The International Society for Fat Research

ISF organizes international congresses on fats and oils, with each congress headed by an internationally known scientist or technologist who acts as president of ISF until the following congress. Although all of the Congresses have been scientifically successful, several have been adversely influenced by political situations.

1983
The Congress in Budapest was originally scheduled for Gdansk, but had to be moved late in the planning because of labor strikes in Poland.

1985
ISF meeting in New Delhi had to be suddenly postponed only hours before it opened because of the assassination of India's Prime Minister.

1991
The Congress was organized in The Hague but the Gulf War intervened. After the outbreak of the war, registration stopped completely. Many companies issued travel restrictions and as a result, speakers canceled their contributions. Under these circumstances there was no other option than to cancel the Congress. This event eventually led to the restructuring of ISF to what it is today.

2001
The Congress was hindered once again--this time by terrorist attacks in the United States just four days prior to the beginning. All air travel into and out of the U.S. was halted in the wake of the attacks. The local organizing committee, with additional help from the Secretariat via telephone, assumed on-site management of the Congress and did an outstanding job of presenting the program to the delegates. Because of its leadership, the Congress was able to proceed as planned.

2005
Recognizing the increasing number of congresses pertaining to professionals involved in the science of fats, oils, and lipids, the ISF Board of Directors decided in to discontinue sponsorship of its own Congress and offer plenary lectures at a regularly scheduled meeting of one of its member organizations. Still offered on a biannual basis, the inaugural offering of the “ISF Lectureship Series” was held in 2007 during the 98th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo.

2011
The 2011 JOCS World Congress on Oleo Science was scheduled to be the site of the 2011 ISF Lectureship Series. However, JOCS leaders decided to postpone their meeting (and the ISF Lectures) to 2012 because of the devastation resulting from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.