Food Protection Trends

A View from Wisconsin 
February 2005

“As an association, we can demonstrate our dedication to a safe food supply worldwide by fostering the education and professional development of students in our field”
By Kathleen A. Glass, IAFP President I was prepared to forward this column to IAFP announcing a new student travel scholarship program when the massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged South Asia in late December. Early reports estimated that the catastrophe killed at least 150,000 people, injured half a million more, displaced 1 million and deprived up to 5 million of basic services. The United Nations World Food Program, FAO, WHO, and UNICEF, and many secular and faith-based nongovernmental organizations responded rapidly to provide food, safe drinking water, shelter, medical supplies, and other non-food items, and worked to restore sanitation to prevent the spread of disease. In spite of the massive effort, many areas were not immediately reached because of bureaucratic delays and impassable roads. WHO reported poor quality and quantity of water, insufficient sanitation, overcrowding, and poor hygiene in temporary camps that increased the risk for outbreaks of diarrheal disease. 

This cataclysmic event brings to mind several issues.  One is that we are a global community. Even though most IAFP Members live thousands of miles from the destruction, it is the responsibility of food safety professionals worldwide to ensure that safe food, proper sanitation, and thorough and sustained water purification are available to all people regardless of geography. Although the disaster occurred more than a month ago, recovery is far from complete. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to transform your convictions into actions and send a donation to a reputable agency to aid in the recovery. Two Web sites that have links to US-based and other international agencies involved in the relief include www.reliefweb.int and www.give.org.  Collectively, even our small contributions will have an impact on restoring basic services to the affected areas, help rebuild the countries’ infrastructures, and assist the survivors in a return to a more normal life.  Secondly, while it was impossible for the residents and tourists of South Asia to prepare for a calamity of this magnitude and rarity, it reminds us that communities and individuals should develop contingency plans to deal with more common disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and power outages. The recently revised pamphlet Before Disaster Strikes…A Guide to Food Safety in the Home, including a Spanish language version, is available from IAFP.  This pamphlet outlines for the consumer the basic necessities required to cope with the aftermath of disasters and reduce the risk of illness due to contaminated water and food.  Lastly, as an association, we can demonstrate our dedication to a safe food supply worldwide by fostering the education and professional development of students in our field, some of whom may go on to assist victims of disasters directly or indirectly.

Currently, the IAFP Foundation Fund recognizes the talents of students and recent graduates in the area of food safety research by supporting the Developing Scientist Competition. This program rewards the top research students in oral and poster competitions at our Annual Meeting. As I reviewed the list of past winners I was reminded of a saying “The expert at anything was once a beginner.” Many of these students have gone on to be respected professionals in our field and have maintained their involvement in IAFP; some have been honored by IAFP through awards or election to the executive board. 

Both the IAFP Strategic Plan and the Foundation Fund mission target expanding our support of future food safety scientists through establishing scholarships and travel grants for needy students and research scientists to attend the IAFP Annual Meeting. We are putting our plans into action and are very pleased to announce new travel scholarships to be awarded to two qualified students to attend our 2005 conference. An announcement has been sent directly to faculty and student members and detailed information is posted on the IAFP Web site. 

To qualify for the award, the individual must:
·   Be a member of IAFP
·  Demonstrate interest in and commitment to food protection as a student enrolled full-time in a food science, microbiology, toxicology, or other program related to food microbiological or toxicological safety (under-graduate or graduate level)
·Submit an application by March 14, 2005 including a cover letter, listing of completed coursework and grades, a one-page statement of interest including why the applicant wants to attend the IAFP Annual Meeting, their career aspirations, and if currently working on a research project, extent the project will enhance food safety or quality. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member or department head is also required.

This program will augment the travel grants offered by several active affiliates that support students to present research at the IAFP Annual Meeting. Our goal is to support two students in the inaugural year and expand the program thereafter. Obviously, we will not be able to support this program without increasing our budget. We will work with the Foundation Fund to solicit some support, but I challenge corporations and individuals to contribute to this program. Consider that
the students who you support today may be your employees of tomorrow. Your gifts toward this program will enrich the education of these future workers, expand the breadth of their experience beyond the classroom, and provide them with opportunities to develop essential professional skills.  Please contact our Executive Director, David Tharp, to get more details on how you can financially help this program to grow.

As always, I welcome your ideas and comments. Please feel free to email me at kglass@wisc.edu and let me know your view.