IAFP 2017 Concludes with Record-Breaking International Audience

IAFP 2017 was another successful meeting for the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). Held in Tampa, Fla., the three-day meeting concluded July 12 with a record-breaking international audience of more than 3,600 registered attendees representing 59 countries, 48 states, and five Canadian provinces. The meeting has earned recognition as a leading food safety conference.

IAFP President Linda Harris welcomed attendees to Tampa at IAFP 2017’s Opening Session on Sunday evening. Those honored throughout the session included five Fellow Award recipients, two Travel Award recipients from state or provincial health or agricultural departments, three Travel Award recipients from a country with a developing economy, and 20 Student Travel Scholarship Award recipients. A special tribute followed for renowned food safety specialist, Dave Theno, who recently passed away. The Ivan Parkin Lecture closed the session and featured Jose Emilio Esteban, executive associate for laboratory services for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in Athens, Georgia. Esteban spoke on “The Anthropologist, the Chef, and the Kitchen Sink.”

Monday’s agenda included a U.S. Regulatory Update on Food Safety, featuring Carmen Rottenberg with USDA, and Stephen Ostroff with FDA. 

IAFP 2017’s program featured more than 1,000 presentations including 74 symposia, 14 roundtable sessions, 134 technical presentations, and 675 poster presentations. Representatives from 188 companies, including 42 new exhibitors, showcased equipment and the latest innovations in food safety services in the Exhibit Hall.

On Wednesday afternoon, the John H. Silliker Lecture featured Steve Taylor, professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, and founder and co-director of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Taylor spoke on “Food Allergies: A Public Health Dilemma – How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Going?”

Wednesday night’s Awards Banquet honored excellence in food safety by recognizing 32 individuals and organizations with awards. The evening concluded with the gavel presentation to Incoming President Mickey Parish, senior science advisor for FDA in College Park, Md.