Why We Fear the Food We Eat

Jack Bobo – Futurity – CEO

Mr. Bobo’s insights into consumer anxiety about making food decisions when we are overwhelmed with information, options, and distractions help explain why Americans have a more complicated relationship with food than ever before. Bobo’s work is about understanding and dismantling the habits and biases that foster fear around food, which are counterproductive to maintaining a healthy diet. He dives into the myths, misinformation and debates around so-called “healthy” ingredients, the Dirty Dozen list, the naturalness bias, decision fatigue and more to help consumers and the food industry understand how these psychological factors and cultural practices have impacted our society’s relationship with food.

Consumption in the Post-Outbreak Normal

Darren Seifer – The NPD Group, Inc. – Food & Beverage Industry Analyst

USApple is delighted to welcome back Darren Seifer of The NPD Group, Inc. to present on how consumer patterns related to food purchases have changed with the COVID-19 pandemic—from  sudden panic buying and increased emphasis on frozen and shelf-stable products to social distance snacking, Seifer puts into context how significant these changes are, what seems likely to stick around for the long-term and how members of the apple industry can respond accordingly.

The New Era for Smarter Food Safety

Mark Moorman, PhD – Food and Drug Administration – Director of the Office of Food Safety

The New Era for Smarter Food Safety is a blueprint from FDA that acknowledges the drastic, rapid changes coming to our food system in the next decade, and works to leverage technology to create a safer, more digital, traceable food system. The ultimate goal of this blueprint is to create a smarter food safety culture that can significantly reduce foodborne illness in the United States. In his role at FDA, Dr. Moorman leads a team of experts dedicated to improving the safety of our food supply.

Foodservice and the Apple Industry – Risk, Reward, and Growing Together!

Frank Swanson – U.S. Foods – Senior Manager, Produce Operations

Frank Swanson brings decades of experience in the foodservice industry to his role at U.S. Foods. His presentation will explore opportunities for members of the apple industry to drive sales by re-imagining and improving the apple eating experience—whether by trying new approaches in foodservice, exploring new marketing tactics for new varieties and finding new ways to help children develop healthy habits so they enjoy the apple eating experience.

Stay tuned for next week’s introduction of more speakers, panelists and session topics.