Mission Statement: To provide a forum to discuss issues of interest to the food packaging industry.
Meeting Information
Virtual: TBD
In Person: IAFP 2025
July 27, 2025, Huntington Convention Center, Cleveland, Ohio
How to Join
Involvement in committees and professional development groups (PDGs) offers Members the opportunity to share a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Members of committees and PDGs are the architects of the Association structure. They plan, develop and institute many of the Association's projects, including workshops, publications and educational sessions. Technical challenges facing the food safety industry are discussed, examined and debated. Members may volunteer to serve on any number of committees or PDGs that plan and implement activities to meet the Association's mission.
Membership on a PDG is voluntary (not by appointment) and may vary from year to year.
IAFP Members can manage their PDG involvement by logging in to the IAFP Web site. At the Member Dashboard, click “Edit Profile.” Your profile has two tabs: Contact Info and Professional Info. Select the Professional Info tab and update the PDGs you would like to participate in. We highly recommend that you contact the PDG chairperson for each group to let them know you have joined their PDG.
Non-members can contact Dina Siedenburg, dsiedenburg@foodprotection.org, for more information.
Recommend appointment of Tony Jin as the new Chairperson of the Food Packaging PDG beginning at the 2022 meeting for a two-year term.
Board Response: Agreed.
Recommend the appointment of Tania Martinez as the new Vice Chairperson of the Food Packaging PDG for a two-year term beginning at the 2022 meeting, and to then serve as Chairperson as a two-year term immediately following.
Board Response: Agreed,
2021 Board Response to Recommendations
None.
2020 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend the appointment of Tony Jin as Vice Chairperson of the Food Packaging PDG for a two-year term beginning at the 2020 meeting, and to then serve as Chairperson as a two-year term immediately following.
Board Response: Agree.
2019 Board Response to Recommendations
None
2018 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend that the Board approve Kimberly Yeager as
Vice Chairperson of the Food Packaging PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
2017 Board Response to Recommendations
The Food Packaging PDG recommends that the IAFP invest in updating the IAFP App to make symposia searchable by the sponsoring PDG to better enable members to quickly filter the symposia for content. Furthermore, update the hard copy books so that the sponsoring PDG(s) are listed along with the organizer/convenor/etc.
Board Response: Agree, staff will look into making the necessary changes.
2016 Board Response to Recommendations
Please approve Nick Forshee as the new Vice Chairperson of the Food Packaging PDG to serve a two-year term and then to become Chair at the Annual Meeting in 2018 for a two-year term
Board Response: Agree
Add “Packaging” as a category for posters, abstracts, etc. in the Annual Meeting app so that the program is searchable by sponsoring PDG and posters are categorized and grouped for easy browsing.
Board Response: Agree. Program Committee will address this recommendation.
We would like to recommend a Packaging PDG-sponsored award to highlight excellence in packaging for posters and/or symposia speakers.
Board Response: The Board would review a proposal. Contact the IAFP office for details on how to establish a new award.
Investigate and/or provide instructions for continuing education credits for webinars or workshops through IAFP.
Board Response: Different organizations have differing requirements. Most all will accept IAFP’s program. The certification body should be contacted in advance of the Annual Meeting or Webinar.
2015 Board Response to Recommendations
Please approve Ken Davenport as the new vice chair of the Food Packaging PDG to serve a one year term and then to become chair at the annual meeting in 2016 for a 2-year term.
Board Response: Approve.
That the Board encourage all PDGs to use online tools such as SurveyMonkey for elections of vice-chair or assistant vice-chair prior to annual meetings. This should eliminate any uncomfortable or awkward in-person elections and increase fairness for all PDG members who are unable to attend the annual meeting.
Board Response: Agree. PDGs to conduct elections either via E-mail or using SurveyMonkey.
2014 Board Response to Recommendations
PDG Member Tony Flood, who was unable to attend the meeting, provided Linda Leake with a suggestion for a symposium: “Packaging Alternatives for the 21st Century: Food Packaging 2.0 from BPA to What?” This symposium would cover where we are today, micro challenges, consumer input, novel technologies for food packaging like nanotechnology, and for banned substances what do we use as replacements in packaging.
Board Response: Symposium suggestions are considered by the Program Committee.
Barb Blakistone was not able to attend the PDG meeting because she had to chair the Seafood PDG meeting at the same time as Packaging. After the PDG meetings she informed Linda Leake that she would be willing to work on the proposed Packaging 101 workshop as a team member.
Board Response: Symposium suggestions are considered by the Program Committee.
