Professional Development Groups

Getting involved in IAFP’s Professional Development Groups (PDGs) is a great way to have a direct impact on the future of your profession. You will be able to meet other Members and share a wealth of knowledge and expertise while helping guide the efforts of the Association.

IAFP Tutorial - Logging in and Updating Your Profile

IAFP Tutorial - Joining PDGs and Communities

IAFP Connect Tutorial - Community Notification Preferences

Chair and Vice Chair Listing (as of August 10, 2024)

Contact the IAFP office if you have any questions.

Professional Development Groups

• Advanced Molecular Analytics Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum for the exchange and sharing of information related to the development and use of advanced and emergent technologies to promote food safety and public health

• Animal and Pet Food Safety Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To exchange information and promote collaboration on research, development, and regulation to safeguard the global supply of animal food (pet food, animal feed, and raw materials and ingredients)

• Applied Laboratory Methods Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum for the exchange and sharing of information related to the development and use of laboratory methods for the analysis of food and related commodities.

• Beverages and Acid/Acidified Foods Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss and develop symposia on issues facing the beverages and acid/acidified foods industry.

• Dairy Quality and Safety Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To promote the production and processing of safe, high quality dairy products and to develop program topics and symposia for presentation at the IAFP Annual Meetings.

• Data Management and Analytics Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a multidisciplinary forum for advancing the application of data management and analytics in food safety and quality.

• Developing Food Safety Professionals Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To develop, connect, empower, and retain IAFP members who are in the early years of their food safety career.

• Food Chemical Hazards and Food Allergy Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To facilitate communication on topics in food toxicology including food allergens.

• Food Defense Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss issues of interest pertaining to food defense.

• Food Fraud Prevention Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To serve as a multidisciplinary forum for open discussion and exchange of information among collegiate, regulatory and industry regarding the unique challenges associated with the developing area of food fraud prevention, including food safety and economic implications.

• Food Hygiene and Sanitation Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide information on the developments in hygiene and sanitation in the food industry

• Food Law Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide an international forum for the exchange of information on the scientific issues associated with food laws, regulations and policy.

• Food Packaging Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss issues of interest to the food packaging industry.

• Food Safety Assessment, Audit and Inspection Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide an International forum for the open exchange of information among peers on the unique scientific and technical challenges associated with food safety assessments, audits and inspections, and encourage development of best practices and educational opportunities that improve the acquisition and application of the knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to assessing, auditing and inspecting food safety

• Food Safety Culture Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide an international forum to advance food safety culture science and best practices

• Food Safety Education Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum for IAFP members to learn, network, and share information and resources about education, training and outreach for various audiences thereby advancing food safety knowledge, promoting behavior change and improving practices that mitigate food safety risks around the world.

• Fruit and Vegetable Safety and Quality Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss items of interest to the safe production of fruit and vegetable products and to develop program topics and symposia for presentation at the IAFP Annual Meetings.

• HACCP Utilization and Food Safety Systems Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To serve as an international knowledge sharing forum to promote the successful development and implementation of HACCP and food safety systems.

• International Food Protection Issues Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss scientific issues of interest to the international food protection community.

• Low Water Activity Foods Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To promote and disseminate practical and scientific knowledge on the production of safe and wholesome low water activity products.

• Meat and Poultry Safety and Quality Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss items of interest to the safe production of meat and poultry products and to develop program topics and symposia for presentation at the IAFP Annual Meetings.

• Modelling and Risk Analysis Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To facilitate communication on the topics of predictive modelling (PM) and microbial risk analysis (MRA), encourage research and data reporting methods to support PM and MRA, and promote their applications and use.

• Physical Hazards and Foreign Material Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: Provide a forum for food industry professionals involved in foreign material and physical hazard control to share best practices, questions, ideas, and experiences in a supportive and collaborative community.

• Plant-Based Alternative Products Quality and Food Safety Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum for open exchange pertaining to plant-based alternative commodities and products, specifically quality & food safety concerns and related controls on microbiological, chemical, physical, and allergen hazards. Plant-based includes not only meat/dairy/seafood alternative finished goods but also functional ingredients and cell-cultured products.

• Pre Harvest Food Safety Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To work towards understanding the factors that affect the emergence, persistence, transmission and ecological niches of pathogens that may impact human health at the pre-harvest food safety level.

• Retail and Foodservice Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide the retail and foodservice industry worldwide with information to prepare and serve safe food.

• Sanitary Equipment and Facility Design Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To serve as a forum for the advancement of hygienic design and construction of food processing equipment and facilities.

• Seafood Safety and Quality Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss items of interest to the safe production of seafood products and to develop program topics and symposia for presentation at the IAFP Annual Meetings.

• Student Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide students of food safety with a platform to enrich their experience as Members of IAFP.What are our goals?- To provide the opportunity for students to network with peers- To serve as a resource for food safety employers to seek qualified applicants- To encourage effective exchange of information on protecting the food supply by fostering relationships at the student level- To maintain high Membership in IAFP by encouraging students to join the Association- To serve the interests and needs of students- To incorporate change according to the interests and needs of students

• Viral and Parasitic Foodborne Disease Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To promote awareness of non-bacterial causes of foodborne disease by encouraging Food Safety Professionals and others to seek education and training that will enable them to contribute to preventing non-bacterial foodborne infections and outbreaks.

• Water Safety and Quality Professional Development Group

  Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss items as to the role the safety and quality of water plays globally in the farm-to-table chain and to develop program topics and symposia for presentation at the IAFP Annual Meetings.