International Food Information Council
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[edit] Background and Mission
Founded in 1985, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to effectively communicate science-based information on food safety and nutrition to health and nutrition professionals, educators, government officials, journalists, and others providing information to consumers, primarily in the United States. IFIC is supported by the broad-based food, beverage, and agricultural industries. IFIC does not represent any product or company, nor does it lobby for legislative or regulatory action.
[edit] Purpose
IFIC’s purpose is to bridge the gap between science and communications by collecting and disseminating scientific information on food safety, nutrition, and health and by working with an extensive roster of science experts to help translate research into understandable and useful information for opinion leaders and ultimately, consumers.
[edit] Food Safety and Nutrition Topics
IFIC provides science-based information on a variety of food safety and nutrition topics such as:
- obesity (including childhood obesity)
- dietary fats (including trans fats)
- carbohydrates and sugars
- sodium
- functional foods
- low-calorie sweeteners (sometimes called sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners)
- caffeine
- food biotechnology (also referred to as genetic engineering, genetically modified organism (GMO), or genetically modified foods)
- food allergies
- food safety
[edit] The IFIC Foundation
In 1991, the International Food Information Council Foundation was established as the educational arm of IFIC. IFIC Foundation projects have included a joint effort with the Harvard School of Public Health to develop guidelines for communicating new health and science research, the Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition & Health, and research on media coverage of diet, health, and food safety issues. IFIC Foundation materials can be found in both English and Spanish at http://ific.org.
[edit] IFIC Foundation Projects
- Kidnetic.com, A childhood obesity prevention project that gets kids motivated to lead a healthy lifestyle
- Improving Public Understanding: Guidelines For Communicating Emerging Science on Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health, A Joint Project Between the IFIC Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health
- Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition & Health
- Food For Thought--A media tracking survey that looks at how the news media, ranging from print to broadcast to the Internet, cover the important topics of food safety, nutrition, and health
- Food Insight Newsletter
