About the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH)

Established in 2011, the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a world-class food science research institute that produces knowledge-based outcomes in the areas of food safety, food defense, and nutrition for stakeholders in government, industry, and academia. IFSH’s collaborative research model facilitates innovation in the food industry through the assessment and validation of new and novel food safety and preservation technologies, processing and packaging systems, microbiological and chemical methods, health promoting food components, and risk management strategies. IFSH has been listed as a top think tank for Food Security issues in the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report.

Located in Bedford Park, Ill., IFSH builds on and expands the vital work of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST), a unique research consortium of IIT, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the food industry. For more than 20 years, the center has provided a collaborative environment where scientists from industry, academia, and government pool their scientific expertise and institutional perspectives to ensure the production of safe, wholesome foods.

Benefits to IFSH Stakeholders

IFSH stakeholders tap into a unique research synergy that spurs innovation and empowers industry and regulatory agencies to achieve food protection and healthy food goals. As the nation’s only food science institute where scientists from an entire FDA Division are co-located onsite, and where members have access to advanced capabilities, such as the Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) biocontainment space—the only working facility of its kind in the U.S. where researchers can study the behavior of pathogens in real-world food processing conditions—IFSH offers an uncommon research environment that produces solutions based on commonsense science.

IFSH’s research staff of more than 100 microbiologists, chemists, biochemists, processing and packaging engineers, virologists, and nutrition scientists assist regulatory and industry stakeholders with a broad spectrum of science-based solutions utilizing state-of-the-art facilities.

For more information on how IFSH benefits its stakeholders, see our Members and Prospective Members Page