To commemorate World Food Safety Day, the Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, says it has several food safety educational tools available.
The organization said its annual food science, technology and innovation event — IFT FIRST — will once again feature a healthy serving of food safety programming when it returns to McCormick Place in Chicago on July 14-17. This will include sessions on how artificial intelligence and ultraviolet light solutions can significantly improve safety standards by combatting pathogens; why leveraging supply chain technology can improve food traceability and safety; as well as 25 poster presentations from leading food researchers sharing their latest studies around food safety, the organization said.
“Despite significant advances in food protection methods and technologies, the number of people who fall ill, or worse, from contaminated food and foodborne illnesses remains far too high. IFT and its members are vigorously working to improve the protection of our global food supply,” said Bryan Hitchcock, IFT’s chief science and technology officer.
The organization also recently launched its Enterprise Traceability Education Suite, which helps companies to train employees on key traceability concepts, preparing for incoming regulations and mitigating the risk of recalls. Topics range from basic awareness of food traceability principles to detailed guides on how to design, implement, evaluate and enhance an organization’s traceability system, IFT said.
The self-paced courses are designed to educate professionals across all levels and business areas. IFT said it designed the courses to offer an efficient and affordable solution to help with compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Traceability Rule, which goes into effect in January 2026.
IFT also offers its Global Food Traceability Center, a free introductory guide to Food Traceability Rule final compliance.
