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
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.
1. Recommend to appoint Amira Ayad as Vice Chair of the PDG.
Board Response: Board Response: Agree.
2. Longer PDG time. 90 minutes was extremely rushed.
Board Response: Board Response: Due to the number of PDGs, for 2025 we will schedule meetings for 90 minutes. We recommend scheduling virtual meetings before or after the in-person meeting. We will evaluate after the 2025 meeting.
2023 Board Response to Recommendations
Betsy Craig is recommended for approval as Vice Chair. Jennifer Lott is recommended to progress from Vice Chair to Chair effective at the close of the meeting.
Board Response: Approved.
2022 Board Response to Recommendations
None.
2021 Board Response to Recommendations
1. Recommend the Board approve Jennifer Lott as incoming Vice Chair for the Food Safety Assessment, Audit and Inspection PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
2020 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend the Board approve Tracie Sheehan as incoming Vice Chair for the Food Safety Assessment, Auditing, and Inspection PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
2019 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend the Board approve Andrew Clarke as incoming Vice Chair for the Auditing, Assessment and Inspection PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
Recommend the Board approve a 1-year extension of the current Chair Trish Wester to accommodate the election of the new Vice Chair. (The existing Vice Chair, Sue Kaminski has withdrawn.)
Board Response: Agree.
2018 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend the Board accept Sue Kaminski as Vice Chair.
Board Response: Agree.
2017 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend the Board approve the formation of this new PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
Recommend approval of the following 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.
Board Response: Agree.
Recommend approval of Patricia Wester as Chair.
Board Response: Agree.
Webinars
Using Assessment Data to Make Effective Risk Based Food Safety DecisionsJul 8, 2021
The food industry undergoes multiple assessments, monitoring, and audits to verify the effectiveness of the managed systems but very little analytical assessment is completed with the data being captured in comparison to the efforts and resources used to complete this work. The goal of the webinar seeks to provide an awareness of how to use data obtained from food safety inspections, assessments and audits to work smarter and reduce the likelihood for repeated issues. Utilizing data not only assists in predicting where gaps could occur but also allows to direct limited resources to focus on the areas and programs where efforts are needed most.
Andrew Clarke, ModeratorLoblaw Companies Limited, Canada
GFSI Race to the TOP- Feature 1 Auditor Training and Professional DevelopmentJul 7, 2021
In 2020 the GFSI, in accordance to the industry requests, initiated a working group to develop a more formalized process for the qualification and ongoing development of professional GFSI food safety auditors. This work commenced in response to feedback for improvement with audit consistency but also to enhance and maintain a structured approach for the development of food safety auditors as a career, to align with other industries but also to help build auditor capacity. The webinar's goal is to provide an overview of the new process and seeks to provide input from two certification bodies on their challenges and how the revised approach could support the auditor qualification process.
Kris Middleton, PresenterBureau Veritas Certification North America, United States
Kim Onett, PresenterNSF International, United States
Marie-Claude Quentin, PresenterGlobal Food Safety Initiative, France
Andrew Clarke, ModeratorLoblaw Companies Limited, Canada
FSMA Full Enforcement Impact on Food Safety - Data Analysis, Stats, Trends, ChallengesSep 29, 2020
With full implementation of the FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Foods and related regulations, is the nation’s food supply safer than pre-FSMA? Panelists will utilize data and information from the FDA Data Dashboard as well as CDC and private sources to provide observations on whether FSMA has really improved food safety for the American consumer.
