday October 24th, 2023 9:00am PDT
End Date & Time
Tuesday October 24th, 2023 12:00pm PDT
Location
Islander Ballroom E
MODERATOR
11fa57c318fd46d063afb78f1c42fdaa-huge-phAudarshia Townsend
Content Director, Food & Beverage Insider, Informa Markets
A lifelong Chicagoan, Audarshia Townsend is a veteran food and beverage journalist who serves as the content director for Food & Beverage Insider. She also appears regularly on local and national media outlets to discuss food and beverage trends. When Townsend's not on the eats beat, she's an avid yogi and meditation practitioner.
SPEAKERS
bbeb6a83e1c137585fe9b2ab1ba5219e-huge-juJulie Johnson
President, HealthFocus International
As President of HealthFocus International, Julie works with top-tier food, beverage, supplement, and ingredient companies, and is an authoritative resource in uncovering the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of their consumers on 6 continents.  She offers these brands a deeper understanding of their global user base and helps them formulate actionable human-relationship strategies.
3f28963e168fc560185bddb43d687078-huge-prJustin Prochnow
Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
Justin is co-chair of the Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Group at Greenberg Traurig, an international law firm with over 2300 lawyers and 40 offices. He assists companies to ensure regulatory compliance by reviewing labeling and advertising as well as responding to actions from the FDA, FTC, and other agencies. He also assists companies with industry agreements and responding to the growing number of class action lawsuits over labeling claims. He is a frequent speaker at industry trade conferences and has a podcast called Greenberg Traurig’s Legal Food Talk, on which he discusses hot topics in the food industry.
11fa57c318fd46d063afb78f1c42fdaa-huge-phLaura Cuñer DuBois
Founder & CEO, Avafina Organics
  • Born in Argentina, Laura Cuñer DuBois is a socially conscious, self-made entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Avafina Organics. A pioneer in the organic industry, her vision in the late 1990s to bring organic products into mainstream has become a reality. Under DuBois’ leadership, Avafina Organics has grown to become a leading organic ingredient supplier and an innovative manufacturer of organic, plant-based spreads like Chiaviar (“the vegan’s caviar”) and Queen Cream Cheese. DuBois has dedicated her life to working with organic farmers and being part of the food chain at all levels. She is passionate about organic agriculture, its effects on the environment as well as our own personal health. Her goal is to inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle by spreading awareness on the benefits of an organic, plant-based lifestyle. DuBois holds a bachelor’s degree from UADE (Universidad Argentina de la Empresa), as well as continuous studies in several areas at NYU University, Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Optimum Health Institute and Cornell University.
11fa57c318fd46d063afb78f1c42fdaa-huge-phShelly Van Cleve
Co-Founder & CIO, The Plant Based Seafood Co.
Known as The Kitchen Magician (a person with exceptional skill in a particular area), Shelly Van Cleve has been developing award-winning seafood products and plant-based seafood products for over 23 years that includes CPG, DTC, on-air shopping, private label and foodservice with distribution nationwide. She is the co-founder of The Plant Based Seafood Co. and Van Cleve Seafood, and finds the challenge to duplicate a seafood product without using animals energizing and exciting.  Van Cleve started developing plant based seafood replicas, which debuted at the Boston Seafood Show in 2019. Her realistic seafoods include fried oysters, coconut shrimp, jumbo shrimp, dusted bay scallops, Maryland-style backfin crab cake and the world’s first shelf-stable sea scallop. She works in The Plant Based Seafood Co.’s innovate kitchen inside their headquarters, which is located on a 4-mile-long island in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.
f4a5ac7ab6c8b8549825be19497fd825-huge-niNick Toriello, Ph.D.
VP, Head of Partnerships, EVERY
Dr. Toriello joins The EVERY Company from Bolt Threads where he led the Mylo mushroom-leather business into, and launched the Mylo™ Consortium. Previously he was the General Manager for Novozymes San Francisco. Prior to joining Novozymes he was co-founder of Allopartis Biotechnologies, a company focused on improved enzymes for biofuels. Allopartis was acquired by Novozymes in 2013. He earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and UCSF and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona.