History of the American Culinary Federation

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Founded in 1929, the American Culinary Federation is the largest and most prestigious chefs organization in America. The principal goal of the founding chefs remains true to ACF today—to promote the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education among culinarians at all levels, from apprentices to the most accomplished certified master chefs.
ACF is the pioneer responsible for elevating the position of executive chef from service status to the professional category in the U.S. Department of Labor's Dictionary of Official Titles in 1976. Continuing its efforts to elevate the stature of professional culinarians, ACF also operates the only comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF awards five levels of certification to cooks, chefs, educators, pastry cooks and pastry chefs after a comprehensive evaluation of industry experience, professional education and culinary skills.
In addition to the many professional development opportunities that membership in the ACF provides, including networking, camaraderie, seminars, training and events, members also receive ACF's official monthly publications, The National Culinary Review and Center of the Plate, which keep them abreast of the ever-changing culinary industry. ACF also shares ideas through videos, cookbooks, and technique manuals such as The Art and Science of Culinary Preparation, the 600-page standard reference book of the culinary industry. Every member of ACF is also enrolled in the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS), a global association of millions of chefs and cooks who live and work in 54 nations on five continents. ACF serves as the representative organization for the United States.