ICMSF

International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF)
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Evaluating issues and making timely contributions on newly emerging food safety concerns.

 

WHAT IS THE ICMSF?

The International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF, the Commission) was formed in 1962 through the action of the International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene, a committee of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). Through the IUMS, the ICMSF is linked to the International Union of Biological Societies (IUBS) and to the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.

Purpose

Our primary goal is to provide timely, science-based guidance to government and industry on appraising and controlling the microbiological safety of foods. The primary objectives of ICMSF include:

1. Provide the scientific basis for microbiological criteria and to promote principles for their establishment and application.

2. Overcome the difficulties caused by nations' varying microbiological standards and analytical methods.

> News and Events

21 - 25 OCTOBER: 2012 ICMSF - China International Conference on Food Safety

The 2012 ICMSF China International Conference on Food Safety will be jointly organised by CIFST and ICMSF at the Xiamen International Conference Centre from 21 – 25 October and has great significance as this coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the ICMSF. The theme of the Conference will be around Controlling Microbiological Hazards to protect consumers' health. Several wellknown microbiologists from all over the world will come together to discuss various aspects around the challenges of public health related to microbial food safety, risk-based microbial food safety management and key aspects in the control of microbial hazards.

For more information and to register, please visit the event website.

26 - 29 November: MICROAL 2012 Buenos Aires

MICROAL 2012's Organizing Committee, composed of representatives of the Argentine Association of Microbiology's Food, Drug and Cosmetic Division (DAMyC-AAM) and the Latin-American Sub-Commission of the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (LAS-ICMSF), are pleased to announce this important international event on food microbiology.

The event includes the 11th Latin-American Congress on Food Microbiology and Hygiene (COLMIC), the 4th Argentine Congress on Food Microbiology (CAMA), and the 3rd Argentine Symposium on Food Preservation (SACA).

For more information, please visit the event website.

 

ICMSF, in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) and the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), presented the Securing Global Food Safety Conference.

Microorganisms in Foods 8: Use of Data for Assessing Process Control and Product Acceptance has been published.

An illustrated version of the ICMSF layperson's guide, "A Simplified Guide to Understanding and Using Food Safety Objectives and Performance"

"Relating Microbiological Criteria to Food Safety Objectives and Performance Objectives" Published in Food Control.

Need to contact ICMSF?

 

> Downloads

ICMSF has developed software tools:

  • to determine the performance of statistical sampling plans that are used to assess the microbiological quality of batches of food, and;
  • to validate the efficacy of measures to control microbial contamination of foods using the Food Safety Objective approach.

The Commission has also prepared documents that explain the use of both tools. To access these documents and to download the Programs (which run in Microsoft® Excel®), follow this link.

Codex Activities

View recent developments in food standards, guidelines and related texts.

This website is owned and operated in whole by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), a non-profit, scientific advisory body established in 1962, working under the auspices of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS).

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