IAFP 2023

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Des Moines, Iowa – IAFP 2023 was held outside the contiguous 48 U.S. states for the first time since 2006 by the International Association for Food Protection. The three-day event took place July 16–19 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and concluded with more than 3,200 registered attendees representing 53 countries, 48 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and seven Canadian provinces. The meeting has earned recognition as the leading food safety conference.

President Michelle Danyluk officially welcomed attendees to Toronto at IAFP 2023’s Opening Session on Sunday evening. Those honored throughout the session included five Fellow Award recipients; five Travel Award recipients from Health or Agricultural Departments in North America; three Travel Award recipients from a Country with a Developing Economy; and 21 Student Travel Scholarship Award recipients. Dr. Tim Jackson, IAFP President-Elect, then introduced this year’s Ivan Parkin Lecture, presented by Dr. Sarah Cahill, Senior Food Standards Officer, Secretariat, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Rome, Italy. Dr. Cahill spoke on “Anatomy of a Food Standard.”

IAFP 2023’s program featured a record of more than 1,200 presentations including 71 symposia, 25 roundtable sessions, 16 technical sessions, and more than 800 poster presentations. Most sessions were recorded and are available to all registered attendees as well as those who could not attend. Representatives from 154 companies showcased equipment and the latest innovations in food safety services through presentations in this year’s Exhibit Hall.

Monday’s agenda included a “Canadian Regulatory Update on Food Safety,” featuring Ms. Diane Allan, Vice-President of Science, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, and Dr. Pamela Aung Thin, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. This was followed by a Late Breaking Session, “Current U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Priorities,” with Dr. J. Emilio Esteban, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Don Prater, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as featured speakers.

On Wednesday afternoon, the John H. Silliker Lecture featured Dr. Randy Huffman, Chief Food Safety and Sustainability Officer, Maple Leaf Foods, Mississauga, Ontario. Dr. Huffman presented, “Food Safety with Purpose: Reflection, Execution and Foresight.”

Wednesday night’s Awards Banquet honored excellence in food safety by recognizing 29 individuals and organizations with awards. The meeting concluded with the gavel presentation to Incoming President, Dr. Tim Jackson, a Senior Advisor for Food Safety with the U.S. Food and Drug (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Santa Cruz, California.