Feb. 17, 2026, College Park, MD

JIFSAN-CFS3 Advisory Council and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened at FDA’s Harvey W. Wiley Building in College Park, Maryland for a forward-looking discussion on the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety and nutrition. The meeting reflected growing momentum around this topic. Following a series of well-attended webinars on AI, the Institute is planning on a larger conference scheduled for October 2026, an event expected to bring together regulators, researchers, and industry leaders. Additional details will be shared in the coming months.

The session opened with keynote remarks from Rear Admiral Dr. Kis Robertson Hale, Director of the Office of Laboratory Operations and Applied Science, and Dr. Steven Musser, Associate Commissioner for Human Foods Research and Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Immediate Office Human Foods Program.

Participants engaged in interactive sessions moderated by Dr. Kevin Boyd of The Hershey Company and Chair of the JIFSAN-CFS3 Advisory Council. These discussions helped shape the agenda for the upcoming fall conference by identifying priority topics, potential speakers, and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

The meeting concluded with Dr. Jianghong Meng, Director of JIFSAN-CFS3, who provided an update on the Institute’s 2024-2025 activities and accomplishments.