UK Federation for Food Science & Technology (UKFFoST)   

In the UK, apart from IFST which is wholly and solely concerned with food in all its aspects and disciplines, there are numerous interested bodies; some wholly concerned with a particular food sector, or with a particular discipline applied to food; and some having non-food as well as food interests.

That being so, there is a self-evident need for some machinery whereby they can:

• jointly represent UK food science and technology in the international field.
• meet to discuss issues and problems of common interest;
• pool information on their events, which can be distributed by the bodies to their members;

   

• by agreement, jointly pursue matters more appropriate for joint than separate action by individual bodies;

   

IUFoST permits only one adhering body representing each nation, and where several bodies exist, encourages the formation of a federal committee representing those bodies to be the national adhering body. This provided the catalyst for the establishment, in 1963, of the UK Committee (subsequently Council, and now Federation) for Food Science & Technology.

IFST played a major part in bringing UKFFoST into being, and has played a very active leading part in its progress and activities.

In its external role, UKFFoST has been responsible for the appointment of the UK delegations to the IUFoST General Assembly, and, in recent years, liaising with the Royal Society in connection with IUFoST. It established and administers the John Coppock Memorial Fund to provide scholarships to assist young food scientists to attend the World Congresses.

In 1994, in memory of the late Professor John Hawthorn, one of the most distinguished of UK food scientists and technologists, UKFFoST inaugurated the John Hawthorn Memorial Award, to be awarded, after each World Congress, to the young scientist/technologist attending the Congress with UKFFoST sponsorship and presenting the best written account of what had been learned from the Congress.

In its role within the UK, UKFFoST has been careful not to compete with, and not to usurp the role or functions of, any of its constituent societies, which retain complete independence to pursue their respective policies and activities.

The Federation's main activities are

• to organise UK participation in IUFoST and EFFoST events and activities;
• to liaise with the Royal Society of London in paying the UK annual dues to IUFoST,
• to issue Newsletters for the members of constituent societies;
• to provide a means of presenting considered recommendations and advice on food science and technology matters of national concern.

Expressing to the Government and quasi-governmental bodies the views of the food science and technology community on the national organisation and funding of food research has been seen to be clearly 'more amenable to joint than separate action by individual bodies', and UKFFoST has done so on several occasions.

Current UKFFoST Officers are:

Chairman: Prof J Ralph Blanchfield, MBE  jralphb@easynet.co.uk

Hon Secretary: Dr David A Rosie  davidandjudith.rosie@btinternet.com

Hon Treasurer: Mr Hugh W Symons  SamJum@aol.com

Immediate Past Chairman: Prof Geoffrey Campbell-Platt  geoffrey@campbell-platt.co.uk