Food Protection Trends - November/December 2017 - 470

Our Experiences (continued)

I am so grateful to IAFP for giving me this unique opportunity to participate in the
leading annual event in food protection in Tampa this year. I am thrilled and lucky that
I experienced this.
The welcome I received upon arrival from the IAFP Staff was excellent and heartwarming. They made us feel so important. The atmosphere at the conference was very
friendly and welcoming and, at the same time, extremely professional with a wide range
of speeches that covered all aspects of food safety and control. I gained a tremendous
amount of knowledge, and I discussed my area of research with so many people in the
field who helped me see things from a different aspect.
The Student Professional Development Group and the IAFP student participants
were there ready to assist me and help me get involved with the conference right
away with various fun events they had organized. My mentor, Professor Francisco
Diez-Gonzalez, was extremely helpful and an inspiration for me. He provided many
useful tips and introduced me to many specialists who work in the food safety field.
During the conference, I was able to network and visit with students and food industry
Giannis Koukkidis
professionals from all over the world. I also initiated friendships that I know will last for
a very long time.
University of Leicester
I strongly recommend all students who read this summary apply for the Student
Leicester, United Kingdom
Travel Scholarship to attend future Annual Meetings. In addition, I encourage them to
also pass this opportunity on to any other students they know who have the passion about food technology as I do.
Once again, thank you, IAFP, for a wonderful research experience!

Attending IAFP 2017 as a student presenter was always in my plan. Being selected
as a 2017 Student Travel Scholarship recipient was such an honor for me and an
awesome way to be recognized by IAFP 2017 attendees. This was another fantastic
IAFP Annual Meeting, as usual. During my time in Tampa, I saw faces of old friends
from past IAFP Annual Meetings; made new friends from different backgrounds and
research areas; met my mentor, Dr. Sarita Raengpradub Wheeler; and presented my
latest work in an oral presentation and a poster.
The wonderful experience started from the hotel where we stayed. I met other
award recipients and attendees in the hallway, elevator, and breakfast lounge. I loved
networking with people in a casual way and chatted in a relaxed mode about their work,
experiences, and lives. It was a great platform to interact with people and learn from
their experiences and ideas.
I attended two technical sessions and three symposia on vastly different topics.
There were amazing presentations from industry, agencies worldwide, and academia.
Each of them was a complete story about the latest in challenges, policies, or solutions.
IAFP 2017 provided a brainstorming and informative platform for everyone in his or her
Shuxiang Liu
Washington State University specific area of interest or anything in general related to food protection. As a student,
I broadened my insights from low-moisture food safety (which is my thesis work) to
Pullman, Washington
whole genome sequencing, food allergy, urban agriculture, etc.
The joint Affiliate Meeting between the China Association for Food Protection
and the Chinese Association for Food Protection in North America on July 10 was another "must attend" event for me.
Several Chinese food safety scholars, including Sunny Luo and Howard Zhang from the USDA-NIFA; Hongda Chen
from the FDA; Juming Tang from Washington State University; and Guangwei Huang from the Almond Board of
California, shared their work experiences, insights on food safety in both the U.S. and China, and faith in students
and young scientists. This is a home for me in the big family of IAFP!
Exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall were also amazing, presenting their latest products and services. I discovered some
useful devices and tools that may accelerate my research progress or solve the problems. It is also inspiring to know
how well these companies have been developing and applying technologies in food industry. Seeing these exhibitors in
various aspects of food protection enhanced my faith and passion in this field. Making food safe and secure is just the
right thing to do.
Thank you, IAFP, and to everyone at the Annual Meeting, including the Board of Directors; the warm and pleasant
IAFP Staff; my mentor and my supervisor; and the beautiful setting in Tampa for making these four days so valuable
and memorable. I look forward to seeing everyone at IAFP 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah!

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Food Protection Trends November/December

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