Program Set for IAFP 2024

Mar 27, 2024

The International Association for Food Protection set the program for IAFP 2024 – the Association’s Annual Meeting, July 14–17 in Long
Beach, California. The meeting has earned recognition as the leading food safety conference. Online registration and the program are available on the Association website
at www.foodprotection.org.

The meeting begins Sunday evening, July 14, with the Opening Session featuring the Ivan Parkin Lecture, followed by the Cheese and Wine Reception held in the Exhibit Hall. This year’s honored lecturer is Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, University of Guelph and Guelph’s Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, Guelph, Ontario. Monday morning starts three days of sessions with more than 1,100 presentations, including 70 symposia; 25 roundtables; more than 900 poster presentations; and more than 130 technical presentations. Samples of symposium topics include: Back to Basics: Essential Elements of an Allergen Control Program; Climate Change: Is It Affecting the Prevalence of Foodborne Pathogens in the Environment?; Establishing Clean Breaks – Hygienic Separation of Production in Low Water Activity Foods; Food Safety of Cheese Brines: Management and Prevention Strategies; and Think Like a Criminal – the Dark World of Food Fraud. The Annual John H. Silliker Lecture will be presented on Wednesday afternoon, featuring Dr. Robert Brackett, IEH Academy, Herndon, Virginia. For additional educational opportunities, IAFP 2024 will present five Pre-Meeting Workshops on July 12 and July 13.

Top industry, academic, and government food safety professionals are expected to be in attendance throughout the three-day event. The broad mix of attendees includes professionals in quality control, processing operations, regulatory inspections, food safety consulting, risk assessment, research and development, microbiological research, plant management, technical services, and HACCP management. The meeting will also showcase more than 130 companies and organizations demonstrating the latest products and technologies in the Exhibit Hall.

Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.