IAFP Announces 2021 Award Recipients

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Des Moines, Iowa – The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) will present awards recognizing excellence in food safety to the following organizations and individuals at IAFP 2021,
July 18–21 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The IAFP Fellow Award is awarded to professionals who have contributed to IAFP and its affiliates with distinction over an extended period of time. This year’s recipient is Jianghong Meng, University of Maryland, College Park.

Carl Custer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Services, Bethesda, Maryland (retired), will be awarded the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This award, given at the discretion of the IAFP President, recognizes an individual who has made a lasting impact on Advancing Food Safety Worldwide® through a lifetime of professional achievements in food protection.

The Honorary Life Membership Award will be presented to Kenneth Anderson, Harold Wainess & Associates, Arlington Heights, Illinois; Judy Greig, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario (retired); Mickey Parish, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, University Park, Maryland (retired); F. Tracy Schonrock, Schonrock Consulting, Fairfax Station, Virginia; and Edward Wellmeyer, Ventura Foods, Yorba Linda, California (retired). This award recognizes IAFP Members for their dedication to the high ideals and objectives of IAFP and for their service to the Association.

The Harry Haverland Citation Award will be awarded to Dale A. Grinstead, Diversey, Highlands, North Carolina, for his years of devotion to the ideals and objectives of the Association.

Hygiena, Camarillo, California, will receive the Food Safety Innovation Award, given for its development of BAX^® System SalQuant^TM, the first AOAC-RI approved method for enumeration of Salmonella in comminuted chicken and turkey.

The International Leadership Award will be presented to Terence L. T. Lau, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, for his dedication to the high ideals and objectives of IAFP and for promotion of the mission of the Association in countries outside of the United States and Canada.

The Center for Produce Safety, Woodland, California, will receive the Food Safety Award in recognition of a long history of outstanding contributions to food safety research and education.

The Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award will be presented to Shyam Sablani, Washington State University, Pullman. This award honors an individual, group, or organization for preeminence and outstanding contributions in research that impacts food safety attributes of freezing.

Laura Carroll, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany, will receive the Institut MérieuxYoung Investigator Award in Microbial Resistance. This award recognizes an individual who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise as a researcher in food microbiology/food safety focusing on antimicrobial resistance.

The Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award will be presented to Panagiotis N. Skandamis, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, to recognize his service for outstanding contributions in the laboratory and recognizing a commitment to the development of innovative and practical analytical approaches in support of food safety.

Laura K. Strawn, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, will be presented the Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award. This award is presented to a young researcher who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise in the early years of his or her career.

New in 2021, the James M. Jay Diversity in Food Safety Award will be presented to Armitra Jackson-Davis, Alabama A&M University, Normal. This award recognizes an individual who has made exceptional contributions to enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the field of food safety.

Craig W. Hedberg, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, is the recipient of the Ewen C.D. Todd Control of Foodborne Illness Award. This award recognizes an individual for dedicated and exceptional contributions to the reduction of risks of foodborne illness.

Richard Brouillette, Commercial Food Sanitation, Harahan, Louisiana, will receive the Sanitarian Award to recognize his dedication and exceptional service to the profession of sanitarian, serving the public and the food industry.

The Elmer Marth Educator Award will be presented to Elizabeth A. Bihn, Cornell University, Geneva, New York, to recognize her dedication and exceptional contributions to the profession of the educator.

Melanie J. Neumann, Matrix Sciences International, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, is the recipient of the Harold Barnum Industry Award. This award recognizes her outstanding service to IAFP, the public and the food industry.