IAFNS at IAFP 2026

Monday, July 27, 8:30-10:00 am CT.

For food safety professionals, the convergence of sustainability goals and shifting consumer expectations requires proactive adaptation of hazard analyses, verification methods, and communication approaches to address these changes. This roundtable will provide an interactive forum to explore emerging risks, share perspectives, and identify strategies to build trust while advancing food safety.

Speakers:

Jason Jacobs, M.Jur., Beechnut

Meredith Carothers, MPH, USDA FSIS

Ben Chapman, PhD, NC State

Sam Alcaine, PhD, IDFA

Mark Moorman, PhD, FDA

Wednesday, July 29, 1:30-3:30 pm CT.

This session will open with an overview of fermentation processes and food safety risks, identifying data gaps and priority concerns. Subsequent talks will address commodity-specific issues in fermented vegetables, dairy and plant-based analogs, and fermented meats. Presentations will examine validation and shelf-life studies, corrective actions when processes fail, and case studies that highlight both problems and solutions. With an applied science perspective, this session will provide actionable strategies and practical pathways for improved risk management in the expanding world of traditionally fermented products.

Speakers:

Maria Marco, PhD, UC Davis

David Bean, PhD, Federation University Australia

Jennifer Wages, PhD, Tyson Foods

Sam Alcaine, PhD, IDFA

Tuesday, July 28, 2:30-3:30 pm CT.

Concerns about the safety of food ingredients have heightened, such as seen with FDA action and US State Legislative activities on food and color additives. Food additives and ingredients must undergo a stringent food chemical safety assessment before being allowed on the market. The Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) pathway for regulatory acceptance has been under increasing scrutiny in the public and private sectors. A rarely known fact is that the GRAS pathway requires the same food chemical safety assessment process as the FDA would undertake for a Food Additive or Color Additive Petition. This session will lead off with an introduction to the basic principles of food toxicology, insights into the FDA’s Food Chemical Safety programs, and a practical presentation on how a GRAS determination is performed.

Moderator: Paul Hanlon, PhD, Abbott Nutrition

Speakers:

Craig Llewelyn, PhD, J.S. Held LLC

Norb Kaminski, PhD, Michigan State University

Kristi Muldoon Jacobs, PhD, Director, Office of Premarket Additive Safety, FDA