In the spotlight

With a mission to “provide food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply” the IAFP works through its members as well as several publications to enhance food safety on a global basis. Food Solutions caught up with David Tharp, Executive Director of the IAFP, to find out more.

FS. How does the IAFP work to achieve the above mission?

DT. It is through our Members working together, through their employment in industry, government and education, that IAFP is able to enhance food safety. Our Members’ research work is carried out and written up for presentation in our two journals or at the Annual Meeting so other food safety professionals have access to this essential information and can benefit from their experiences. In addition, Members are making a difference in food safety in farm and field environments, processing and production plants, retail food establishments and in the safe distribution of food products.

FS. It seems IT is impacting and assisting every industry these days. What technological trends have you observed towards food safety in recent years?

DT. Technology continues to improve the safety of our food though faster testing methods and more accurate testing among many other new developments. In addition, computers can do much of the work in minutes that manufacturers and laboratories used to have to wait hours or days to receive. Inspections can be carried out more quickly and with a higher degree of accuracy with the aid of hand-held devices or portable computers, and technological advances in production are also moving forward quickly. Just compare a plant that was built 15 years ago to one completed today. The walls and flooring are quite different and the advances that have been made in the machinery are very impressive.

FS. You mentioned the annual meeting earlier. What do you think can be gained by such events?

DT. One of the largest benefits we see in hosting an annual event is the opportunity for attendees to meet people from around the world in a face-to-face situation. This contact, interaction and personal bonding simply cannot be accomplished by e-mail, telephone or even through letters (like in days past). Peer-to-peer conversation about challenges you are currently facing and receiving direct, immediate suggestions for solutions goes beyond placing a value upon the overall event. The contacts made at IAFP’s annual meetings can last a lifetime. There are a number of examples where international attendees come to the meeting not knowing what to expect and they are so impressed, they continue to travel back year after year.

FS. Other than these events what do you find to be the most effective ways of disseminating information about food safety standards?

DT. IAFP does not work directly with food safety standards, but our members are actively working in North America and around the globe in assisting with writing standards and disseminating this information. There are a few international standards writing bodies that are working to make uniform standards that could be adopted individually, country by country. The method most commonly used to disseminate standards is for the federal level government to enact standards and require states or provinces to enforce the standards. Training, implementing or informing production facilities and retail sites about standards many times falls on the state or provincial governments or independent trainers.