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<< back to the 2003 archive listing << Food Protection Trends Thoughts from the President As we progress towards dealing with food safety issues on a global basis,
it makes sense to provide opportunities for food safety professionals to meet,
discuss and learn, and not just in North America Our Program Committee met in January of this year, faced with a formidable task. A record number of abstracts were submitted for the IAFP 2003 Annual Meeting, plus almost all symposia ideas, proposed by individuals and PDGs during IAFP 2002, were sent in complete with tentative speakers and topics. The daunting challenge was how to fit everything into the already full schedule? As we see every year, more than enough good “stuff” is going on all at once, at our conferences! The review process for all abstracts is thorough; each is carefully considered by members of the Committee before being accepted for the Annual Meeting program. A key feature of the Program Committee is that it comprises equal representation from industry, academia and government, and includes international members. This make-up brings different expertises to the table when evaluating and planning the slate of sessions. Finally, the hard decisions were made under the guidance of Chairperson Lynn McMullen and Vice Chairperson Gary Acuff, and an exciting program will be awaiting you in New Orleans (other than the non-scientific “program” on Bourbon Street!). Discussions are also underway to organize, independently or together with a partner, an IAFP forum in Europe. IAFP has many members outside of North America, and many who may find it easier to manage conference attendance on an alternate continent! We are asking our international members for input and support for this undertaking, as we explore options, venues, and topics to feature in the program. I invite all members to contact either myself (anna_lammerding@hc-sc.gc.ca) or David Tharp at the IAFP office, and share with us any thoughts or suggestions you might have about this proposal. Following on the international perspective, the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) also met in January 2003. I am a relative newcomer to the workings of the CCFH, as a member of the Canadian delegation. Nevertheless, I have seen a shift in the work of the Committee, whose charge is to draft basic provisions on food hygiene for all foods. The term “hygiene” also includes, where applicable, microbiological specifications for food and associated methodology. New Chairperson, Dr. Karen Hulebak, Deputy Administrator, Office of Public Health and Science, USDA-FSIS, has clearly focused on incorporating “risk-based thinking” into the drafting of codes of practice and other guidance documents. Created in 1963 and for many years declared one of the world’s “best-kept secrets,” the Codex Alimentarius Commission is now the designated standards-setting body for foods in international trade, under the provisions of world trade agreements, and hence the work of the various Codex committees is becoming increasingly important to food industries, regulators and consumers in all countries. Useful information can be found at http://www.codexalimentarius.net, or http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/codex/fh.htm, as well as from Codex offices in member countries. Other types of guidance documents for risk assessment and risk management in the international arena (but valuable also for national programs and education) can also be found at the Web sites for the food safety offices of the Food and Agricultures Organization (www.fao.org/es/esn) and the World Health Organization (www.who.int.fsf). As we progress towards dealing with food safety issues on a global basis, it makes sense to provide opportunities for food safety professionals to meet, discuss and learn, and not just in North America. Besides, springtime in Paris would be nice…! |