a. to bring about an international teamwork of specialists engaged in the research on fat and fat products in the fields of general and agricultural chemistry, biology, food sciences, medicine, pharmacy, and technology;
b. to encourage the advancement of the chemistry and technology of oils, fats, their constituents and compounds, and all allied and associated products, and to promote research in these fields;
c. to increase and disseminate chemical, biological, and technological knowledge in the fat field by international meetings, discussions, publications, and other means; and
d. to promote professional training.

According to Professor Kaufmann’s idea, the ISF, with a minimum of organization and administration, should act as an international pool and forum for the collection and distribution of scientific and technological knowledge in the field of fats and oils; it would be an international body with members from countries all over the world. To achieve this, the Society organized periodical meetings where current issues in fat chemistry and science were discussed. These meetings were to be held every second year in different countries.

However, at the ISF Board meeting on April 18, 1991 in the Netherlands, there was agreement that the ISF was not strong enough and would not survive if it was not reorganized. Attendees were of the opinion that ISF had served the science and technology of fats and oils well but also felt that the ultimate potential of ISF had not been achieved.

The meeting attendees, who represented Germany, the U.S., and the Netherlands, came unanimously to the conclusion that we should continue with the ISF and as a start, three steps should be taken:
• Write a mission statement defining ISF’s unique international role.
• Set up an organizational structure which would allow an efficient pursuit of that mission.
• Secure a strong and professional secretariat.

Consequently, a constitution was set up with the following mission statement:
The mission of the ISF is to provide for the international exchange of information about fats, oils, and related materials and products by organizing periodic ISF World Congresses on fat science and technology, by stimulating and supporting occasional international symposia or courses covering limited areas within the field of fat research and technology, and by encouraging the development of related national and/or multinational regional associations.

As far as the organization is concerned, membership under the new constitution is–contrary to the past where it consisted of participants of ISF Congresses–now held by oils and fats associations be they international, national or regional. In addition, there is now a professional ISF secretariat managed by an Executive Director and housed at the AOCS headquarters in Champaign, Illinois, USA.

This was all adopted at the Board Meeting on May 11, 1992 in Toronto, where ISF formally became a federation of fats and oils associations around the world.

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 May 2005 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” will be held in 2007 during the 98 th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo. The second offering of the “ISF Lectureship Series” will occur during the 2009 meeting of the Australian Oilseed Federation.