History of the ICFMH

The International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene was founded at the IAMS World Congress on Microbiology in Rome, 1953. The Original Mission Statement was to draw together small groups of leading experts in particular fields of food microbiology and thereby to arrive at a consensus document on subjects of primary interest to the discipline, which was accepted at the plenary session of the mentioned IAMS congress in Rome. Members of the first Executive Committee were: Profs. Ingram and Buttiaux (Presidents), Dr. Betty Hobbs (Councillor-at-large), and Prof. David Mossel (Executive Secretary). As permanent Committee under the Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology of the IUMS, the ICFMH officially represents the IUMS in all issues related to food.

A major development from the initial small-sized Symposia, large international ICFMH Meetings or congresses called FOOD MICRO are now being conducted every two years in different countries. Further information on these meetings and other activities is given under Activities and Events, and on the official “flagship” (The International Journal on Food Microbiology).