Food Protection Trends - May/June 2022 - 172

COMMENTARY
FROM YOUR PRESIDENT Ruth L. Petran
New beginnings...
Greetings everyone! I am a spring
person... in the Great White North
where I'm from, this time of year energizes
me, with lengthening daylight, the retreat
of snow, singing birds, and the shedding of
our heaviest winter coats. However, just
about every year there's a reminder that
the challenges of the past season are not
far away as we often get a burst of snow in
April (or even May!) that temporarily
covers up the emerging plants.
I think there are parallels from this for our professional lives as well.
This spring is especially meaningful as COVID case rates have also
slid back in parts of the world and for many of us, there is renewed
optimism. We may choose to gather more with family we've been
absent from, return to in-person work settings and anticipate attending
various professional events. However, as public health folks, we
approach these situations carefully, constantly weighing the risks and
benefits. I hope that we as a collective society are internalizing learnings
as well. Are we better aware of risks? Have we sharpened our focus on
the most trusted sources of information that help to inform our actions
both personally and professionally? Will the idea of " evolving science "
catch on? In our times of new beginnings, I surely hope so.
IAFP has always been at this forefront ensuring that credible food
protection information is available in various formats. It is incumbent
on us all to digest these facts critically and practically apply what is
necessary in our own work in ensuring the safety of our food supply.
We focus on how optimally to manage risks across the food supply
chain but continually need to keep our eyes and ears open to be ready
to pivot and change course as new information becomes available.
It's akin to the reason why I never remove my snow scraper brush
from my car - you never know what's coming!
There is much to anticipate with Annual Meeting planning underway
to be fully in-person and on-site this summer in Pittsburgh. I hope you
are thinking about travel plans, preparing to register, maybe considering
attending a workshop. It's a new beginning of sorts, to get back to our
familiar meeting, but I bet many of us will continue keeping a cautious
eye on possible public health risks and act accordingly. Over the
past months, the Program Committee, under leadership from Carrie
Rigdon and Tamara Ford, has worked tirelessly to put together a very
comprehensive agenda. Thanks for all their hard work! Many more
exhibitors will return to the 2022 meeting; we anticipate learning more
about their offerings. We are grateful for their support and that of
sponsors and Sustaining Members as well.
Annual Meetings offer wide-ranging technical topics that challenge
us to be more effective and inclusive while enriching our ever evolving
science-focused minds. This year, for example, I'm anticipating a
very important set of talks on " Increasing Access to and Cultivating
Diversity within Food Safety Spaces, " a special session on Salmonella
infantis, as well as hearing about the latest in risk communication and
chemical hazards, our Ivan Parkin and Silliker lecturers, and insights
from regulators. We will welcome Manpreet Singh to the Board at
the conclusion of the meeting, following his election as our incoming
Secretary. And of course, we look forward to catching up through
PDGs, committees, and councils and at receptions!
I wish for you all peaceful transitions steeped in science as you
may return to workplaces and make other adjustments considering
the risks we face. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any
questions or comments.
FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR David W. Tharp
To meet or not to meet; that is the
question. Or to expand on that, to meet
" in-person " or to meet virtually; that is the
question. As IAFP approached our 2022
meetings, a decision was made to meet inperson.
For both the European Symposium
on Food Safety in Munich and for IAFP
2022 in Pittsburgh, the decision was, YES,
we will meet in-person!
I want to look take a deeper look at
this decision. Of course, information can be transferred in the virtual
setting. We all know this and have been overloaded with virtual
meetings both large and small; conferences and committee-type
meetings. It is convenient, inexpensive and serves a purpose. But to
gain real value from " meeting, " you must be in the same location,
eye-to-eye, face-to-face being able to talk one-on-one to exchange
information. For many years, IAFP has been the leader in bringing food
safety professionals together to exchange information on protecting
the world's food supply. In fact, this is so important to IAFP, it is our
mission! Now is the time to refocus our efforts on in-person meetings.
In making the decision to meet in-person, we have made a commitment
to our exhibitors and our sponsors that we will bring the decision
makers to the conference location to interact directly with them. We
all should recognize the financial commitments that our sponsors
and exhibitors make to each IAFP conference wherever they are held
172 Food Protection Trends May/June
throughout the world. These commitments are made well in advance of
the conference dates; many times, a year or more in advance.
Sponsors and exhibitors deserve thanks from every attendee due to
the fact that they underwrite the expenses of the conference being held.
Through their support, you, the attendee pays a registration fee that is
much reduced over the fee you would have to pay without exhibitors'
and sponsors' support. When you attend an IAFP conference, please
take time to reach out to as many sponsors and exhibitors as you can to
thank them for their kind support.
Each year, we take the chance that an IAFP conference will be
successful. Each year, that decision is made to bring food safety
professionals together to exchange information on protecting the food
supply. Each year, we count on you, our IAFP Members to help bring
more food safety professionals into the " IAFP family " because you have
found great value in being an IAFP Member and conference attendee.
PLEASE, do your part this year to help spread the word about IAFP
and the conferences we organize. Encourage your colleagues to join
IAFP as a Member and to attend IAFP's conferences. You know the
value received. Now share this great organization with others so that
IAFP can prosper for years to come.
We have been successful for more than 110 years and food safety will
always be most important to the public's health. Without a safe food
supply, we cannot live and work in the life we all desire. Thank you for
your part in protecting the food supply!
Food Protection Trends - May/June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - May/June 2022
