The International Association for Food Protection has opened nominations for its 2020 awards. The categories range from the Black Pearl Award for corporate excellence in food safety to travel scholarships for food safety students who want to attend the IAFP annual conference in August.

You are not required to be an association (IAFP) member to submit nominations for most of the awards. Nominations for all awards, unless otherwise indicated below, are due by Feb. 18 and can be completed through the IAFP website.

The association encourages its members to apply for the travel expense awards for employees of state or provincial health or agricultural departments in North America. There is also an IAFP travel award for food safety professionals in a country with a developing economy to attend the IAFP annual meeting and conference. Student travel scholarship criteria is available on the IAFP students’ page.

Instructions to apply for each award are included in the criteria for the respective award. Awards scheduled to be presented in 2020 are:

Black Pearl Award – Presented in recognition of a company’s outstanding achievement in corporate excellence in food safety and quality.
Sponsored by: F&H Food Equipment Company
2019 Recipient: General Mills

Fellows Award – Presented to Member(s) who have contributed to IAFP and its Affiliates with distinction over an extended period of time.
2019 Recipient: Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, Linda J. Harris, Steve Ricke, Tori Stivers

President’s Lifetime Achievement Award – Given at the discretion of the IAFP President to recognize an individual who has made a lasting impact on “Advancing Food Safety Worldwide” through a lifetime of professional achievement in food protection.
2019 Recipient: Gary R. Acuff

Honorary Life Membership Award – Recognizes IAFP members for their dedication to the high ideals and objectives of the International Association for Food Protection and for dedicated service to the Association.
2019 Recipient: J. Stan Bailey, Pina M. Fratamico, Keith A. Ito, John Holah, Jenny Scott

Harry Haverland Citation Award – Includes $2,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual for years of devotion to the ideals and objectives of IAFP.
Sponsored by: Eurofins
2019 Recipient: Randy Worobo

Food Safety Innovation Award – Includes $2,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual or organization for creating a new idea, practice, or product that has had a positive impact on food safety, thus, improving public health, and the quality of life.
Sponsored by: Walmart Food Safety Collaboration Center
2019 Recipient: Clean Works

International Leadership Award – Includes $2,000 honorarium and reimbursement to attend IAFP 2020 and is presented to an individual for dedication to the high ideals and objectives of IAFP and for promotion of the mission of the Association in countries outside of the United States and Canada.
2019 Recipient: Marcel Zwietering

Institut Merieux Young Investigator Award in Antimicrobial Resistance – Includes payment of €10,000 to support further research work by the laureate and is presented at the IAFP Annual Meeting to an active IAFP Member who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise as a researcher in food microbiology/food safety, focusing on antimicrobial resistance.
Sponsored by: Institut Merieux
2019 Recipient: Jasna Kovic

GMA Food Safety Award – Includes $2,000 honorarium. This award alternates between individuals and groups or organizations. In 2020, the award will be presented to an individual for highly significant food safety development or in recognition of a long history of outstanding contributions to food safety.
Sponsored by: GMA
2019 Recipient: Almond Board of California

Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award – Includes $2,000 honorarium and is presented to an individual, group or organization for preeminence and outstanding contributions in research that impacts food safety attributes of freezing.
Sponsored by: Frozen Food Foundation
2019 Recipient: Martin Wiedmann

Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service – Honors individuals who best exemplify the characteristics of the dedicated food safety professional. Beyond high-profile individuals, the nominee can be anyone who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes, profoundly impacting food safety around them. Those honored are recognized by members of the profession for their collective works in promoting or advancing science-based solutions for food safety issues. Recipients are chosen by the award committee of Food Safety Magazine. Recommendations can be submitted to the committee via award@foodsafetymagazine.com. Please include a bio of the nominee, as well as a description of why the nominee is deserving of this award.
Sponsored by: Food Safety Magazine
2019 Recipient: Theodora Morille-Hinds

Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award – Includes $2,000 honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding contributions in the laboratory, recognizing a commitment to the development of innovative and practical analytical approaches in support of food safety.
Sponsored by: Weber Scientific
2019 Recipient: Larry Beuchat

Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award – Includes $2,000 honorarium and is presented to a young researcher who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise in the early years of their career.
Sponsored by: bioMérieux, Inc.
2019 Recipient: Andrea Moreno Switt

Ewen C.D. Todd Control of Foodborne Illness Award – Includes $1,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual for dedicated and exceptional contributions to the reduction of risks to foodborne illness.
Sponsored by: Marler Clark Attorneys at Law
2019 Recipient: Tanya Roberts

Sanitarian Award – Includes $1,500 Honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP and the profession of the Sanitarian.
Sponsored by: Sponsored by Ecolab Inc.
2019 Recipient: Scott Burnett

Educator-Industry Award – In 1982, this award was split into the Educator Award and the Industry Awards.
1981 Recipient: Francis F. Busta

Elmer Marth Educator Award – Includes $1,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP and the arena of education in food safety and food protection.
Sponsored by: Nelson-Jameson, Inc.
2019 Recipient: Marcel Zwietering

Harold Barnum Industry Award – Includes $1,500 Honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP and the food industry.
Sponsored by: MERCK Animal Health
2019 Recipient: Ken Davenport

Ivan Parkin Lecturers – The Ivan Parkin Lecture was established by the International Association for Food Protection in 1986 to honor individuals who have had a significant impact on the field of food safety.  Each year a prominent food safety leader is selected to deliver the Ivan Parkin Lecture at the Opening Session of IAFP’s Annual Meeting.
The Association established the Lecture to honor Ivan Parkin, a Dairy Extension Specialist at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Parkin was the Association President in 1955 and he remained active in the Association for many years following his Presidency. Dr. Parkin served as an example to others as a loyal Member, a professional, and an educator dedicated to protecting the food supply.
The Ivan Parkin Lecturer is selected by the President-Elect and approved by the Executive Board.
2019 Recipient: Barbara Chamberlin

John H. Silliker Lecturers – The John H. Silliker Lecture was established by Silliker Inc. (now Merieux NutriSciences) in 2004 to recognize the achievements of Dr. Silliker through the practical application of scientific principles to improve food protection.  The John H. Silliker Lecture provides an avenue for recognized experts to present important and timely information on topics of significance to food protection at the IAFP Annual Meeting.
Dr. Silliker established Silliker Laboratories in 1967 and grew the network of laboratories to more than 70 locations in 18 countries.  Dr. Silliker was committed to making meaningful contributions to food safety outside the confines of his laboratory. He was an early proponent of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system; developed the revolutionary concept of using sponges to collect environmental samples in food plants; and testified at congressional hearings that resulted in the passage of landmark food safety legislation.
The John H. Silliker Lecturer is selected by a committee including a representative from Merieux NutriSciences, the Program Committee Chairperson, and the IAFP President.
2019 Recipient: Robert V. Tauxe

Travel Award for Food Safety Professionals in a Country with a Developing Economy – Presented to food safety professionals working full-time in the field of food safety in a country with a developing economy.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation
2019 Recipient: Charles Bashiru Bakin, Abdoulie Jallow, Ismail Odetokun

Travel Award for State or Provincial Health or Agricultural Department Employees – Presented to state or provincial health or agricultural department employees (epidemiologists, food and molecular microbiologists, and environmental health specialists) working in North America.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation
2019 Recipient: Gregory Danzeisen, Ashley Giddens, Emily Harvey, Mona Johnson, Lorraine McIntyre

Student Travel Scholarship – IAFP recognizes that students from around the world are the future leaders in the field of food safety. Since 2004, the IAFP Foundation has been dedicated to enhancing the career potential of exceptional students through the annual IAFP Student Travel Scholarship Program.
Deadline to apply for the Student Travel Scholarship is Tuesday, February 18, 2020.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation
2019 Recipient: Hiroki Abe, Jennifer Acuff, Justin Anast, Katrien Begyn, Melanie Firestone, Catherine Gensler, Carly Gomez, Gayathri Gunathilaka, John Hodges, Rochelle Keet, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Sakshi Lamba, Ruiling Lv, Sarah Murphy, Oladipupo Olatunde, Nurudeen Olalekan Oloso, Ruth Oni, Elvina Parlindungan, Surabhi Rani, Lester Schonberger, Mary Yavelak

Peanut Proud Student Scholarship Award – The Peanut Proud Student Scholarship Award Provides a $2,000 academic scholarship and travel funding for a U.S. graduate student in the field of food microbiology – and specifically in the area of and peanut butter food safety – to attend the Annual Meeting. Peanut Proud is a nonprofit industry organization based in Georgia.
Criteria and instructions to apply for this award will be posted on our website soon.
Sponsored by: Peanut Proud
2019 Recipient: Kaitlyn Casulli

J.Mac Goepfert Developing Scientists Awards – Presented to students (enrolled or recent graduates) in the field of food safety research at accredited universities or colleges. Qualified individuals may enter either the technical or poster competition.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation
2019 Recipient: Please see detail page for expanded list of recipients.

Undergraduate Student Award Competition – Presented to two undergraduate students at accredited universities or colleges who have entered this poster competition, based on the criteria.
Sponsored by: Supported by the International Association for Food Protection Foundation
2019 Recipient: Please see detail page for expanded list of recipients.

President’s Recognition Awards – This award is given at the discretion of the IAFP President to recognize an individual(s) for special effort, project, and contribution of time or expertise that resulted in the betterment of IAFP.
2019 Recipient: Travis Chapin, Michelle Danyluk, Linda Harris, Kali Kniel, Trevor Suslow

B. Shogren Memorial Award – Includes $500 Honorarium and is presented to the Affiliate demonstrating exceptional overall achievement in promoting the mission of the International Association for Food Protection (“to provide food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply”). 2019 Recipient: Missouri Environmental Health Association

Samuel J. Crumbine Award – From 1955 to 1966 two awards were given: the first for general environmental health, the second for food protection. From 1968 to 1973, the award was suspended due to a general lack of innovation in food protection programs during that period.
The application deadline for this award is March 16, 2020.  Guidelines to apply for this award will be available December 2, 2019. For more information, go to www.crumbineaward.com.
Sponsored by: The award is sponsored by the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), in cooperation with the American Academy of Sanitarians, American Public Health Association, Association of Food and Drug Officials, Foodservice Packaging Institute, International Association for Food Protection, National Association of County & City Health Officials, National Environmental Health Association, NSF International, and Underwriters Laboratories
2019 Recipient: Minnesota Environmental Health

John N. Sofos Most-cited JFP Research and Review Publication Awards – These awards were established to recognize top researchers and high-quality research publications and reviews that contribute to the impact of JFP and the field of food safety. The awards are based upon the number of citations of a work by others for papers published five years prior. They are presented by the JFP Scientific Co-Editors at the Editorial Board Reception held each year at the IAFP Annual Meeting.
2019 Recipient: Please see detail page for an expanded list of recipients.

JFP Most-downloaded Publication Award – This award recognizes the most-downloaded Journal of Food Protection publication based on data from the JFP website. The award is presented by the JFP Scientific Co-Editors at the Editorial Board Reception held each year at the IAFP Annual Meeting.
2019 Recipient: Kombucha, the Fermented Tea: Microbiology, Composition, and Claimed Health Effects Cheryl J. Greenwalt, Keith H. Steinkraus, and Richard A. Ledford

European Symposium Student Travel Scholarship – The International Association for Food Protection is pleased to offer the scholarship to support the travel of two qualified students to attend the 2020 IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety in Munich, Germany, 7-9 April 2020. Through generous contributions to the IAFP Foundation, this scholarship will be awarded to two students residing in Europe and enrolled full-time in a college or university food safety-related degree program in Europe.
Deadline to apply for the 2020 IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety Student Travel Scholarship is 7 January 2020.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation
2019 Recipient: Maria Gkerekou and Yifan Zhang

European Symposium Student Award Competition – Presented to two students at accredited universities or colleges who have entered this competition, based on the criteria.
Sponsored by: Supported by the IAFP Foundation
2019 Recipient: Technical – Krishna S. Gelda; Poster – Beatriz Nunes Silva

FPT Peer-Reviewed Research Most-downloaded Publication Award – This award has been established to recognize notable research publications and reviews that contribute to the impact of FPT and the field of food protection.  The award is based upon the number of downloads for an FPT publication in the previous two years. The award is presented at the Editorial Board Reception.
2017 Recipient: Susan Arendt, Catherine Strobehn, and Jinhyun Jun. “Motivators and Barriers to Safe Food Practices: Observation and Interview”. Sept.-Oct. 2015

FPT Peer-Reviewed Research Most-viewed Publication Award – This award has been established to recognize notable research publications and reviews that contribute to the impact of FPT and the field of food protection.  The award is based upon the number of views for an FPT publication in a given year. The award is presented at the Editorial Board Reception.
2019 Recipient: Charles P. Gerba, Laura Y. Sifuentes and Akrum H. Tamini, “A Comparison of Urethane and Cellulose Sponges as Cleaning Tools in Household Kitchens,” May/June 2017

FPT Peer-Reviewed Research Most-cited Publication Award – This award has been established to recognize notable research publications and reviews that contribute to the impact of FPT and the field of food protection. The award is based upon the number of citations for an FPT publication in the previous two years. The award is presented at the Editorial Board Reception.
2019 Recipient: Christine Bruhn, “Chicken Preparation in the Home: An Observational Study,” Sept./Oct. 2014

FPT Most Viewed General Interest Publication Award – This award has been established to recognize notable research publications and reviews that contribute to the impact of FPT and the field of food protection. The award is based upon the number of views for an FPT publication in the previous two years. The award is presented at the Editorial Board Reception.
2019 Recipient: Jill C. Roberts, “Prevention of Hepatitis A through Food Handler Immunization,” May/June 2017

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