2023 Annual Meeting Summary

The Chinese Association for Food Protection in North America (CAFPNA), an affiliate organization of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), concluded its 2023 Annual Meeting on July 17 with great success. Despite the challenge in border crossing and conference schedule, this year's event saw a remarkable turnout of 38 attendees, reflecting the continued dedication and engagement of the CAFPNA community.

Ivy Li (Student Chair) presented the opening remark for Ren Yang (President) and the financial report for Scott Li (Treasurer), followed by the summary of the activities of the association in the past year, including webinars, workshops, mentor-mentee 2.0, and more.

A notable highlight of the event was the presentation of the Outstanding Leadership Award to Cindy Jiang. This prestigious accolade celebrated Cindy's outstanding contributions to the CAFPNA community through her extensive involvement in voluntary activities such as mentoring, leadership, and unwavering support. With an illustrious 33-year career dedicated to advancing food safety and quality management systems for McDonald's, Cindy's recent retirement marked a significant milestone, and the award served as a tribute to her remarkable legacy.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on CAFPNA's accomplishments over the past fiscal year and set the stage for the upcoming one. Members engaged in productive discussions about the organization's initiatives, achievements, and future goals. Additionally, the meeting celebrated the achievements of promising students by awarding three winners in the students' oral presentation competition, acknowledging their exceptional contributions to the field of food protection:

1st place: Yuxiao Lu, Ph.D. student, McGill University
Presentation: Detection of Campylobacter jejuni using a hybrid paper/polymer-based microfluidic device based on the recombinase polymerase amplification and lateral flow assay
2nd place: Tongzhou Xu, Ph.D. candidate, University of Georgia
Presentation: Integrative assessment of reduced Listeria monocytogenes susceptibility to benzalkonium chloride in produce processing environments
3rd place: Shaojie Ma, M.Sc. student, Sichuan Agricultural University
Presentation: Non-invasive measurement of high-temperature water activity by Raman spectroscopy

The CAFPNA annual meeting served as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and recognizing the achievements of community leaders. As an integral part of the IAFP community, CAFPNA continues to play a pivotal role in advancing food safety practices and fostering collaboration among professionals in North America and beyond.

From September 2023, CAFPNA will start with a renewed board member structure with new officers:
President: Yige Bima, Gerber (Nestlé) Products Company
President-Elect: TBA
Treasurer & Delegate: Zengxin “Scott” Li, Rich Products
Secretary of Internal Affairs: Quanhong Li, Deep Foods
Secretary of External Connections: Yaxi Hu, Carleton University
Secretary of Activities/Events: Yige Bima (temporary)
Staff: Cassendra Chen, FG Deli
Student committee chair: Ivy Li, McGill University
Student committee vice-chair: Marti Hua, McGill University; Yaxi Dai, University of Georgia; Chenggeer, University of Missouri