International Association for Food Protection

What International Association for Food Protection does

The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) is a nonprofit professional membership association headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 1911 and serving more than 4,500 food safety professionals worldwide. Its mission is to advance food safety by providing a forum for the exchange of information on protecting the food supply, spanning members drawn from government, industry, and academia across 35+ countries.

IAFP's core offerings are organized around three pillars: peer-reviewed publications (Journal of Food Protection, Food Protection Trends, and the IAFP Report newsletter), recurring events (the IAFP Annual Meeting held in North American cities, the European Symposium on Food Safety launched in 2008, and webinars/workshops), and member services including the IAFP Connect online community, Membership Directory, Mentor Match program, Student Travel Scholarships, and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) educational resources. Technical cooperation agreements with the WHO, FAO, ILSI Europe, and the Society for Applied Microbiology anchor its European programming and lend regulatory credibility. The underlying technology is standard association management rather than proprietary AI/ML systems; no APIs, SDKs, or AI capabilities are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through three primary recurring streams: individual and sustaining/corporate membership dues, conference and symposium registration fees, and publication subscriptions. Distribution is direct via the association's website and member portal. Customer segments are primarily individual food safety professionals, with secondary segments covering food safety students and sustaining/corporate members who sponsor events, scholarships, and advertising. IAFP maintains governance via an Executive Board and an affiliated IAFP Foundation that funds student development and awards.

Name

International Association for Food Protection

Legal name

International Association for Food Protection

Website

https://foodprotection.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1911 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serving more than 4,500 food safety professionals worldwide through peer-reviewed publications, annual conferences, a European symposium, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from food safety professionals providing recurring revenue
2. Conference Registration: Registration fees for Annual Meeting and European Symposium events
3. Publications: Sale of journals including Journal of Food Protection and Food Protection Trends

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IAFP is a member-based nonprofit professional association that serves more than 4,500 food safety professionals worldwide by providing peer-reviewed scientific publications (Journal of Food Protection, Food Protection Trends, IAFP Report), annual and regional conferences (IAFP Annual Meeting and European Symposium on Food Safety), live and archived webinars, an online member community (IAFP Connect), student scholarships, mentorship programs, and educational resources such as food safety icons and FSMA guidance materials. The association's primary deliverables are subscription-based membership, conference participation, and access to peer-reviewed food safety content and professional networking.

Product overview

IAFP operates as a member-based professional association offering a portfolio of publications, events, and member services. The core offerings include peer-reviewed journals (Journal of Food Protection, Food Protection Trends, IAFP Report), annual and regional conferences (IAFP Annual Meeting, IAFP Europe), webinars, and professional development programs. The association provides student scholarships, awards competitions, and member resources including IAFP Connect (online community), Membership Directory, and educational tools like Food Safety Icons and Food Allergen Icons. The organization is committed to advancing food safety worldwide through knowledge exchange among food safety professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Journal of Food Protection A peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research on food safety and protection, available to food safety professionals, researchers, and institutional subscribers.
• Food Protection Trends A publication covering practical food safety trends, industry developments, and applied food protection topics, offered to food safety professionals and subscribers.
• IAFP Report An association newsletter providing updates on IAFP activities, member news, and developments in food safety, distributed to members and the food safety community.
• IAFP Annual Meeting An annual conference bringing together food safety professionals from industry, government, and academia to exchange information on protecting the food supply through technical sessions, symposia, and networking.
• IAFP Europe (European Symposium on Food Safety) The European Symposium on Food Safety, held annually in collaboration with ILSI Europe and other partners, convening food safety professionals across Europe for scientific exchange and networking, with past editions in Lisbon, Berlin, Dublin, Ede, Warsaw, Marseille, Budapest, Cardiff, Athens, and Brussels.
• IAFP Webinars Live and archived online presentations allowing food safety researchers and practitioners to share research and best practices with the IAFP community for professional development.
• Student Travel Scholarship Program Scholarships funded by the IAFP Foundation to cover travel costs for food safety students to attend the IAFP Annual Meeting, including the Peanut Proud Graduate Student Scholarship ($2,000 plus travel expenses).
• IAFP Connect An online community platform providing IAFP members with member login access to connect and engage with food safety professionals worldwide.
• Membership Directory A directory of IAFP members enabling networking and professional connections among food safety professionals.
• Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Resources A series of articles and resources describing FSMA legal basics for food professionals, supporting regulatory compliance and education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500+ food safety professionals served through membership
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• IAFP FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026The IAFP Foundation sponsors the Student Travel Scholarship Program and student awards, supporting the development of future food safety professionals. Foundation activities enhance IAFP's mission through dedicated funding for student participation.
• Peanut ProudminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Nonprofit peanut industry organization sponsoring the Peanut Proud Graduate Student Scholarship ($2,000 plus travel expenses). Supports students specifically researching peanut and peanut butter food safety.
• International Life Sciences Institute EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2013Ongoing collaboration for European Symposium on Food Safety events. ILSI Europe provides expertise and organizational support for IAFP's European conferences, co-hosting events in locations including Marseille, Budapest, Warsaw, and Brussels.
• Society for Applied MicrobiologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2013Technical collaboration partner for European Symposium on Food Safety. The Society provides scientific expertise and helps organize technical sessions and symposia at IAFP Europe events.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2013Technical cooperation partner providing international perspective on food safety. FAO participation enhances the global credibility and reach of IAFP events and educational materials.
• World Health OrganizationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2013Technical cooperation partner collaborating on food safety symposiums including the 2008 Lisbon and 2009 Berlin events. WHO involvement ensures alignment with global public health priorities in food safety.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Institute of Food Technologists: IFT is a major global nonprofit professional association for food science and technology professionals, the closest U.S.-based peer to IAFP with comparable membership, conferences, and journals in food science.
• AOAC International: AOAC International is a nonprofit standards-setting and methods-validation organization serving analytical science, with strong overlap in food safety testing, professional membership, and methodology publications.
• Association of Food and Drug Officials: AFDO is a U.S. professional association of state and federal food and drug regulatory officials, directly comparable in mission (food safety) and member-driven conference and training model.
• National Environmental Health Association: NEHA is a professional association for environmental health practitioners, with overlapping food safety credentials, conferences, and credentialing programs serving similar regulatory and inspection professional audiences.
• Global Food Safety Initiative: GFSI is a nonprofit industry collaboration benchmarking food safety certification schemes globally, overlapping with IAFP in food safety professional community-building, events, and standards work.
• International Life Sciences Institute: ILSI is a global nonprofit that conducts food safety and nutrition research, an existing IAFP partner for the European Symposium, with comparable mission around advancing food safety science and convening professionals.
• Society for Applied Microbiology: SfAM is a UK-based microbiology professional society, an existing IAFP European Symposium partner, comparable as a professional membership association convening scientific content and events relevant to food safety.
• International Union of Food Science and Technology: IUFoST is a global nonprofit federation of national food science associations, comparable in mission and global convening role, complementing IAFP's food safety professional reach through affiliated member societies.

Broad incumbents

• American Society for Microbiology: ASM is a much larger life sciences professional association serving microbiologists, with broader scope than IAFP but overlapping on food microbiology content, journals, and annual meetings.

Regional players

• Consumer Brands Association: CBA (formerly GMA) is a U.S. trade association for consumer packaged goods companies, comparable in member-driven advocacy model with relevant food safety working groups and regulatory engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IAFPFood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about International Association for Food Protection