At a glance
- Bold presence at IFT FIRST 2026: Ingredion showcased how it’s helping turn emerging food trends into real-world solutions
- Prototype-driven storytelling: Across beverages, snacks, dairy and desserts, concepts brought top consumer and brand priorities to life including: advancing clean label solutions while delivering sugar reduction, fiber fortification and consumer-preferred texture and cost optimization
- Beyond the booth: Immersive experiences and additional concepts created deeper, more collaborative interactions
- Digital and AI in action: Tools like the new MyIngredion platform highlighted how the customer experience is evolving through intelligent, tech-enabled capabilities
- Thought leadership on center stage: From texture science to AI and clean label reformulation, Ingredion experts led key industry conversations
- Trends to watch: Affordable nutrition, elevated texture, next-gen sugar reduction and globally inspired comfort foods stood out across the show floor
IFT FIRST is a place where emerging trends start to take shape and food innovation comes into focus. It’s where ideas begin to translate into real possibilities for the future of food. This year in Chicago, Ingredion came in with a clear ambition: to share our perspective on where food is headed and how we can partner with brands to navigate what comes next together.
That meant showing up in a way that felt relevant and useful to brand owners — bringing our portfolio to life while also demonstrating how we’re evolving the customer experience through digital and AI-enabled capabilities like MyIngredion and new intelligent tools. At the same time, we reinforced leadership in the areas that matter most to our customers — texture, clean label and positive nutrition — bringing them to life in tangible, application-ready ways.
Across high-impact prototypes, immersive customer experiences and thought leadership on IFT’s biggest stages, our teams demonstrated how Ingredion is uniquely positioned to help customers navigate complexity, differentiate faster and deliver against today’s most critical formulation challenges.
Prototypes that brought priority needs to life
Our booth experience centered on high-impact prototypes designed to illustrate how Ingredion solutions deliver against priority consumer and customer needs — from sugar reduction and fiber support to texture mastery and affordability.
Featured Prototypes on the Floor
Citrus fig refresher
A lighter, easy-drinking beverage that pairs sugar reduction with added fiber, showing how clean taste and refreshment can coexist
Mango passion smooth yogurt
A drinkable yogurt concept designed for satiety and weight-management routines, with no added sugar and a smooth, satisfying mouthfeel
Crispy sweet potato bites
Crispy outside, creamy inside and globally inspired — demonstrating how fiber and clean label starches can elevate texture without compromise
Black garlic apricot BBQ sauce
Bold, Korean-inspired sweet heat with no added sugar, proving that clean label reformulation doesn’t have to sacrifice flavor impact
Tomato miso pasta chip
A pasta-inspired crunchy snack delivering both protein and fiber for more satisfying, better-for-you snacking occasions
Hawaij latte pudding cake
An indulgent, multi-textural and globally inspired snack that features a fudgy Hawaij coffee brownie base, a creamy vanilla bean, high-protein pudding layer and a light, airy, foam finish
Savory breakfast bite
A portable, savory snack concept inspired by European baking, delivering a flexible base for global flavors with added protein and fiber
Super juicy vibe smoothie
A fruit-forward smoothie with 50% less sugar and added fiber, delivering vibrant flavor, a clean taste profile and a more cost-efficient formulation.
Together, these concepts reinforced a recurring theme across the show: nutrition-forward innovation must still deliver great taste and reliable performance at scale.
The taste experience: Moving beyond the sample
Alongside our featured prototypes, we also showcased additional concepts designed to invite deeper discussions. These experiences brought ideas to life in more engaging, high-touch ways — creating space for customers to explore possibilities and collaborate on what could come next.
Additional concepts
- Fermented Chapman — A naturally fermented, fruit- and vegetable-based refresher with reduced sugar, reimagining a Nigerian classic with clean label appeal
- Beer battered mochi gnocchi — A playful mashup of soft, chewy and crispy textures, pairing mochi-like gnocchi with a light batter and velvety sauce
- Khachapuri — A modern take on the Georgian cheese-filled bread, featuring added fiber and an egg-inspired center for a better-for-you twist
- Snow Cloud — A lighter, multitextural frozen dessert inspired by Taiwanese shaved ice, offering a refreshing, reduced-sugar experience
Showing up where innovation happens
Ingredion’s presence extended well beyond the booth, with contributions across IFT FIRST’s main forums that engaged R&D audiences and further demonstrated our technical leadership.
Highlights included:
- Texture Masterclass on the Taste of Science stage, exploring how texture shapes perception and preference
- From Artificial to Affective Intelligence, explored how technology can be taught to understand taste and emotion
- A clean label fireside chat explored real-world reformulation challenges
- A session on “snealing” discussed how snack-meal hybrids are reshaping eating behavior
- Technical session on egg replacement and plant-based protein analysis
- Community engagement highlighted how Ingredion connects with and supports IFT communities
Across stages, posters and workshops, the message was consistent: today’s innovation demands both scientific rigor and consumer empathy.
What we saw on the floor: 2026 trend watch
Looking ahead
IFT FIRST 2026 reinforced what we see every day: the future of food isn’t about chasing trends — it’s about translating them into solutions that work in the real world. From fiber-forward beverages to texture-driven snacks and immersive customer experiences, Ingredion is helping customers move from inspiration to execution — faster.
Want to explore what’s next together? Let’s keep the conversation going.
Related content
The conversations at IFT FIRST 2026 reinforced a common theme: successful innovation happens when consumer insight, technical expertise and emerging trends come together to solve real formulation challenges. Explore these three resources to learn more about the science of texture, the innovations shaping functional food development, and the ideas that continue to influence the future of food.
Ingredion at IFT FIRST 2025 — Connecting texture, health and innovation
Last year we introduced Texture Equation℠ into a dynamic, interactive experience. Showcasing how texture influences perception— such as crispiness, creaminess, and firmness— through engaging visuals and storytelling. The experience reinforced Ingredion leadership in technical mastery and sensory innovation.
Elevating every bite: Where science meets experience
Discover how science, sensory insights and culinary expertise combine to optimize texture, helping brands create scalable, delicious products consumers prefer.
7 questions shaping the future of functional eating
A quick Q&A with Ingredion experts on building products that deliver real benefits and a great experience in the same bite or sip.
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