IDFA and other food industry representatives from around the world traveled to Paris last week to attend SIAL, a major, every-other-year food trade show that attracts some 145,000 visitors. IDFA also attended meetings with members of the Cheese Importers Association of America, the European Dairy Association and CNEIL, the association representing the French dairy industry.

During the events, which ran October 21 to 25, CNEIL hosted an elegant dinner featuring a course of French cheese at Hotel National des Invalides, an extraordinary structure built under the reign of King Louis XIV. The dinner was held in the Grand Salon, the former Council room of the Invalides. Connie Tipton, president and CEO of IDFA, represented the U.S. dairy industry at the dinner.

This past June, IDFA hosted a delegation of French processors and producers, sharing information about domestic and global industry trends, as well as IDFA's position on U.S. dairy reform. Read more here.

Visit SIAL 2012 for more information.