IFT WORLD

IFT leads FDA pilot programs on product tracing
The Institute of Food Technologists will lead two pilot programs for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will test and study product tracing systems.

The research will help to identify methods to rapidly and effectively trace food products throughout the supply chain so that products can be quickly identified and removed from the marketplace during a food-related outbreak. The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires the FDA to conduct pilots involving produce and processed foods that have been implicated in major outbreaks. Under an existing contract with the FDA, IFT will conduct both the processed food and produce pilots required by the FSMA. Both pilots will be completed in 2012 and IFT will issue a report to FDA. IFT in 2009 produced a report on product tracing for the FDA. IFT reports, findings, and recommendations regarding traceability are available at www.ift.org/ traceability. Companies interested in participating or learning more about the study can contact Caitlin Hickey at [email protected] or 202-330-4985.

IFT launches Food Policy Impact
IFT’s inaugural Food Policy Impact conference, taking place Dec. 1, 2011, will bring like minds and organizations in food laws, regulations, and policy together to better understand current food policy interpretation and institute approaches that work most effectively within the system. The one-day event, an expansion of the former Food Law & Regulations Division and the IFT Washington, D.C., Section mid-year meeting, will provide attendees with practical, actionable learning that will make an immediate impact on 2012 in the areas of food safety, product tracing, food marketing and labeling, and regulatory procedures and compliance. IFT will also hold a pre-conference short course, Labeling Requirements and Implications for Foods Marketed in the U.S., on Nov. 29-30, and a post-conference webcast, Intersection of Food, Policy, and Profitability: Obstacles and Opportunities for the Private and Public Sectors, on Dec. 7. For more information, visit www.ift.org, or contact IFT at [email protected].

Section & Division meetings
Alamo
Nov. 3, 2011: Golf outing. San Antonio, Texas. Contact Scott McCormick at 210-351-6261 or [email protected].

Chicago
Nov. 9, 2011: Suppliers Night. Rosemont, Ill. Contact Marty Roth at 630-916-4960, or e-mail [email protected].

Maryland
Nov. 2, 2011: Suppliers Night. Hunt Valley, Md. E-mail Amy Pojunas at [email protected] or Kimberly Nemecek at [email protected], or visit www.mdift.org.

Philadelphia
Nov. 1, 2011: Suppliers Night. Cinnaminson, N.J. Contact Gerri Cristanteillo at 201-657-1989 or [email protected] or Barbara Brojack at 609-294-9172 or [email protected], or visit www.philadelphiaift.org.

Visit www.ift.org to view the Events Calendar, including listings for Section and Division meetings, and for information on how to list your event.