Registration is open for the 130^th Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) Annual Educational Conference (AEC), scheduled for June 5–9, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.

AFDO’s flagship AEC brings together leading regulators, industry professionals, academics, and consumer advocates. The event offers curated sessions across three tracks—manufactured food safety, retail food safety, and produce safety—expert-driven insights, and hands-on learning.

Early Bird rates are available to those who register by April 15, offering a $100 discount. AFDO members receive an additional discount.

Early agenda previews include:

• “FSMA @ 15”—Learn about 15 years of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) from people who were involved in its development and passage
• “Food Safety: From Gen Z to Alpha”—Glean insights into the Gen Z workforce, the rise of Gen Alpha, and the impact the next generations could have on food safety
• “Data & AI in Food Safety” Pre-Conference Workshop—Explore how data and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming food safety in a full-day workshop focused on strategies for industry and regulatory professionals
• “Driving Food Safety Culture Together”—Explore the critical role regulators play in fostering food safety culture and how they can work with industry professionals to embed robust culture into everyday practices

Additional program topics are expected to include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), norovirus, de-escalation, cottage food laws, and others.

The program also includes a special first-time attendee session designed to help newcomers navigate the conference and maximize their experience.

A draft agenda can be viewed here and registration can be accessed here.