David Kaplan, Professor, Tufts University

Keynote Speaker

David Kaplan is the Stern Family Endowed Professor of Engineering at Tufts University, a Distinguished University Professor, and Director of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture. His research focus is on biopolymer engineering, tissue engineering, and cellular agriculture. He is the editor-in-chief of ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, he serves on many editorial boards and programs for journals and universities, he has received a number of awards for his research and teaching, and he is an Elected as Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and the National Academy of Engineering.

The future of food refers to innovative and sustainable food practices to address the most pressing challenges faced today, including global environmental sustainability, increased demand for protein-rich foods, growing public health concerns, animal welfare issues, food inequities, and food security.  A key emerging technology to help address these challenges includes cellular agriculture (or cell-based foods, cultivated meat).  This biotechnology and tissue-engineering approach to future foods provides novel strategies to generate protein-enriched foods with positive outcomes towards the environmental, human, and animal health. However, many challenges remain to achieve impact that will be addressed within the context of the remarkable progress in the field over the past few years.  

Youling L. Xiong, Professor, University of Kentucky

Dr. Xiong is Gatton Foundation Professor and University Research Professor at the University of Kentucky. He teaches food biochemistry, meat science, and protein functionality. His research focuses on protein structure-functionality relationship and physico-biological means to improve the efficiency and utility of proteins in animal and plant-based food product development. He has published 350 research papers with 32,000 total citations and a 100 h-index. He has received numerous national and international awards and is an elected fellow in four international societies (IFT, ACS-AGFD, IUFoST, and AMSA).

Plant-muscle hybrid products offer an alternative strategy to address both the nutrition, texture and flavor constraints in plant-based alternatives and concerns for saturated fat and cholesterol associated with all-meat foods. The texture of hybrid products is critically dependent on the interaction and co-functionality of muscle and plant proteins. Understanding the molecular interaction of proteins, salt, and other ingredients in blended systems will guide the successful development of hybrid foods. This presentation will describe the complex formulation effect on the textural and microstructural properties of plant-meat hybrid products and compare their oxidation stability and in vitro digestion behavior.

Lingyun Chen, Professor, University of Alberta

Dr. Chen is a Professor in the Dept. Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sci. at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the understanding of plant protein structure underlying functionality. Leveraging this knowledge, she has developed a series of molecular modification strategies to enhance the functionality, sensory, and nutrition of plant protein-based ingredients and foods. Dr. Chen has over 250 peer reviewed scientific papers and was named Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) during 2014-2024. She has served as Chair of the Protein and Co-Products Division of the American Oil Chemists' Society. She is also the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Food Proteins.

Microgels are building blocks for many applications such as drug delivery, sensing and cell biology. This study describes the preparation of core-shell microgels (1-20μm) based on protein-polysaccharide interactions that show super capacity to stabilize emulsions. While the microgel could not be well adsorbed at the oil droplet surface, the presence of polysaccharide decreased the water contact angle of microgel to 90◦, enabling its adsorption at the w/o interface to form Pickering emulsions. In addition, the microgel stabilized emulsions with 30% oil show similar rheological and flow behavior to emulsions containing 50% oil. This result demonstrates that the microgel has the potential for preparing “low fat” food formulations with a comparable texture to that of full-fat counterparts.

Oguz Ozturk, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Oguz Ozturk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a research focus on plant-based protein food alternatives and novel processing technologies. His work harnesses cutting-edge food processing approaches to enhance the functional properties of food ingredients, particularly proteins and protein-rich byproducts, transforming them into high-value components for innovative food formulations. His research bridges multiple scientific disciplines, integrating food science, food engineering, food chemistry, and sustainability to address pressing challenges in the modern food system.

Pumpkin seed flour (PSF), a protein-rich byproduct of pumpkin processing (50-60% of protein), remained underutilized despite its considerable potential for food applications. This study demonstrates that microfluidization significantly improved the functional properties of partially defatted PSF, leading to improvements in solubility (up to 710%), water- and oil-holding capacities (up to 246% and 400% respectively), and foaming properties. These enhancements are primarily attributed to particle size reduction and protein unfolding induced by microfluidization. Functionally modified PSF was successfully incorporated into cupcake formulations as an egg replacer, producing textural attributes comparable to conventional cupcakes. Beyond utilizing whole PSF, isolated pumpkin seed proteins demonstrated strong gelling behavior, enabling its use as an effective wall material for encapsulating oxidation-prone oils. Ultrasound-assisted encapsulation achieved encapsulation efficiencies of up to 80%, which were further improved by the addition of binding agents. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of processing-assisted valorization of PSF for sustainable food applications.

Marcia English, Associate Professor, Saint Francis Xavier University

Dr. Marcia English is a Canada Research Chair in Protein and Flavour Chemistry and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition at St. Francis Xavier University. Her research interests span several interconnected areas including fermentation, functional food proteins, and developing packaging materials, all aimed at improving the quality and the sustainability of plant foods. To accelerate discovery, her work also integrates data-driven modeling to predict flavour outcomes and guide formulation strategies. She also currently serves as the President of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST). 

Pulses such as chickpeas are rich sources of protein and play an important role in the world’s food supply however, the presence of off-flavours limit their wide-spread consumer acceptability. Because of its reported low energy requirements, fermentation is considered a sustainable processing method for improving or masking undesirable off flavours in pulses. However, fermentation is also a complex process, and it can be challenging to obtain consistent biochemical data between batches which can impact the quality of the fermented food product. This presentation will explore the use machine learning techniques, to develop a model to predict biochemical changes during the constant fermentation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) flour and the application of the flour in plant-based cheese.

Mike Nickerson, Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Michael Nickerson is a Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Research Chair and Professor in Protein Quality and Utilization at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada). His research area focuses on improving the use of plant protein ingredients within the food industry, and targets five main areas: 1) protein/feedstock quality; 2) protein fractionation; 3) protein functionality; 4) ingredient modification; and 5) value-added plant-based protein innovations. He has over 220+ internationally peer reviewed publications, funded through a variety of sources. Dr. Nickerson’s research program primarily focusing on proteins derived from pulses, oilseeds and grains, as well as some alternative protein sources.

Fermentation is a green and sustainable processing technique, whereby microbes act to induce conformational changes. However, the effect varies depending on the level of hydrolysis, the fermenting strain, and the specific substrate used. This research examines the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) by Lactobacillus plantarum, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae of several niche market pulse protein isolates on their functional and nutritional properties. The pulse proteins were moderately hydrolyzed to different extents (degree of hydrolysis of 9%–15%) after 48 h of fermentation, enhancing surface charge and solubility while decreasing water holding capacity and emulsion stability. Protein digestibility was reduced for all pulses which was hypothesized to be due to an increase in phenolic content caused by fermentation. Among the strains, only A. niger outgrew the natural microbiota for all pulses. Fermentation produced a large variety of favourable new volatile compounds in the protein isolates.

Prasanth Pillai, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota

Dr. Prasanth Pillai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, specializing in bioconversion and upcycling of food and agricultural byproducts into high-value ingredients. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and completed postdoctoral training in lipid chemistry, plant proteins, and hydrocolloids, with deep expertise in food macromolecules and functionality. With over a decade of experience, including six years in biotech and food industries, he has led innovations in extractions, modifications, and fermentation technologies, resulting in numerous publications, over 25 U.S. patents, and impactful trade secrets. 

Euglena gracilis is a metabolically versatile microalga with strong potential as a sustainable source of high-quality food proteins, though commercialization is limited by cultivation cost. This study demonstrates the use of sorghum bran, a plant protein byproduct, as a nutrient rich substrate for producing Euglena proteins. Cultivation conditions were optimized to maximize biomass and protein yield. Protein rich fractions obtained through food grade downstream processing showed favorable solubility, emulsification, foaming, gelation, and water and oil holding capacities, supporting their suitability for food applications. Overall, this work establishes a circular process for producing functional Euglena proteins from agricultural byproducts.

Steven Mulkey, Research Scientist, University of Minnesota

Steve Mulkey is a Research Scientist at the University of Minnesota. He earned his doctorate in plant breeding and genetics at North Carolina State University in 2018 before starting a Post-Doc with Dr. Stupar in soybean genetics. In 2021 Steve began developing a winter pea breeding program with the goal of developing food-grade peas that would survive this cold, icy landscape. Steve’s research focuses on developing genetic resources and tools for the research community, modernizing the pea breeding pipeline, and developing an economically profitable, environmentally sustainable crop for Minnesota.

Peas are a key component of growing plant-based ingredient markets that meet demands for sustainable, high-protein foods. However, seed protein can vary widely, even within a single cultivar grown in one environment, and undesirable off-flavors require careful processing or formulation. These challenges limit industry adoption and consumer acceptance. The University of Minnesota pea breeding program aims to develop economically viable, environmentally beneficial peas for farmers. This talk highlights how breeding and genetics address food quality challenges in pea, focusing on two projects: (1) assessing intra-plant variation in pod development and maturity as a driver of protein variability, and (2) characterizing volatile flavor variation across diverse pea germplasm.

Pam Ismail, PPIC Founder & Director, Professor, University of Minnesota

Dr. Pam Ismail is the Founder and Director of the Plant Protein Innovation Center and is a Professor at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota. Dr. Ismail has over 30 years of experience in Food Chemistry and Analysis research focused on structural characterization and enhancement of functionality, safety, bioavailability, and bioactivity of food proteins, following novel processing and analytical approaches. She is the recipient of a “Distinguished Teaching Award” and an “Outstanding Professor Award”.

The food industry is continuously seeking functional and nutritious plant proteins from sustainable sources. While plant proteins have several benefits, nutritional and functional limitations often hinder their wide adoption in various food applications. Such limitations are mitigated by downstream processing and formulation strategies. Most of these strategies require high energy input, are costly, or involve the use of additional ingredients to achieve desirable texture and flavor of the final product. This presentation will showcase the potential of breeding as an upstream approach combined with blending as a downstream approach to leverage the individual strengths of various plant protein sources including pulses, oilseeds, and cereal grains. Synergistic enhancement in gelation and emulsification properties as well as nutritional quality will be highlighted. Scaled-up processes to produce protein blends will be featured as a feasible remedy for successful performance in various food systems.

Mehmet Tulbek, President, Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Center

Dr. Mehmet Tulbek is President of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, where he leads organizational strategy, planning, and operations under the direction of the Board of Directors. With over 30 years of global experience in agri-food research, technology, and innovation, he is recognized for advancing value-added processing across pulses, cereals, oilseeds, and plant-based foods. He holds degrees from Ankara University, Istanbul Technical University, and a Ph.D. in Cereal Science from North Dakota State University. Previously, he held senior R&D roles at AGT Food and Ingredients and the Northern Crops Institute. He serves as Board Chair of the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan, a Board Member of the Canadian Food Innovation Network, and an Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Heidi Teoh, Vice President, R&D, SunOpta, Inc.

Dr. Heidi Teoh is an accomplished R&D leader with a proven track record of delivering more than 100 successful product launches globally with large CPG and global supplier organizations across multiple customer channels in the food industry. With a strong background in food science and culinary training, Heidi creates lasting growth by combining culinary-inspired product design, food science principles and technology. Her innovative approach enables the development of differentiated new products and meaningful core renovation that delight both customers and consumers.

Heidi is a member of the University of Minnesota Plant Protein Innovation Center’s Executive Board, MBOLD Protein Catalyst Team, and a guest instructor and member of the Advisory Board for the VANTAGE Advanced Professional Studies Program.

Dr. Teoh holds a Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign and is currently Vice President of Research & Development at SunOpta, Inc.

Olivia Murch, Sales Account Manager for Specialty Milling, Buhler

Olivia Murch, Sales Account Manager for Specialty Milling in North America, has been a valued member of the Buhler team since 2022. Her degree in Biological Engineering at Purdue University and four years spent in Research and Development at General Mills has expanded her ability to solve complex technical challenges and her expertise within the food industry. Olivia has a passion for driving improvements across the oats value chain and unlocking growth potential for her customers.

Oat Ingredient value chain innovation with MBOLD

A short presentation followed by Q&A

The MBOLD Protein Catalyst is an initiative that aims to drive protein innovation and sustainability in collaboration with Cargill, General Mills, Buhler, Schwan’s Co., SunOpta, Target, the Government of Canada, the Plant Protein Innovation Center (PPIC), and AURI, as well as new partners like Northarvest Bean Growers Association. An initial area of focus is the development of oats as a protein source.  Oats are gaining importance as a sustainable source of plant protein and functional food ingredients.  MBOLD is partnering with the Saskatchewan Food Industry Innovation Centre on the Phase 1 research designed to generate practical, market-oriented insights for ingredient developers, CPG’s and researchers, and inform the adoption of oat protein and related ingredients.  We will highlight our Phase 1 findings on oat ingredient processing, extraction and processing opportunities, with a focus on functionality, nutritional quality, clean-label applications, and cost implications. Processing innovations, co-product valorization, and market opportunities will also be discussed.  We are excited to partner further with PPIC and welcome more partners as we begin the second phase of this research.

Sanah Baig, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Institute

Sanah Baig is Executive Director of the Plant Based Foods Institute, a nonprofit accelerating a transition to plant-centric food systems globally. She most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor for Agriculture and Nutrition at the White House and as Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) across two Presidential administrations. Previously, she was Chief of Staff for the global nonprofit the Good Food Institute as well as Program Director at the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. 

Plant-based foods represent a major opportunity to strengthen local and regional agricultural economies while meeting growing demand for high-quality protein sources in institutional foodservice channels such as schools, hospitals, and corporate campuses. Achieving scale requires more than good science or great products; it requires deliberate coordination across researchers, farmers, processors, manufacturers, and procurement and culinary teams. This opening will highlight where demand is accelerating, what “performance at scale” really means for foodservice, and the key gaps that still limit growth, from ingredient functionality and consistency to pricing and supply reliability.

Maddie Segal, Director of Industry Partnerships, Plant Based Foods Institute (PBFI)

Maddie Segal is Director of Industry Partnerships at the Plant Based Foods Institute (PBFI), where she works across both PBFI and its sister organization, the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), to advance marketplace growth for plant-based foods. She divides her time between supporting plant-based food manufacturers and ingredient companies, and partnering with major retailers and foodservice operators to develop research, resources, and pilots that align business goals with plant-based strategies.
Her background combines food-systems advocacy with direct experience selling into foodservice and retail. Maddie is based in Raleigh, North Carolina and holds a Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University.

Jenni Harrington, Director of Technology & Innovation, Buhler

Jenni Harrington – Director of Technology & Innovation for Value-added products in North America. Jenni has been almost 20 years with Buhler. Jenni has B.S. Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and B.S. Food Technology & Engineering from National University of Food Technologies, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Jennifer Kimmel, Head of R&D - Americas, Roquette

With 20+ years in the food industry across finished products and ingredients, Jen leads a team of scientists and engineers at Roquette dedicated to customer-centric innovation. By mastering ingredient functionality at the structural level, her team seamlessly integrates process development, advanced characterization, and application performance—delivering breakthrough innovations that solve complex customer challenges and set new benchmarks for consumer excellence.

Prior to Roquette, Jen served as Ingredient Technology Manager at Glanbia Performance Nutrition and as Principal Protein Scientist at Kraft Foods, where she pioneered protein innovation strategies for global brands.

Kent Buell, Senior Culinary Leader, Greener by Default

A classically trained chef & ever-hopeful small scale farmer, Kent's career began with years of fine dining, and for the past two decades, progressed to senior culinary leader in food service management at scale, having led national operational teams across complex campuses & cafes in many sectors. In his role at GBD, he designs new training materials to ignite chefs’ culinary creativity, offers direct client support, and develops strategies to scale GBD’s offerings across foodservice management companies.

Kristie Middleton, VP, Head of Foodservice Sales, Eat Just

Kristie Middleton is the VP, Head of Foodservice Sales for Eat Just. Prior to that, she served as Chief Relationship Officer at Rebellyous Foods, where she led business development, sales, and strategic partnerships, helping to scale the company’s plant-based chicken products nationally, particularly in the K-12 school food sector. Middleton is the author of MEATLESS: Transform the Way You Eat and Live – One Meal at a Time. Earlier in her career, she worked with some of the nation’s largest school districts, including Los Angeles Unified School District, Detroit Public Schools, and Boston Public Schools, to implement Meatless Monday.

This panel will focus on what foodservice buyers need next and how innovators can deliver it. Panelists will discuss the formats that win in high-volume settings (think crumbles, deli-style proteins, dairy alternatives, baked goods), the ingredient specifications that prevent kitchen failure, and the partnership models that speed commercialization, including co-development with universities and pilots with operators. The conversation will connect advances in processing and formulation to real-world procurement and operational requirements, featuring ingredient suppliers and food industry leaders who are working with researchers and farmers to bring commercially viable products to market. (with Q&A)

How do innovative new protein ingredients come to be? Join our partner Forever Green for a tour of the crop breeding and agronomy research fields! See winter pea, winter camelina, and hybrid hazelnuts. Learn from breeders and market developers and sample tasty food products! Based at the University of Minnesota, Forever Green develops winter-hardy annual and perennial crops to provide "continuous living cover" on the landscape. By uniting interdisciplinary research and development with market building and policy innovation, Forever Green strives to protect and enhance the environment while driving new economic opportunities for growers, industry, and resilient rural communities.

Samo Newman and Nate Stefanski
Food on the Fly 

Samo Newman and Nate Stefanski are the creative team behind the restaurant Food on the Fly and their line of plant-based proteins called Detour Meats.  They draw upon their experience in fine-dining and high-volume kitchens to create products with flavors and textures that stand out amongst other vegan meats on the market. While Food on the Fly has only been open for a year, they are already producing and distributing their plant-based products to local restaurants and are hoping to expand their operation. Their goal is to make more products available in hopes of making plant-based eating more accessible. 

Step into the kitchen to see – and taste – the opportunity for plant-based proteins. Attendees will experience cooking stations representing two different foodservice channels. The Foodservice Test Kitchen gives participants the chance to engage with culinary professionals as they prepare delicious plant-based dishes drawn from real menus, featuring a variety of plant-based protein and dairy, as well as ingredients sourced from PPIC members and local food manufacturers. In addition to tasting, participants will hear from the chefs and foodservice operators about product and ingredient performance - and areas of unmet needs – giving researchers and ingredient companies a direct window into the practical barriers and opportunities to improve performance at scale. 

Chloë Waterman, Senior Program Manager, Friends of the Earth

Chloë Waterman serves as the senior program manager for Friends of the Earth’s Climate-Friendly Food Program where she leads Friends of the Earth’s policy and markets campaigns to advance a healthy and climate-friendly food system. She works to achieve a just transition away from factory farmed animal production toward regenerative plant-based food production and a sustainable amount of higher-welfare, pasture-based animal agriculture. On Capitol Hill, in statehouses, and across city governments, she has pioneered climate-friendly food procurement policies, initiatives to expand plant-based school meal offerings, and other policies to build a healthier, more sustainable food system. 

Chelsea Didinger, Northarvest Bean Growers Association

Chelsea Didinger graduated with her PhD in Nutrition from Colorado State University, with her research focused on beans and other pulses. Her translational work assessed how citizen science and an Extension toolkit can influence pulse consumption through impacting motivators and barriers to intake. She is the Founder of A Legume a Day, a pulse educational outreach platform with the goal of inspiring people to eat more pulses, to reap public and environmental benefits. She partners with groups like the Northarvest Bean Growers Association and USA Pulses to engage various stakeholders and monitor market trends.

Kayla Beyer, Founder & CEO, Deeply Rooted

With over 20 years of food industry experience and proud mom of 5, Kayla advocates for cleaner food labels for our children. Kayla is founder and CEO of Deeply Rooted® Farms, a shelf-stable, plant-based ground protein that is supplied to the K12 industry nationwide. Raised on a dairy farm, Kayla currently resides on a working beef and crop farm in Cannon Falls Minnesota. She is an honored FFA (Future Farmers of America) Alumni and has volunteered for Meals on Wheels for over 10 years. Kayla holds a Juris Doctorate, with a certificate in Food Law & Business Law, and views our food systems in a fundamental and practical way, with food safety being at the forefront. 

Betrand Weber, Former Director of Culinary and Wellness Services, Minneapolis Public Schools

Swiss-born Bertrand Weber is a nationally recognized leader in school food transformation, the Farm to School movement, and a longtime advocate for improving the quality, sustainability, and impact of school meals. As the former Director of Culinary and Wellness Services for Minneapolis Public Schools, from 2012 until his retirement in 2026 he led one of the country’s most innovative urban school food programs, integrating local procurement, scratch cooking, and culinary training at scale. Bertrand helped expand Farm to School practices across the district and was a pioneer in advancing plant-forward menu strategies, demonstrating how large urban districts can successfully integrate culturally relevant, plant-protein-rich meals while maintaining participation and financial sustainability. His work has shown how school food programs can strengthen regional agriculture, support student health, and connect classrooms to local food systems. Inspired by his family and grandchildren, he now shares practical, scalable strategies and works with districts, nonprofits, and policymakers to design financially sustainable school meal programs that prioritize fresh food, community partnerships, and long-term system change.

Jacob Slabaugh, Marketing Project Manager, USA Pulses

Jacob Slabaugh is the Marketing Project Manager at USA Pulses, supporting domestic and international marketing initiatives that promote U.S. dry peas, lentils, chickpeas, and beans. A nationally certified chef through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) with 14 years of culinary experience, Jacob combines professional kitchen expertise with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Idaho, where he also studied food science. His work centers on chef engagement and culinary innovation. He also supports global trade outreach and industry collaboration to expand pulse consumption worldwide. Through chef training programs, trade events, and culinary demonstrations, he highlights the versatility, nutrition, and sustainability of pulses for chefs, food professionals, and consumers.

This panel will trace how plant protein innovation moves from research to farms and processors and ultimately into school and university cafeterias. Panelists will discuss how nutrient-dense plant protein menu items can help educational institutions meet program requirements while operating within tight budgets and demanding service constraints. You will hear from a grower, researcher, plant-based brand, and institutional leaders about what has improved plant-based offerings for students, what barriers still slow adoption, and the strategies that turn promising ideas into meals that actually get chosen and enjoyed.