Event

Oct 12 '25

AI for Food Product Development Symposium

#Education

#Industry

two women with grains in a test kitchen and a computer screen with a blue image of a brain, woman with chef hat working with bread in the middle, woman in lab coat tasting food on the right, words overlayed "AI for Food Product Development Symposium, October 13, 2025"

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Event Details

The Artificial Intelligence Institute for Food Systems (AIFS) at UC Davis is hosting the inaugural AI for Food Product Development Symposium, a unique cross-sector gathering designed to catalyze innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence and food science.

This one-day symposium, scheduled for October 13, 2025, will bring together a curated group of researchers, industry professionals, government representatives, and technology innovators to explore how AI is transforming the way food products are designed, developed, and commercialized. From precision formulation and rapid prototyping to sensory analytics and sustainable packaging, AI is enabling smarter, faster, and more consumer-responsive approaches to product innovation.

The symposium will feature panel discussions, talks, and interactive sessions with experts in AI, food product processing and development. Topics include:

  • AI-enabled food formulation and ingredient discovery
  • Automation and robotics in product prototyping
  • Sensory science and consumer preference modeling
  • Applications of machine learning in quality control and compliance
  • Scaling innovation: from pilot to commercialization
  • Responsible AI practices and equity in food innovation

Participants will gain firsthand insights into the latest research and case studies, identify collaborative opportunities, and help shape a forward-looking agenda for AI in food product innovation.

This symposium is part of AIFS’s broader mission to build a resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system through data-driven science and multidisciplinary partnerships. Join us in advancing the next generation of AI-powered food development.

DATE: October 13, 2025, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

LOCATION: University of California, Davis

Agenda

AI for Food Product Development Symposium

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Registration and Networking Breakfast

Join us for a light breakfast and informal networking as attendees check in and connect with colleagues from across disciplines.

9:00 – 9:05 AM

Welcome

Dr. Ilias Tagkopoulos, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Food Systems (AIFS), will set the stage for the day, outlining the goals of the symposium and the critical role of AI in the future of food innovation.

9:05 – 10:00 AM

Opening Talks

Leading experts will explore the transformative potential of AI across the food product development pipeline — from smart formulation to sustainability — highlighting current breakthroughs, future directions, and the imperative for collaboration.

Opening Talk #1: Opportunities and Challenges in Food Processing

Dr. Juming Tang

Industrial & Systems Engineering Chair; Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington

Opening Talk #2: Transforming Food and Health Through

Molecular Innovation

Dr. Justin Siegel

Faculty Director of the Innovation Institute for Food and Health; Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, UC Davis

Opening Talk #3: AI and Food: The New Frontier

Dr. Ilias Tagkopoulos

Director, AI Institute for Next-Generation Food Systems (AIFS);
Professor of Computer Science, UC Davis

10:00 – 10:50 AM

Panel #1: AI and Food Engineering

A panel of experts on how AI is transforming formulation, process control, and manufacturing across the food value chain.

Panelists: Reto Bischof (Bühler), Girish Ganjyal (WSU), Nitin Nitin (UCD), Sudhir Sastry (OSU)

Moderator: Dr. Ilias Tagkopoulos

10:50 – 11:10 AM

Networking Break

11:10 AM – 11:50 PM

Lightning Talks #1: Research in AI and Food

Rapid-fire insights into the latest research around food quality, sensing, packaging, processing, food, nutrition, and health.

Sean Adams, M.S, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair for Basic Research in the Dept. of Surgery at UC Davis

Dr. Ned Spang, Faculty Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, Associate Professor, Food Science and Technology, UC Davis

Dr. Nicholas Watson, Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Food, University of Leeds, UK

11:50 – 12:50 PM

Networking Lunch

An informal lunch to foster conversation and build new partnerships across academic, industry, and public-sector participants.

12:50 – 1:20 PM

Beyond Food Tech: Innovation, Investment, and the Future of Food

Dr. Harold Schmitz, Partner, The March Group

1:20 – 2:10 PM

Panel #2: AI and Product Development

A multidisciplinary panel discussion focused on bridging silos between AI, sensory, processing, consumers, marketing, and innovation management. What does it take to build truly AI-integrated product development pipelines?

Panelists: Jim Kennedy (MARS), Ritu Mishra (Clorox), David Shaya (Ingredion)

Moderator: Jean-Xavier Guinard

2:10 – 2:20 PM

Networking Break

2:20 – 3:00 PM

Lightning Talks #2: Priorities in Food Informatics

From food formulation to food safety, AI and food informatics have become useful tools in food development.

Dr. Chang Chen, Assistant Professor, Food Science, Cornell AgriTech

Dr. Travis Mavrich, Bioinformatics Technical Lead, PIPA

Dr. Shyam Sablani, Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University

3:00 – 4:00 PM

Working Group Breakouts: All participants will work together to distill priority research questions, data and infrastructure needs, use cases, and an action roadmap for academia, industry, and agencies.

4:00 – 4:15 PM

Closing Remarks

4:30 – 5:30 PM

Tour the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

Join us for a guided tour of UC Davis’ world-class research and education facilities, including pilot plants, sensory labs, and sustainability initiatives.

5:30 – 8:30 PM

Tour, tasting, and dinner at Great Bear Vineyards

Close out the day with a relaxing evening of food, wine, and conversation in the scenic Yolo County wine country. Transportation provided.


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