IAFP 2026 Annual Meeting

The International Association for Food Protection is holding its Annual Meeting, IAFP 2026, from July 26-29, in vibrant New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of attendees from six continents will come together to explore, share insights, and foster valuable connections on emerging and ongoing topics in food safety.

Join Emanuele Sozzi, a PFAS program manager at RTI, and a panel of experts for a session titled PFAS in Food and Water: Regulation, Occurrence, and Mitigation, at 8:30AM on Wednesday, July 29. 

About the session: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man-made "forever chemicals" that have entered the food supply through various pathways. One major source is food packaging, particularly grease-resistant paper used for items like fast-food wrappers, pizza boxes, and microwave popcorn bags. Over time, PFAS can migrate from this packaging and contaminate the food itself. In addition, environmental contamination from industrial manufacturing, firefighting foam, and landfills can lead to PFAS entering the soil and water. This can cause chemicals to accumulate in crops, fish, shellfish, and livestock. In water, PFAS pose a significant contamination risk, with exposure mainly occurring through drinking contaminated municipal or well water. Consumption of food and water leads to the accumulation of the chemicals in the body over time, resulting in potential health problems, including increased cholesterol, liver damage, and thyroid disease, and they are a growing public health concern.

Topics to be addressed in this session include:

• Recent issues in PFAS regulation, including a phaseout of PFAS in food packaging
• Studies and test results reporting PFAS levels in water and food categories such as seafood, meat, poultry, fruits, and vegetables
• New developments in PFAS detection and quantification techniques
• Solutions for reducing or eliminating PFAS in food and water
• General strategies for protecting consumers from PFAS risks