Food Protection Trends - August 2012 - (Page 452)

“From Your president” ello, 你好, kia ora, hola, g’day, witaj, ciao! Greetings to the members of the International Association for Food Protection and to everyone involved in Advancing Food Safety Worldwide®. Since being elected to the IAFP Board in 2009, I have had the pleasure of extending IAFP greetings through the languages above in the USA, China, New Zealand, Colombia, Australia, Poland and Italy. IAFP is truly an international organization, which is so important in a world with a global food supply. Did you know that IAFP has more than 3,600 members around the world, and this publication, Food Protection Trends, is read by more than 9,000 individuals? What would it take to recruit the 5,000+ non-member readers to join IAFP? Did you know that we have 50 IAFP affiliates worldwide? Imagine the impact on food protection if we could truly engage each of those groups in advancing food safety using common tools and approaches! Did you know that there are 20 IAFP Professional Development Groups that provide a forum for individuals to exchange ideas? These diverse areas of interest range from Applied Laboratory Methods to Water Safety and Quality. Some PDGs focus on specific hazards such as viruses, parasites or chemicals. Others focus on food industries such as beverage, dairy, meat and poultry, fruit and vegetable, seafood, and retail applications. Some focus on detecting hazards, some on managing hazards, some on inspecting establishments and some on educating audiences. International, academic, legal, student, developing professional and consumer interests are also represented. The world benefits when multiple viewpoints focus on one issue, because it can lead to richer solutions to protect the food supply. Did you know that the IAFP “experience” means different things to different people? Some think of IAFP in terms of face-to-face meetings, 452 H By KATIE SWANSON PRESIDENT in interests, approaches and backgrounds of IAFP Members is what makes IAFP so strong . . .” such as the Annual Meeting, affiliate meetings, and IAFP’s growing European and International meetings. It’s the papers they present, the papers they attend and the interaction they have with new acquaintances or old friends that define their IAFP experience. For others, IAFP’s publications define their experience whether reading general interest papers, event listings, columns, technology updates and advertisements in Food Protection Trends; to pondering cutting-edge research papers and reviews in the Journal of Food Protection; to conducting peer reviews on papers submitted to IAFP publications; to scanning global news in IAFP Reports; to contributing to or using publications like Procedures to Investigate Foodborne Illness. And other IAFP Members look forward to exchanging food protection information at the local level, through “. . . the diversity affiliate meetings, or on a subject matter focus through PDG meetings or webinars. I believe that the diversity in interests, approaches and backgrounds of IAFP Members is what makes IAFP so strong, so vital and so energizing for all of our members. We have a growing membership base, growing attendance at our meetings and a growing presence in different parts of the globe. To maintain this momentum, the IAFP Board is using the Strategic Plan summarized on the facing page to guide our efforts. Our mission remains “to provide food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply.” Our vision: “IAFP is recognized as the preeminent source of information for food safety professionals in the world.” Our plan is to pursue this vision and accomplish our mission by focusing on 1) recruitment and engagement, 2) information exchange and 3) resources and foundation. In the coming year, I look forward to implementing elements of our strategic plan with the help of all IAFP Members to make our organization even stronger. Everyone deserves to have safe and wholesome food, and IAFP Members do so much to make this a reality. As I begin my journey as president, my heartfelt thanks go out to all former IAFP board members who helped make IAFP the organization that it is today; to fellow board members Stan Bailey, Vickie Lewandowski, Lee-Ann Jaykus, Isabel Walls, Don Schaffner, Don Zink, Alejandro Mazzotta, Dan Erickson, David Lloyd, Gloria Swick-Brown and Tori Stivers, whose team efforts are devoted to keeping IAFP vital; to the talented IAFP staff who keep this organization running; and to the IAFP membership who really make the difference in protecting the food supply. I look forward to working with you. FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | AUGUST 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - August 2012

Food Protection Trends - August 2012
Contents
Sustaining Members
From Your President
Commentary from the Executive Director
Efficacy of Various Consumer-Friendly Produce Washing Technologies in Reducing Pathogens on Fresh Produce
Assessing Factors Contributing to Food Safety Culture in Retail Food Establishments
New Members
What’s Happening in Food Safety
Industry Products
Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents
Advertising Index
Coming Events
Thoughts on Today’s Food Safety...Threats to Ingredient Water Safety

Food Protection Trends - August 2012