2000 Walter F. Snyder Award Recipient.

Dr. Friedrich K. Kaferstein

At the close of World War II, surrounded by destruction and deprivation, Dr. Kaferstein had childhood experiences that helped shape his internationalist views and his deep commitment to humanity.

In recognizing Dr. Friedrich (Fritz) K. Kaferstein as the recipient of the 2000 Walter F. Snyder Award, we honor a man who has championed food safety in developed and developing countries. He is a man who has had remarkable success in convincing health authorities that food safety is an essential public health service that all governments are expected to provide to ensure the health of their citizens.

Dr. Kaferstein studied at veterinary schools in Giessen and Berlin, Germany, receiving his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1964 from the University of Giessen. While attending the University, he worked as a research assistant for the Veterinary Faculty and submitted his thesis on the identification and significance of the presence of antibiotic residues in meat.

From 1968 to 1972, he served as a Supervising Veterinarian in the meat industry for the New Zealand Department of Agriculture to modernize their meat inspection services.

Returning to Germany in 1972, Kaferstein joined the German Health Office, first as Chief of the Food Safety Unit in the Robert-von-Ostertag-Institut and later as Director of the Center for Monitoring and Health Evaluation of Environmental Chemicals in Food. In acknowledgement of his expertise in food safety, he was called upon to direct the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Food Contamination Monitoring, at which time he worked closely with various other groups in WHO.

In 1980, Dr. Kaferstein's 18-year career with WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, began when he accepted the position as manager of the newly established Food Safety Programme. His initial challenge was to overcome preconceived notions and misconceptions about food safety and foodborne diseases in the minds of public health authorities within WHO and the world.

"Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of food safety," states a colleague, "he gathered a motivated staff of professionals in different disciplines, including veterinary medicine, food science and technology, food chemistry, food microbiology, nutrition and medicine. This way, [he] gave a signal to the world of the importance of intersectoral collaboration for achieving food safety objectives."

As leader of this team,

* He convened the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Safety in 1983. The report of this committee is regarded both nationally and internationally as one of the most important policy documents in the area of food safety.

* He emphasized the importance of education of consumers and food handlers for the prevention of foodborne diseases by developing a long list of educational and training materials, including one of the most well known, WHO Golden Rules for Safe Food Preparation.

* He promoted the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept, facilitating its implementation in the food industry, making WHO a leader in the promotion of the HACCP system.

* He promoted the technology and acceptance of food irradiation for the prevention of foodborne diseases such as salmonellosis, E. coli infections, and foodborne parasitic diseases.

* He developed strategies to assess the safety of biotechnology-produced foods.

During his tenure with WHO, Dr. Kaferstein served as WHO Joint Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. He guided the Commission with respect to the health and safety requirements embodied in the Codex standards and guidelines, which gained the recognition of the World Trade Organization. He was instrumental in strengthening the Codex policies and procedures to place greater emphasis on sound scientific risk analysis. As a result, many countries have amended their national legislation to the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. To further support his work, he has encouraged the establishment of databases on the epidemiology of foodborne diseases and chemical contaminants in the food supply. "Dr. Kaferstein was one of the first advocates of food safety as a shared responsibility among governments, industry and consumers," writes a WHO colleague. "He strengthened the collaboration of the WHO Food Safety Programme with non-government organizations (NGOs), including consumer organizations and industry associations, such as the Industry Council of Development and International Life Sciences Institute, in a sustainable and balanced manner. The collaboration that he developed with industry is considered a model for other WHO programmes."

Retiring as the Director of WHO's Programme of Food Safety and Food Aid in 1998, Dr. Kaferstein left behind a solid record of achievement in public health that both inspires and instructs.

Currently, Dr. Kaferstein is a Distinguished Visiting Scientist for the Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the United States. He also is an adjunct fellow at the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at Georgetown University and lectures on food safety at the School of Public Health at Yale University.

Dr. Kaferstein has published numerous articles, papers, and reports, and has made as many invited presentations and lectures. His dedication has brought him well-earned recognition for his work. His awards include: R.E. Engel Award for outstanding contribution and dedication to food irradiation, invited lecturer at the Ivan Parkin Lecture of the annual meeting of the International Association of Food Protection (formerly IAMFES), and Honorary Diplomat of the American Veterinary Epidemiological Society; he is also a Founding Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology.

Although food safety has a long way to go to be formally integrated into public health programs of developing countries, Dr. Kaferstein has paved the way for his successors to continue his work and to meet public health challenges going forward. His integrity and compassion is an inspiration to his colleagues, as well as those in public health and the food industry. He truly fulfills the qualifications of an individual who has upheld a commitment to environmental health as subscribed to by the award's namesake.