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.
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.
Sonia Almeria was elected Vice Chair of the Viral and Parasitic Foodborne Disease PDG on April 19, 2023. We recommend that this is approved by the Executive Board.
Board Response: Approved.
2022 Board Response to Recommendations
None.
2021 Board Response to Recommendations
1. Recommend approval of Kristen Gibson for Vice Chair of the Viral and Parasitic Foodborne Disease PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
2020 Board Response to Recommendations
None
2019 Board Response to Recommendations
Approve Julie Jean as Vice Chair.
Board Response: Agree.
2018 Board Response to Recommendations
Assist the PDGs to strengthen communication and collaborations
to avoid overlap/duplication of proposals. If possible
promote conference calls among PDG’s Chairs prior to
submission of proposals.
Board Response: Agree. Submission ideas will be circulated to PDG Chairs and Vice Chairs along with a list of contact information for other PDG Chairs and Vice Chairs.
2017 Board Response to Recommendations
Recommend approval of Alexandre Da Silva as Vice Chair.
Board Response: Agree.
2016 Board Response to Recommendations
None
2015 Board Response to Recommendations
Efi Papafragkou recommended as Vice-Chair of the PDG.
Board Response: Agree.
Webinars
Foodborne Viruses: Detection, Risk Assessment, and Control Options in Food ProcessingNov 12, 2019
Sponsored by: The IAFP Foundation
Organized by: ILSI Europe and the IAFP Viral and Parasitic Foodborne Disease Professional Development Group
Description: This webinar will be a presentation of the current science on epidemiology, public health burden and risk assessment for viruses in food processing environments. Current technologies for viral detection and control as well future perspectives on the application, along with suggestions on how the food industry could implement effective control strategies and management options for viruses in foods will be introduced.
Sophie Zuber, PresenterNestlé Research Center, Switzerland
Alvin Lee, ModeratorInstitute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, United States
The Global Burden of Foodborne Disease - Results and perspectives of WHO’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG)Feb 9, 2016
The WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group is providing estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases, according to age, sex and region, for a defined list of causative agents of microbial, parasitic, and chemical origin, thereby strengthening the capacity of countries to assess the burden of foodborne disease and increasing awareness and commitment for the implementation of food safety standards. These estimates provide valuable information for food safety professionals.
This webinar is sponsored by Wageningen University, Marcel Zwietering, Leon Gorris, Arie Havelaar and an anonymous MMRA PDG Member.
