IAFP 2013

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Des Moines, Iowa - IAFP 2013 was another successful meeting for the International Association for Food Protection. The three-day meeting concluded July 31, 2013 with a record-breaking international audience of more than 2,800 attendees representing 50 countries, 45 states, and five Canadian provinces. The meeting has earned recognition as the leading food safety conference.

IAFP 2013’s Opening Session recognized one Fellow Award recipient, five Travel Award recipients
from State or Local Health or State Agricultural Departments and from a Developing Country, and
ten Student Travel Scholarship Award recipients. The Ivan Parkin Lecture followed, featuring
Dr. David W.K. Acheson, who is a Partner and the Managing Director for Food and Import Safety at Leavitt Partners LLC. Dr. Acheson spoke on “The Future of Food Safety.”

The program featured more than 850 presentations, including 41 symposia, 11 roundtables, 490 poster presentations, and 125 technical presentations. Representatives from a record 147 companies, including 32 new exhibitors, showcased equipment and the latest innovations in food safety services.

Special Guest Speaker Michael R. Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods at the FDA, presented “Proposed FSMA Rules on Imported Food” on Wednesday afternoon. Later that day, the John H. Silliker Lecture featured Dane Bernard, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Keystone Foods LLC in Pennsylvania. Mr. Bernard spoke on “Food Safety Risk Management for a Multinational Company.”

Wednesday night’s Awards Banquet honored excellence in food safety by recognizing 27 individuals and organizations with awards. The evening concluded with the gavel presentation to Incoming President, Dr. Donald W. Schaffner, a Distinguished Professor in the Food Science Department at Rutgers University in New Jersey.