---
title: "Safety: Safe Food From Farm to Fork"
id: "50797"
type: "post"
slug: "safety-safe-food-from-farm-to-fork"
published_at: "2020-08-12T16:50:47+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-17T03:52:04+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/08/12/safety-safe-food-from-farm-to-fork/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/08/12/safety-safe-food-from-farm-to-fork.md"
excerpt: "IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center shares knowledge, research, and resources to help reduce the frequency and severity of foodborne illness outbreaks."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Ethics"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "centennial"
  - "food supply"
  - "Leadership"
  - "Safety"
  - "traceability"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "C-Level"
  - "Director"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Industry Professionals"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
 » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/)
 » Safety: Safe Food From Farm to Fork

*Safety • Institute of Food Technologists*

Every year, one in six Americans experiences a foodborne illness, according to the Institute of Food Technologists, and of those, 130,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. But when outbreaks occur, the complexity of the global food supply chain often makes it difficult to trace the source.

IFT knew that accurate, efficient tracing worldwide would require a coordinated effort, and in 2013, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, it launched the Global Food Traceability Center to serve all aspects of the food system, from agriculture to consumer. The GFTC shares knowledge, expertise, applied research, data, and resources to limit risk and improve food safety.

“As food production and distribution systems become increasingly complex, interdependent, and globalized, businesses, regulators, and consumers need practical solutions to a spectrum of food-related challenges,” says Bryan Hitchcock, IFT’s senior director of food chain and executive director of the GFTC.

Traceability includes following the path of ingredients or finished food products throughout their entire lifecycle. IFT works to accelerate the digitization of food supply chains, and it advances food traceability through research, development, education, and training. Seafood traceability is one area where IFT has made progress recently: The organization helped establish the first-ever global standards for tracking seafood products from point of origin to point of sale.

“The food industry has come a long way in reducing the frequency and severity of foodborne illness outbreaks,” Hitchcock says. “And through continued focus, learning, collaboration, and the implementation of strategic technology, we can continue to mitigate the impact of foodborne illness.”

(Jena Ardell/Moment)

[Allison Torres Burtka](https://associationsnow.com/author/allison-torres-burtka/)

Allison Torres Burtka, a longtime association journalist, is a freelance writer and editor in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/allison-torres-burtka/)

Tags: [#centennial](https://associationsnow.com/tag/centennial/)
 [#food supply](https://associationsnow.com/tag/food-supply/)
 [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/)
 [#Safety](https://associationsnow.com/tag/safety/)
 [#traceability](https://associationsnow.com/tag/traceability/)

**Stay Informed**

[Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/)
, *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day.

## You Might Like

- [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/)
- [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/)
- [VideoExploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of SpaceflightAugust 27, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/27/exploring-new-frontiers-leadership-resilience-and-the-future-of-spaceflight/)
- [VideoCharlene Lopez Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/charlene-lopez-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/)

## Comments

**Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/)

[Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F08%2F12%2Fsafety-safe-food-from-farm-to-fork%2F%23comments)
 to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/)
!