The International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF, the Commission) was formed in 1962 through the action of the International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene, a committee of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). Through the IUMS, the ICMSF is linked to the International Union of Biological Societies (IUBS) and to the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.