Conference for Food Protection

If you’ve ever had a health inspector mark you off for something during a retail food safety inspection and thought, “this regulation should be changed” I’m here to tell you that YOU actually have the power to make a change. There’s a way to submit proposed changes for consideration in the next edition of the FDA model Food Code, to address emerging food safety issues, or suggest improvements to evaluations, trainings, and certifications. This all happens at a Biennial Meeting which doubles as an excellent event for elbow-rubbing- getting to know your state, local, and federal regulators and meeting with others in your industry. The process is pretty neat; let me tell you about it. 

Every two years, an organization called the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) convenes a massive meeting that is attended by representatives from the food industry, government, academia, and consumer organizations. CFP has been around since the 70s, and they’ve been meeting every 2 years since 1986! Their objectives are straightforward and you can read about them here https://www.foodprotect.org/About. It’s during this meeting that emerging science, new food safety topics, and proposed changes to the FDA model Food Code are discussed in a three-day debate-like forum. 

Here’s how it works. In the winter every 2 years, CFP solicits “Issues” to be submitted for debate at the Biennial Meeting. The next Biennial Meeting is April 19-23, 2027 in Grand Rapids, MI. Any person can submit an Issue for consideration. Now, it’s not just a statement that reads “I don’t want to cook chicken to 165F anymore”, but rather a fully researched and backed proposal. So, using the chicken example, if you want to cook chicken to an alternate temperature, you’ve got to have the science to back it up, and defend your position. The submitted Issues are collected, reviewed, and divvyed out to be deliberated by three separate Councils. Council I deliberates Issues that pertain to laws, regulations, and model codes. Council II deliberates Issues that relate to program evaluation, education, training, certification, and CFP-internal bylaws and policies. Council III (my personal favorite) deliberates Issues involving food science and technology related to food safety. One time, they debated the regulatory jurisdiction of space food (in Houston, TX, no less). Another fascinating debate was about sea moss and a Sea Moss and Sea Moss Gel Committee was formed standardize regulatory controls, safe processing, and temperature monitoring. Each Council has 22 members from industry, state and local regulatory agencies, academia, and consumer groups with specific, balanced representations.  

The Councils spend about 3 (very long) days going through each Issue. The Issue submitter has a short period of time to present their Issue to the Council, and then the Council will debate. At the end of Issue deliberation, the Council chooses one of the following actions for the Issue:  

• Accept as submitted 

• amend the Issue 

• vote to take no action, or  

• vote to refer the Issue to another Council 

  
  

Sometimes the outcome of an Issue is to make a change in the Food Code. Other times, an outcome could be to form a committee to create guidance or do research. There are a wide range of resulting activities, and all aim to improve retail food safety, be it through model regulatory changes, research, guidance, interpretations or implementation.  

There are also caucus meetings during the Biennial Meeting. These usually occur after the deliberations have ended for the day, and each constituency (regulators, industry members, consumers, academia) gets together to share their thoughts and discuss the meeting proceedings. 

Once all the Issues have been debated, the constituencies have convened, and there are final outcomes for each Issue, the recommendations are submitted to the Assembly of Delegates, with one regulatory agency representative for each of the 50 states, 6 territories, and Washington DC. Collectively, these Delegates accept or reject a Council’s recommendation on each Issue. 

And that’s really just the start of the work! After the Biennial Meeting, a flurry of activity happens. Letters are sent to federal partners like FDA, USDA, or other organizations depending on the exact Issue. You can read the letters from the 2025 Biennial Meeting here https://foodprotect.org/Biennial-Meeting-Materials. Committees are also formed and will work on set charges over the course of two years. There are standing committees which are permanent sub-groups responsible for the ongoing administrative, financial, and operational business of the organization and newly formed or continued committees that work on charges resulting from the Conference outcomes. Many excellent guides, resources, and tools have been created by committees over the years, all housed on CFP’s website. In this Biennium (2025-2027) some of the many committees are: 

• Food Safety Culture at Retail Committee 

• Digital Food Safety Systems Committee 

• Plan Review Food Establishment Committee 

• Mushroom Cooking Committee (cool!) 

  
  

Some of the standing committees are: 

• Food Protection Manager Certification Committee 

• Food Safety Management Systems Committee 

• Issue Committee 

The process is pretty fascinating, and if you’ve never attended a Biennial Meeting, I’d highly recommend it. You can get a front row seat, literally, to where food safety Issues are debated to make actual changes that impact retail food safety and those who work in the space. It’s definitely one of the most collaborative meetings I’ve been to. Each constituency works with one another to come to a consensus on Issues. The Conference for Food Protection is where the action happens- and continues throughout the years. If you ever have a chance to attend, you should! Keep an eye out on their website for Issue submission season this winter and I hope to see some of you at this or a future Biennial Meeting!