General Mills began its Open Innovation program in 2005 with the creation of the General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network (G-WIN). General Mills found many “smart people” around the world with the potential to enhance and accelerate their product innovation. They also discovered that true collaboration was extremely resource intensive and that an efficient process was needed to better identify and screen potential partners. General Mills enlisted the support of Oakland Innovation to create “Ecosystem Maps” – prioritized lists of global thought leaders across industry, academia and government research labs for any area of technical interest.

Paul Isherwood is Director, Innovation & External Networks for GSK Nutritional Healthcare R&D. His main accountabilities include leading the quest for new knowledge of technologies and products from outside the business and developing the external network to extend the company’s capabilities. The differences between Closed and Open Innovation as growth strategies within companies will be compared. Discussion of the factors affecting the sources of successful ideas, whether technology or market driven will be followed by an overview of some of the key challenges currently facing the food & drink industry. The presentation will then go into the detail of how GSK Nutritional Healthcare is collaborating with external organisations to find solutions to product, packaging, technology & research goals. Additionally, examples will be given of the various internal idea generating initiatives underway and how they are leading to more radical innovations.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®) is the most studied probiotic strain world-wide. Its favourable health effects have been scientifically well-documented in several gastrointestinal diseases and in natural immunity. New LGG®MAX is a multispecies probiotic combination developed by Valio Ltd, R&D. In this probiotic combination three other beneficial strains have been combined with LGG® in order to expand its health benefits into novel areas. The LGG®MAX probiotic combination is patented by Valio Ltd. and will be licensing the use of this probiotic ingredient to its dairy partners. LGG®MAX consists of four bacterial strains: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®), L. rhamnosus Lc705, Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS and a Bifidobacterium strain. Two separate long-term placebo-controlled double blind clinical studies have shown that a daily dose of LGG®MAX significantly relieves stressed stomach symptoms in people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A health claim for LGG®MAX in alleviating symptoms of IBS has been accepted in Sweden in Janu-ary 2007. The approved claim is: "Helps to reduce IBS-symptoms” or “Helps to relieve lower gastro-intestinal discomfort".

Milk Link is UK’s most progressive integrated dairy business. Entirely owned by British dairy farmers whose farm assured milk is processed into a comprehensive range of superb tasting, high quality and innovative dairy products. They are the UK’s largest producer of cheese, supplying all major food retailers, food processors and food service organisations. Milk Liink also manufactures a wide range of dairy products including long life milk and creams, extended shelf life products, flavoured milks and milk powders. The profits generated by the business are returned to farmer members to help provide a sustainable future for their dairy enterprises. In doing so, at a wider level, they also support the economic, social and environmental well-being of many hundreds of rural communities across the UK.

Diet and genomes interact. Nutrition is the most important life-long environmental impact on human health. Nutrigenomics builds on transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics and helps understand the interaction between food components and diets with cells, organs and the entire body. Personalized Nutrition exists already as food products addressing requirements or preferences of specific consumer groups. However, these products are rather based on empirical consumer science than on Nutrigenomics. The latter builds the science foundation for understanding human variability in preferences, requirements, and responses to diet and may become the future tool for personalized nutritional counselling for health maintenance and disease prevention.

A senior member of Wal-Mart’s Ethical Standards group and of Wal-Mart’s UK (Asda/ George) Corporate Responsibility board, Chris is currently head of Wal-Mart’s ethical standards programme in the UK and manages social and environmental supply chain programmes covering Europe, Africa and Asia. In the past two years, Asda has received national awards for its supply chain environmental programmes in the UK, and has received commendations for its social programme from independent, external stakeholders. Chris is a member of the CIES (the only independent, global food business network including Carrefour, Tesco, Metro and Migros and 150 other international retailers and food manufacturers) Global Social Compliance Programme, tasked with developing an international governance programme of labour standards. Appointed by the UK’s Minister for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in April 2005, he represents the UK’s British Retail Consortium (BRC) as a Board member of the UK Government’s Gangmaster Licencing Authority (GLA). He is a past-Chairman of the GLA’s Audit Committee and, prior to the establishment of the GLA, sat on DEFRA’s Gangmaster Consultative Committee. Invited to sit on the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) Poverty Reduction Forum, Chris is one of a team exploring opportunities for poverty reduction in Africa. Appointed by the Director General of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, he is also a member of that body’s Agricultural Industry Advisory Committee (HSE AIAC). Since 2003 Chris has represented Asda/ George within the UK’s Ethical Trading Initiative, a tri-partite organisation comprising corporates, ngo’s and unions. He represents Wal-Mart on the International MFA Forum’s Lesotho and for Bangladesh groups, and represents Wal-Mart on the International Labour Organisation’s ‘Better Work’ programme. Chris has spent the last fifteen years in retail, working for a number of blue chip retailers including Burberry, Great Universal Stores and Littlewoods in a variety of management and consultancy roles in the fields of corporate responsibility, project management, business process reengineering, and in supply chain management. Married with 5 children, he holds a BA (Hons) in Business, an MSc, and in 2005 was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship.

The relationship between insulin action and nutrition has been discussed, in many cases, concerning energy intake. However, the relationship between protein nutrition and insulin action has not been discussed so extensively. In this presentation, we will talk about the relationship between protein nutrition and the signal transduction of insulin and gene expression of some appetite-controlling hormones.

You will learn about the connection between personal health, the "health of the planet" and "wellness" and how you can leverage this trend for your business. On monday, at the 7th Annual World Food Technology and Innovation Forum in Rotterdam, we´ll reveal some of the key drivers and insights behind the "Change trend" together with our predictions for the future of this trend in the light of the global economy. The presentation will be based on the latest results from HealthFocus International 2008 Trend Survey and it will show you what implications the "Change trend" will have on "healthy marketing". The presentation will be delivered by my colleague Neal Cavalier-Smith, MD of The Healthy Marketing Team, who also will chair the first day. I will then chair the second day myself where the focus will be on innovation where we will be able to continue the ongoing discussion about future stratgies for innovations in food and health in the light of consumer and marketing trends together with the regultory challenges. To order an inhouse Trendspotting Session for Your Business or a Health Check of Your Brand, just contact me or Neal. pw@healthfocuseurope.com neal@healthymarketingteam.com

In a career spanning 25 years, Michael Taylor has worked across the breadth of bakery business environments, from leaving School on a YTS scheme to running his own bakery business. He’s faced the challenges and enjoyed the successes of being in business, and brings that experience to his current role as Operations Director at Fosters Bakery. Michael Taylor was appointed as Operations Director at Fosters Bakery in October 2004 and joined the company with enthusiasm and a commitment to tackle Operational and HR problems and to develop a stronger culture of investment in people. Michael has developed a number of initiatives to address education and skills issues. Michael is a fully qualified baker and also has a Masters Degree in Food Safety Management. Michael is also a registered trainer with the Chartered Institute or Environmental Health and most recently in 2007 passed his Diploma in company direction with the IOD. During four years at Fosters Bakery Michael has played a key part in increasing the company’s turnover and profitability. He has also contributed significantly to making Fosters Bakery a knowledge based company with a career pathway for all. Michael is passionate about the bakery business and most importantly the people that operate in his bakery. He is without doubt regarded as the coach and mentor on the Fosters Bakery board. Michael was appointed as a Governor of Barnsley College in January 2008 for a four year term under the business category. He is also company supervisor of two Knowledge Partnerships with Sheffield Hallam University and was also appointed in January 2008 as Chairman of the Board of Cenfra Ltd. (Centre for Food, Robotics and Automation) a Yorkshire Forward funded organisation. Michael was delighted to be awarded the Institute of Directors Young Director of the Year 2008 for Yorkshire and Humber at a prestigious awards evening in Leeds on Thursday 4th September 2008.

Calcium phosphate is essential to human life, in particular for bone health. The latest scientific evidence has shown that consuming sufficient amounts of both calcium and phosphorus is crucial for bone health and to forestall osteoporosis. The ideal approach to address consumption shortfalls in both nutrients is to use a calcium phosphate, but due to the poor solubility of calcium phosphates their application in beverages has historically been limited to opaque or cloudy drinks. The clear beverage segment in North America is large and growing, but has traditionally been fortified with soluble, non-phosphate calcium compounds. Innophos was presented with a challenge . . . how to fortify clear beverages with a taste-neutral, highly-soluble calcium ingredient?

Calcium phosphate is essential to human life, in particular for bone health. The latest scientific evidence has shown that consuming sufficient amounts of both calcium and phosphorus is crucial for bone health and to forestall osteoporosis. The ideal approach to address consumption shortfalls in both nutrients is to use a calcium phosphate, but due to the poor solubility of calcium phosphates their application in beverages has historically been limited to opaque or cloudy drinks. The clear beverage segment in North America is large and growing, but has traditionally been fortified with soluble, non-phosphate calcium compounds. Innophos was presented with a challenge . . . how to fortify clear beverages with a taste-neutral, highly-soluble calcium ingredient?

Nicola Colombo, Chief Sales Officer will explore how Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software solution can deliver full automation to support the Nutritional claims validation and labeling processes, starting from requirements definition ending into the labeling approval. During his presentation, Worldwide claims regulations will be taken into consideration by simulating the development of a global recipe. Chief Sales Officer at Selerant, Nicola Colombo, envisions and executes innovative technology solutions to revolutionize and streamline product lifecycle management (PLM). The co-architect behind intuitive and flexible application DevEX, Colombo has successfully led several global PLM implementations. Continuing to break the constraints of tradition, Colombo for over 12 years has utilized his expertise and insight to craft solutions designed to grow with several large global CPG organizations. His dynamic results consistently challenge archaic methodology, earning him respect throughout the industry and unprecedented loyalty from his clients.

We’ve always been taught “food is fuel for the body.” Now our consumers are demanding that food still lives up to that reputation, but in addition it should contain healthy ingredients that promote well being, balance and longevity. Omega-360TM is exactly such an ingredient, with the full spectrum profile of the essential Omega-3s needed to boost up the health profile of your product. The reality of Omega-3 processing is complex and not straight forward, because fish oils are delicate substances that rapidly break down with exposure to oxygen. Many Omega-3 producers are thus forced to find ways to mask poor taste and odour which may have a negative impact on the final acceptance of fortified products. Omega-360TM is the result of a better plan. Rather than trying to clean and cover up oil gone bad, we at Denomega take good oil and keep it that way. Then you are able to retain the highly preferred flavour profile of your product without disappointing your consumers. - As we all do know, taste is king and pleasure is queen. Denomega launched the first ever taste and odour free Omega-3 ingredients, which are now used in more than 150 commercial products. This helps us understand the complexity of adding Omega-3 to different applications, experience that we are able to share with you at the 8th Annual World Food Technology and Innovation Forum.

We’ve always been taught “food is fuel for the body.” Now our consumers are demanding that food still lives up to that reputation, but in addition it should contain healthy ingredients that promote well being, balance and longevity. Omega-360TM is exactly such an ingredient, with the full spectrum profile of the essential Omega-3s needed to boost up the health profile of your product. The reality of Omega-3 processing is complex and not straight forward, because fish oils are delicate substances that rapidly break down with exposure to oxygen. Many Omega-3 producers are thus forced to find ways to mask poor taste and odour which may have a negative impact on the final acceptance of fortified products. Omega-360TM is the result of a better plan. Rather than trying to clean and cover up oil gone bad, we at Denomega take good oil and keep it that way. Then you are able to retain the highly preferred flavour profile of your product without disappointing your consumers. As we all do know, taste is king and pleasure is queen. Denomega launched the first ever taste and odour free Omega-3 ingredients, which are now used in more than 150 commercial products. This helps us understand the complexity of adding Omega-3 to different applications, experience that we are able to share with you at the 8th Annual World Food Technology and Innovation Forum.

We’ve always been taught “food is fuel for the body.” Now our consumers are demanding that food still lives up to that reputation, but in addition it should contain healthy ingredients that promote well being, balance and longevity. Omega-360TM is exactly such an ingredient, with the full spectrum profile of the essential Omega-3s needed to boost up the health profile of your product. The reality of Omega-3 processing is complex and not straight forward, because fish oils are delicate substances that rapidly break down with exposure to oxygen. Many Omega-3 producers are thus forced to find ways to mask poor taste and odour which may have a negative impact on the final acceptance of fortified products. Omega-360TM is the result of a better plan. Rather than trying to clean and cover up oil gone bad, we at Denomega take good oil and keep it that way. Then you are able to retain the highly preferred flavour profile of your product without disappointing your consumers. - As we all do know, taste is king and pleasure is queen. Denomega launched the first ever taste and odour free Omega-3 ingredients, which are now used in more than 150 commercial products. This helps us understand the complexity of adding Omega-3 to different applications, experience that we are able to share with you at the 8th Annual World Food Technology and Innovation Forum.

Consumer lifestyles are changing. The last decade has witnessed the biggest transformation, with the demands of work and family driving people to cram as much into each day as possible. Convenience is key, but not the only wish in consumer minds. The rapid evolution of nutritional science has drawn attention to the importance of health and well-being. Substantiated health claims are highly important for the consumers when selecting healthy products. Young DSM ingredients will be highlighted to demonstrate their health and wellness benefits and to illustrate their success in end-consumer products. For more details see: www.teavigo.com www.resisttemptation.com www.insuvital.com www.tensguard.com www.peptopro.com www.resvida.com

Since the second half of 2007, global food prices have been increasing steadily, with even the price of basic foodstuffs more than doubling over the first half of 2008. This phenomenon has been dubbed agricultural inflation, or “agflation.” These increases, which come at a time when global economic growth appears poised for a significant slowdown, if not outright downturn, could have significant medium- and long-term repercussions for packaged food manufacturers. Euromonitor International provides insight on potential strategic solutions ranging from product reformulations to adapting existing product trends like premiumisation and health and wellness to changing market, demographic, and socioeconomic circumstances.

Danisco’s innovation strategy, governed by “Unfolding the Potential”, and superseded by “Becoming First Choice” is progressing. By moving from knowledge-based technology driven to knowledge-based value driven (Blue Ocean) innovation, we create value for our customers. Open innovation leads paradoxically to greater idea creativity and begets the image shifting parallax necessary to achieve, “Becoming First Choice”. Combining natural ingredients with knowledge driven employees, we continually secure value and novelty to our customers. We offer high quality, safe, sustainable, healthy nutritional solutions, supported by world class innovation to the end user’s ultimate

Traditional business models may be useful for resolving traditional business challenges. Obtaining a satisfactory control of the value chain in the food manufacturing business, thereby ensuring food traceability and safety, is not a traditional challenge. There is an increasing demand for advanced, scaleable and cost efficient solutions that provide accurate and timely information, yet is one hundred percent reliable. The solution developed by Matiq does all this. And more. And it is applicable across a wide range of industries.

Michael Zeitlyn is Managing Director of Oakland Innovation, a company headquartered in Cambridge (UK). Founding Oakland in 1989 he has established it as a consulting business respected by an international base of clients. The original vision was built on the premise that companies benefit from open connections with experts and practitioners outside of the organization; a philosophy that still holds true today. From this platform Oakland has worked with some of the world’s best known companies; particularly within the food, consumer goods and chemicals sectors. They help clients to explore market and technology opportunities and to these ends use a team of scientists and engineers to access and harness the knowledge of experts and specialists around the globe. Oakland has also looked at many aspects of the processes underpinning innovation. In particular Michael has undertaken a considerable base of work on the practices used to leverage external knowledge.

Neal Cavalier-Smith MD and lead Strategist for the Healthy Marketing Team. Specialist consultant in responding to changing consumer motivations around Nutrition Health and Wellness. Formerly Senior Brand Strategist at top-five global branding agency Design Bridge. Consults around the world, often leading branding and innovation workshops with participants from different countries and cultures. Travelled to more than 80 countries and lived in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Chair: Agra Innovations in Value Added Dairy, Copenhagen 2008 Chair: ”Creating Cash Cows” Dairy Conference, Budapest 2008 Speaker: European Healthy Foods Summit, London 2008 Speaker: Food and Drink Innovation Network, Wellness Seminar 2008 Judge: 2008 International Beverage Innovation Awards