The Food Industries Association comprises approximately 150 members that represent this branch’s principal output in Israel.

It carries out varied activities, covering areas such as standards, legislation, foreign trade, local marketing, export, qualitycontrol, industrial data, individual attention to specific needs of plants, and other relative issues for promotion and development of this industry in Israel.

A 15-member Management Board, headed by its chairman, Mr. Ron Kobrovsky, guides the Association’s activities.

Following is a short summary of a number of recent developments within the Association that are typical of its activities.

• Supervision of manufacture and marketing of food products – Food Authority Law.
  Special attention is given to supervision of food manufacture and marketing. Responsibility for this supervision is divided among a number of bodies. This creates many problems, especially as supervision falls short in many cases.
  The proposed Food Authority Law was presented to the 15th Knesset. The Food Industries Association is working hard to ensure that this important proposal remains on the agenda of the 16th Knesset, in order that food supervision will be regulated by law.

• Ministry of Defense - Doing away with procurement
  We were happy tp inform members that an agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Defense and the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel – Food Industries Association and Textile and Fashion Industries Association - to regulate the use of US aid funds in procuring processed food products, and shoes and textile products.
  
  The agreement was signed in Janury 2003 in the presence of Mr. Oded Tyrah, MAI Chairman, Mr. Amos Yaron, Director General of the Ministry of Defense and MK Mr. David Tal. It marked the end of a process whereby the two professional associations pressed for a law that would oblige the Ministry of Defense, Israel Defense Forces, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Internal Security Ministry to purchase only Israeli-made food, shoes and apparel.
  
  Since the start of our activities, there has been a significant improvement in the Ministry of Defense’s procurement activities using US aid funds.

• A conference, Food in the New Era – 2005, took place in Tel Aviv in June 2005. Since the first conference of this kind held in 2001, the Food Industries Association has been the principal sponsor of this event. It was involved in the Organizing Committee and also in the conference’s Advisory and Production Committee.  The conference program and its wide range of sessions answered many needs, including those of directors, managers, technologists, quality control managers, people involved in sales and marketing, operations and logistics, etc. The conference was keenly attended by representatives of the food and auxiliary industries, many of them members of the Association.
  
  Participants reacted very positively to the conference, both as regards the level of organization and the agenda. The event, which received wide media coverage, created a new and innovative image of the food industry.