CPP to Host Inaugural Plant-Based Food and Nutrition Conference
Food industry and nutrition experts from around the county will descend upon Cal Poly Pomona next month for an inaugural conference on plant-based food and nutrition. “The Symposium on Plant-Based Food & Nutrition: Innovations & Challenges” is organized by the Department of Nutrition & Food Science and will be held at the Kellogg West Conference Center, Nov. 14-15.
The food industry is interested in developing plant-based products – such as meat substitutes – because of sustainability concerns, said Assistant Professor Belal Hasan, who led the planning for the event.
In the next 25 to 30 years, the United States is expected to face a shortage of animal protein sources because population growth is outpacing supplies, which are constrained by carbon reduction efforts, Hasan said.
“We’re not asking people to become vegan or vegetarian,” he said. “We’re just creating alternatives. We want to reduce animal production but maintain protein supplies.”
The industry’s interest is reflected in the fact that there are more than 30 sponsors for this first symposium, including two at the platinum level who contributed $4,000 each to the event, and six gold-level sponsors who contributed $2,000 each.
In addition, the event will feature industry experts and researchers from around the county.
They include Darin Detwiler, a Northeastern University professor and prominent food safety expert and advocate whose career was featured in the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth about Your Food.”
Christopher Gardner, a Stanford nutrition professor who was featured in the Netflix docuseries “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment,” is another speaker.
The event also will feature poster presentations on cutting-edge research in plant-based nutrition, an industry expo with 30 different companies, and networking sessions.
Cal Poly Pomona students are among those invited to make poster presentations. Faculty from across campus are also encouraged to attend.
Plant-based food production and nutrition requires engineering, scientific, and business expertise in areas such as food safety, hospitality management, the food supply chain, and renewable energy, Hasan said.
The symposium registration fees include five meals over the two days.
Discounted registration is available for a limited number of Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty and staff on a first-come, first-served basis.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/plant-based-foods-and-nutrition-innovation-and-challenges-tickets-924028242347 with discount code “CPPFacultyStaff” or “CPPStudent.”