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A View from Wisconsin Science is the search for truth – it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent…We need to have the spirit of science in international affairs, to find the right solution, the just solution of international problems… Linus Pauling, chemist and 1963 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In October 1911, 35 men from the United States, Australia, and Canada who were concerned with finding the “right solution” for improving the quality of milk met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to organize the International Association of Dairy and Milk Inspectors. Although only two of the men were from outside the US (one from Canada and one from Australia), the charter members purposefully used “International” in the association’s name. Like Linus Pauling, these men recognized that cooperation, searching for the truth, and sharing information about public health programs were essential for the good of all nations. The Association’s name has changed several times, yet “International” has always been part of the moniker. Our historical presence in the world, current activities, and our most recent strategic plan, demonstrate that we are committed to be a truly, international association. As we approach the 100-year anniversary of our founding, the majority of our membership is still based in the US and Canada, but our international membership has expanded to approximately 10% of the total, representing 55 other countries. Currently, we boast Affiliate Chapters in Brazil, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, in addition to the four affiliates from Canada and over 30 chapters in the US. We are extremely pleased to work with members from New Zealand and anticipate chartering a new affiliate from that region by the August 2005 IAFP Annual Meeting. Our goal is to increase the number of affiliates from outside the US to 15 by our centennial year. Although IAFP has a priority to continue to grow our membership, we recognize that travel and budget considerations limit many professionals in our field from participating in IAFP activities, regardless of their country. Therefore, we rely heavily on our affiliates to be extensions of our mission by providing essential food safety educational programming to meet the needs of local members. Active affiliates play a vital role in the overall success of our organization and I strongly encourage all IAFP members to support their local chapters. Membership fees are very affordable to even those who pay for professional dues out of their own pocket. Joining your local affiliate will give you new opportunities to actively participate in a professional association. Another measure of our international component of IAFP is by our publications. If you review the affiliations of the authors in both Journal of Food Protection and Food Protection Trends you will note that countries outside of North America are very well represented, demonstrating that our journals are recognized internationally as reputable venues for scientific publications. The International Food Safety Icons were developed to provide illustrations of important food safety tasks that are understandable by food handlers regardless of their native language and culture. Revised editions of two consumer booklets, Before Disaster Strikes...A Guide to Food Safety in the Home and Food Safety at Temporary Events are now available in Spanish-language versions. All of these items are available through IAFP. Conferences and workshops represent another major function of the Association. IAFP continues a partnership with the International Life Science Institute (ILSI) North America by providing a venue for ILSI-sponsored symposia at our Annual Meeting that focuses on emerging food safety issues and technologies and which provides a global perspective. For the first time in the Association’s history, IAFP will host a conference outside North America. Final program and registration information will soon be available for the conference to be held in Prague, Czech Republic, October 11–12, 2005. The inaugural IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety will focus on recontamination issues in the food industry. The program was developed in cooperation with IAFP members from the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Canada, and the US, and with ILSI-Europe, and specifically targets the perspectives of those in countries east of the Atlantic. Be sure to look for details coming to you via E-mail and at IAFP 2005 in Baltimore and tell your colleagues about this event. Support of international food safety activities goes beyond membership numbers and hosting conferences, however. For many years, the IAFP Foundation Fund has funded shipment of surplus JFP and FPT journals to developing countries through FAO in Rome. IAFP is continuing to pursue a relationship with the World Health Organization as a non-governmental organization. This alliance would assist in advancing food safety worldwide by increasing the recognition of our Association internationally. IAFP further recognizes individuals dedicated to promoting the ideals of the Association outside the countries of the US and Canada through the International Leadership Award. Most recently, we initiated a student travel scholarship program to attend our Annual Meeting; one scholarship is awarded to a student from Canada or the US and the other from outside these two countries. Next year we will add another scholarship specifically targeting a student from a developing nation in Latin America, Africa, or IAFP is clearly dedicated to promoting the “international” component of the Association through multiple activities, past, current and future. The spirit of IAFP is International, and we look to our members to help us in our mission to advance food safety worldwide. As always, I welcome your comments and ideas. Please feel free to E-mail me at kglass@wisc.edu and let me know your view. |