Councils

Each Council is comprised of 22 members from industry, state and local regulatory agencies, academia, and consumer groups with balanced representation as set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws. The positions of Chair and Vice-Chair alternate between regulatory and industry representatives. In addition, advisors and consultants are appointed to assist each Council as specified in Article X of the CFP Constitution and Bylaws.

In Councils I and II, eight members are from state and local food regulatory agencies; two from territories, District of Columbia or federal jurisdictions that regulate commercial or institutional feeding operations; ten from industry, one from an academic institution, and one representing consumers. Industry representation is apportioned so at least one member is from food processing, two from food service, two from retail food stores and one from food vending.

Council III has at least five members from State and local regulatory agencies, five from industry and the remainder at-large. Industry representation includes at least one each from food processing, food service, retail food stores and food vending. Greater at-large representation affords Council III the opportunity to include the appropriate technical expertise necessary for scientific deliberation of the Issues.

Federal participants (FDA/USDA/CDC) may appoint a member and an alternate for each Council. These members participate in discussions but do not vote. Aternates may act in the member's place if the member is unable to attend.

Click HERE to see a PDF of the "Council Member Position Description."

Click HERE to see a 2-page PDF "Guide to the CFP Issue Process."

Tools to Assist Council Members

Editing Issues in Council: Approved by the Executive Board in April 2018., the intent of this document is to assist Council members in editing the final "recommended solution" of Issues.

/media/site/editing-issues-in-council-rev-07-15-2021.pdf

Rules of Engagement: This document is intended to provide parliamentary guidance by outlining the most common motions used during Issue deliberation and by the Assembly of State Delegates.

/media/site/cfp-rules-of-engagement-2018.pdf

Council Deliberation

An Issue that has been submitted and meets acceptance criteria will be assigned to one of the three (3) Councils that are responsible for vetting Issues at the biennial meeting of the Conference for Food Protection.

  • COUNCIL I deliberates on Issues pertaining to laws, regulations, and model codes governing the safety of food.
  • COUNCIL II deliberates on Issues relating to program evaluation, education, training, and certification as well as Issues regarding the CFP Constitution and Bylaws, procedures, and memoranda of understanding.
  • COUNCIL III deliberates on Issues of food science and technology related to food safety.

After deliberating each Issue, Councils may accept an Issue recommendation as submitted, amend the Issue recommendation, vote to take no action, or vote to refer the Issue to another Council. Examples of Council recommendations include referring a list of charges to a CFP committee, assigning directives to the CFP Executive Board, or requesting a letter be sent to one or more federal agencies with a recommendation for future action.

At the close of Council deliberation, all final Issue recommendations are submitted to the Assembly consisting of designated Delegates from food regulatory agencies representing 50 states, 6 territories, and the District of Columbia. Each state has one vote, which may be divided equally in states with multiple food regulatory programs, while the 6 territories and the District of Columbia each have ½ vote. The Assembly convenes on the last day of the biennial meeting. The Assembly may accept or reject a Council's recommendation on each Issue; the Assembly may not edit a Council's recommendation.

Learn About the Councils

Council I - Laws and Regulations

Council I - Laws and Regulations

Council I - Laws and Regulations - 2023, Chaired (proxy) by Todd Rossow (Publix) and Vice Chair Rodney Blanchard (Michigan Dept of Agriculture)

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD ISSUES AND ATTACHMENTS AS SUBMITTED AT THE 2023 BIENNIAL MEETING

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Council II - Administration, Education and Certification

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD COUNCIL ISSUES AND ATTACHMENTS AS SUBMITTED AT THE 2023 BIENNIAL MEETING

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Council III - Science and Technology

Council III - Science and Technology

Council III - Science and Technology - 2018, chaired by Dr. Donald Schaffner (Rutgers University) and Vice Chair Dr. Chip Manuel (GOJO Industries)

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD ISSUES AND ATTACHMENTS AS SUBMITTED AT THE 2023 BIENNIAL MEETING

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