IFT president to address AI in product development, food safety at Binsted Lecture

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a non-profit scientific organisation committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, has announced that IFT president Peggy Poole, PhD, will present the Binsted Lecture on “Leveraging AI in New Product Development and Food Safety” at the Food and Drink Federation’s London, UK office on February 12, 2026.

The event — streaming live (for a fee) at 6:30 p.m., London time (GMT) — is a collaboration between IFT’s British Section, the Food and Drink Federation, the Institute of Food Science and Technology, and Campden BRI, a global leader in food and drink science and research.

In 2024, Poole retired as vice president of the Tea Division for Bigelow Tea Company, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, where she was responsible for R&D, quality, and tea/ingredient procurement. She has more than 40 years of experience in the food industry and assumed the position of IFT president on September 1, 2025.

“I’m honoured and excited to deliver the Binsted Lecture and to engage with colleagues who share a commitment to food science,” said Poole. “With more than 40 years in the food industry, I’ve watched our field evolve through waves of new tools and technologies. I look forward to reflecting on those experiences and discussing how AI can help us continue advancing food science, product development, and food safety in meaningful ways.”

The lecture is named in honour of one of the founders of IFT, Raymond Binsted. IFT presidents have delivered the Binsted Lecture dating back to 1998, three years before Binsted’s passing. Binsted also helped found the IFT British Section.

Through IFT Sections, food science professionals network and collaborate with their local peers through a variety of events and opportunities. IFT has 46 Sections spread across the US, as well as Mexico, Japan, England, and Canada.

“The Binsted Lecture provides an important opportunity to exchange perspectives across the global food science community, and IFT is proud to participate in this long-standing tradition of international collaboration,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean. “Dr Poole’s impressive career spanning food safety, product development, and the integration of new technologies makes her perspective on AI especially valuable at this moment of change.”