FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EpiX Analytics – Recipient of the 2026 IAFP Food Safety Innovation Award
FORT COLLINS, CO. (May 12, 2026) – EpiX Analytics has been named the recipient of the 2026 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Food Safety Innovation Award recognizing a transformative approach to controlling Salmonella that improves public health while minimizing unnecessary product loss. The award will be presented at the IAFP Annual Meeting and includes a personalized plaque and a $2,500 honorarium.
This award honors an individual or organization that has created a new idea, practice, or product with a measurable positive impact on food safety, public health, and quality of life.
“The selection committee was very impressed with EpiX Analytics’ quantitative modeling system integrating genomics and epidemiological data for controlling Salmonella in food supported by peer-reviewed publication scores” wrote IAFP Executive Director Lisa Garcia.
The EpiX Analytics approach integrates whole‑genome sequencing, epidemiological evidence, artificial intelligence, and quantitative microbial risk assessment to identify Salmonella strains that pose the greatest risk to human health. By directly linking genomic virulence traits to quantitative human health outcomes and food production data, the system enables targeted, risk‑based control strategies.
“What sets this work apart is the ability to connect genomics to real‑world public health outcomes,” said Dr. Francisco Zagmutt, President. “This allows food safety efforts to focus on the highest‑risk strains, maximizing public health benefit while minimizing unnecessary product diversion and food waste.”
In peer‑reviewed studies, EpiX Analytics demonstrated that virulence‑targeted microbiological criteria could reduce salmonellosis cases by up to 75% while reducing product diversion nearly nine‑fold compared with non‑targeted criteria. The innovation enables more cost‑effective food safety standards, highly accurate diagnostic tools, and performance benchmarking at the facility and company levels.
The approach has already influenced U.S. regulatory risk assessments and proposed poultry policy, and continues to gain adoption across industry, academia, and government.
Through this work, EpiX Analytics delivers a data‑driven, AI‑enabled modeling framework that supports safer, smarter, and more sustainable food safety systems.
About EpiX Analytics
EpiX Analytics is an independent risk and decision analytics firm specializing in epidemiology and advanced modeling across human health, animal health, and food systems. The company develops evidence‑based tools to support public health protection, regulatory decision‑making, and industry performance improvement.
