The International Food Information Service

Abstract

The International Food Information Service (IFIS) was founded in 1968. Its partners are organizations in the United States of America, in the United Kingdom, in the Netherlands and in the Federal Republic of Germany. This paper deals with the history and organization of IFIS and describes its main product in printed form, the Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA). Details concerning the division of labor are given: the English partner is responsible for collecting and editing, the German partner for data processing, photocomposition and printing. FSTA is implemented on host computers all over the world and is available on-line. IFIS is a good example of international cooperation and of the development of economically viable services. It is completely self-supporting after having been sponsored by the founding members during a starting period of three years.