About Us > Governance

NCFST is structured as a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN) and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Industry members are encouraged to become members of the Center and to participate in the collaborative research program.

Governance and policy are determined by an Executive Advisory Board composed of FDA, academic and industry members.
The Technical Advisory Committee reviews research proposals and sets research priorities.

The TAC is composed of representatives from industry and FDA. Day to day management is supplied by the Center Director, Dr. Martin Cole. Staffing at NCFST includes food scientists from IIT, member food companies, and the Food and Drug Administration Division of Food Processing and Packaging. These researchers are experienced in the disciplines that affect food safety and quality, including food science and technology, food process engineering, biotechnology, chemistry, chemical engineering, packaging, microbiology, nutrition, and polymer chemistry. In addition, visiting experts from member companies and other universities enrich the pool of available staff.

NCFST’s science program is managed through platforms, processing & packaging, microbiology, chemical contaminants and allergens, and food defense.

The National Center for Food Safety and Technology is located at IIT's (Illinois Institute of Technology) Moffett Campus in the near west suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Facilities at the campus include several buildings which house offices, the library, research laboratories and pilot plants. The Moffett Campus site was donated to IIT by CPC International Inc. in 1988.