International Union of Food Science and Technology

The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) (pronounced EYE-you-fost) is the global scientific organization and voice for food science and technology representing more than 200,000 food scientists and technologists from over 70 countries. It is a voluntary, non-profit association of national food science organizations. IUFoST is a full scientific member of the established in 1962, devoted to the advancement of, one of only 31 scientific unions worldwide and the only global representative of food science and technology to notable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CODEX Alimentarius and International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI).

IUFoST's vision is to Strengthen Global Food Science and Technology for Humanity.

IUFoST's mission is to promote international co-operation and information exchange, to provide education and training to food scientists and technologists around the world and to promote professionalism and profession organization among food scientists and technologists.

The feasibility of establishing an international organization of food scientists and technologists dedicated to the nutritional needs of the people of the world was informally explored during the First International Congress of Food Science and Technology (1962) held in London. The President of the Congress was Lord Rank who crystallised informal discussions that had already been taking place among a number of food scientists from around the world when he stated in his presidential message: "If the potentialities of ... food science and technology are to ... culminate and nutritionally adequate, then there must be international collaboration." From the Congress emerged the International Committee of Food Science and Technology.

The work of this Committee culminated in the formal inauguration of the International Union of Food Science and Technology during the Third International Congress of Food Science and Technology convened in 1970 in Washington, DC, USA. The 1970 meeting in Washington, DC, USA was referred to as "SOS/70" with SOS referring to Science and Survival.