Preliminary Program Set for IAFP 2021

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Des Moines, Iowa – The International Association for Food Protection set the Preliminary Program for IAFP 2021 – the Association’s Annual Meeting, July 18–21 in Phoenix, Arizona. IAFP is planning responsibly for an in-person meeting at the Phoenix Convention Center while remote or recorded options will be provided both for attendees and speakers. The meeting has earned recognition as the leading food safety conference. Online registration and the preliminary program are available on the Association website at www.foodprotection.org.

The meeting begins Sunday evening, July 18, with the Opening Session featuring the Ivan Parkin Lecture, followed by the Cheese and Wine Reception held in the Exhibit Hall. This year’s honored lecturer is Dr. Robert Gravani, Professor Emeritus of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Monday morning starts three days of sessions with more than 900 presentations, including 65 symposia; 28 roundtables; more than 600 poster presentations; and more than 100 technical presentations. Samples of symposium topics include: Agricultural Water Quality Management in a Changing Regulatory Landscape; Changing Lanes in the Middle of a Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons Learned from Managing SARS-CoV-2 in the Food Sector; Foodborne Disease Outbreak Update; and To Disinfect or Not? How to Appropriately Use Disinfectants in Food Settings. The Annual John H. Silliker Lecture will be presented on Wednesday afternoon, featuring Barbara J. Masters, DVM, Vice President, Regulatory Policy, Food and Agriculture, Tyson Foods, Washington, D.C. For additional educational opportunities, IAFP 2021 will present five Pre-Meeting Workshops on July 16 and July 17.

Top industry, academic, and government food safety professionals are expected to be in attendance throughout the three-day event. The broad mix of attendees includes professionals in quality control, processing operations, regulatory inspections, food safety consulting, risk assessment, research, and development, microbiological research, plant management, technical services, and HACCP management. The meeting will also showcase more than 100 companies and organizations demonstrating the latest products and technologies in the Exhibit Hall.