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<< back to the 2002 archive listing << Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Postcards from Iowa, February 2002 We should understand that what IAFP is all about is food protection Well, last month I asked for comments on the proposal to change the name of Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation (DFES) to Applied Food Protection (AFP). I have heard from few of you (just a very few) on this, and predictably the comments fell into one of two categories. Those who respond first usually have the strongest opinions. The first category could be summarized by the comment “YOU WANT TO DO WHAT!?!” This didn’t surprise me, because people have very strong attachments to names, and what the names represent. I understand how some Members would think that changing the name of this Journal means that we are abandoning our commitment to dairy products, and foods and environmental issues. One Member made reference to those “darned microbiologists who think they are running everything” (he didn’t say “darned” exactly, but you get the idea). Another said that we would alienate some of our Members, who would simply leave IAFP and go to NEHA. I am glad that these people did contact me with their thoughts, and I hope my response helped them to understand what the DFES Management Committee was thinking when they proposed the name change. I think that we should understand that what IAFP is all about is food protection. And food protection includes everything from the sanitary design of milking equipment and milking parlors to hand washing by food service employees, and everything in between. To me, “applied food protection” includes all of this. If anything, I believe that the title Applied Food Protection incorporates this idea better than the title Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation does. Our intent is to be inclusive and not exclusive, and I personally believe that the proposed title accomplishes this. I did get some comments that could best be summarized as: “Great idea!”
Some of our Members who responded thought that the proposed new name for the
Journal included more of the ideas of our organization. Some even said that
they would be more likely to submit articles to the Journal, if we renamed it.
They felt as if some of their comments would not have “fit” into DFES,
but would fit into AFP. I encouraged them to submit an article to the Journal
either way, as the content really isn’t going to change. In many ways,
it will still be the same Journal. We don’t anticipate rejecting articles
for publication because they don’t seem to “fit” into one category I do want the discussion on the proposed name change to continue. This is simply a proposal, brought forward by the DFES Management Committee. But I do want to reiterate what I said last month about the Management Committee being sincere and dedicated individuals, and they debated this extensively among themselves before they brought the proposal forward. Let’s think about it. And a quick note about the 2004 meeting. I know that seems like a long time off, but we really do have to work that far in advance. The meeting will be at the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona, August 8-11, 2004. This is a brand new resort property, and it should be very, very nice. And for those of you worried about the heat, bring your swimsuits and we’ll meet in the pool! Same time, next month. |