IFT Webinar to Examine How Food Safety Professionals Evaluate, Prepare for Emerging Chemical and Microbial Risks

CHICAGO – November 10, 2026 – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific association committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, is hosting a webinar, From PFAS to Pathogens: Emerging Food Safety Risks and How to Prepare, on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT. The webinar will examine how food safety professionals evaluate and prepare for emerging chemical and microbial risks. This includes PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as ‘forever chemicals’) and other environmental contaminants as well as pathogens affected by changing product, processing, and supply chain conditions.

Expert speakers will share how toxicological risk assessment helps distinguish hazards from actual consumer risks, how predictive tools and product-level controls can strengthen microbial prevention, and how companies can make science-based decisions, even as regulatory requirements and evidence are still evolving.

Free and open to the public, the webinar is sponsored by Corbion, a global leader in sustainable food-ingredient solutions focused on advancing natural preservation and nutrition with science and innovation.

“The evolving concerns around PFAS contamination have underscored how quickly an emerging food safety concern can become a major scientific, regulatory, and industry priority. As new chemical and microbial concerns emerge and the science and regulatory environment continue to evolve, now is the time to strengthen how we identify, assess, and manage potential threats,” said IFT Chief Science and Technology Officer Brendan Niemira, PhD. “Participants will leave with practical approaches for assessing emerging hazards, prioritizing appropriate controls, and strengthening food safety and regulatory readiness.”

Featured Speakers

Christine Crincoli, PhD, DABT, is Principal Scientist in Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, North America Research and Development, at Cargill, Inc. Crincoli provides regulatory and safety expertise to support a variety of innovative food, feed, and industrial ingredients for use in global applications. She is also on the regulatory affairs faculty, College of Continuing & Professional Studies at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Tushar Verma is Senior Scientist and Team Lead of Food Microbiology at Corbion. With deep expertise in microbial food safety, shelf-life extension, and clean-label preservation strategies, Tushar leads a team dedicated to developing cutting-edge, science-driven solutions that improve food quality and safety across diverse systems.

Gregory Jaffe is President of Jaffe Policy Consulting. Jaffe provides strategic advice on national and international policies involving agriculture and food, with specific expertise in sustainability, climate, bioeconomy, biotechnology, biofuels, sustainable proteins, biomanufacturing, PFAS, pesticides, food safety, and food loss and waste. He recently worked as the Senior Advisor for Regulatory Affairs in USDA’s Office of the Secretary and was the Department’s Chief Regulatory Officer where he managed a broad portfolio of policy issues that included bioeconomy, biotechnology, biofuels, pesticides, PFAS, food safety, sustainability, and scientific research and development.

Register for the webinar.

About Institute of Food Technologists

Since 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the world’s greatest food challenges, guiding our community of more than 200,000. IFT convenes professionals from around the world – from producers and product developers to innovators and researchers across food, nutrition, and public health – with a shared mission to help create a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. IFT provides its growing community spanning academia, industry, and government with the resources, connections, and opportunities necessary to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving food system as IFT helps feed the minds that feed the world. For more information, please visit ift.org.