The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) has postponed its 7th High-Throughput Sequencing Symposium and entire genome sequence analyzes workshop, originally set on 20-21 May in Chicago.
Behzad Imanian, Ph.D., IFSH High-Throughput Sequencing Initiative Leader, announced the decision, pointing to uncertainties such as travel and presence limitations, task instability for federal agencies colleagues and in particular low registration numbers. The events will be again planned for late fall this year or spring 2026.
The symposium was ready to promote discussions about high-throughput sequencing technology, a cornerstone for modernizing food safety systems. Experts of the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Service Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA, the Academic World and the Industry were planned to explore innovations, legal obstacles and applications, such as detecting patrogen’s resistance. Organizers expected network and panel discussions on the evolving role of technology in protecting food supplies.
The delay reflects broader challenges for food safety initiatives, including budget restrictions that influence federal agencies, according to the organizers of the event. In recent years, growing concern about financing cutbacks on programs such as the FDAs Food Safety Division, which depends on stable means to stimulate research, inspections and outbreak reactions. Reduced personnel and travel budgets have tense collaborations that are essential for events such as the IFSH Symposium, which limits the participation of both government scientists and stakeholders in industry.
Imanian expressed disappointment but again confirmed the dedication of IFSH to resume the symposium when the circumstances improve. The delay emphasizes the wrinkle effects of shortages of resources on critical food safety developments, which underlines the need for persistent investments to protect public health, he said.
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