International Federation of Competitive Eating
Encyclopedia
The International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. (IFOCE) is an organization that supervises and regulates eating contests across the globe, acting as a central resource for the sport. Top events include the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
, La Costena
"Feel the Heat" Jalapeno Eating Challenge, and the Krystal Square Off
World Hamburger Eating Championship. The IFOCE was founded in 1997 by brothers George and Richard Shea.
The IFOCE counts thousands of competitors in its league, including top-ranked eaters such as Joey Chestnut
of California, Sonya Thomas
of Virginia and "Notorious B.O.B." Bob Shoudt of Philadelphia. The IFOCE currently is in a dispute with Takeru Kobayashi
of Japan over whether competitors may also participate in contests not sanctioned by the IFOCE. The IFOCE develops, promotes and runs more than one hundred events in all variety of venues during its annual circuit.
The organization also produces television shows on competitive eating
. In 2002, IFOCE produced Glutton Bowl
, a two-hour eating event on the Fox Network. In 2007 the IFOCE produced four one-hour programs for Spike TV under the title Chowdown. In 2006, the IFOCE produced three hours of programming on ESPN
, including a one-hour live show on the 2005 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest and one-hour shows on the Johnsonville Foods
Bratwurst
contest and the Krystal Hamburger contest. The Alka-Seltzer
U.S. Open of Competitive eating, a three-hour elimination tournament was a 2005 IFOCE production. In addition, the IFOCE produced four 30-minute shows under the title of Tour de Gorge and six 30-minute shows titled Eats of Strength for INHD
.
IFOCE changed its name to Major League Eating
(MLE) in the early 2000s.
and operates in the United States
, Japan
, the United Kingdom
, Germany
, Canada
and Thailand
. The Discovery Channel
, Travel Channel
, the TV Food Network and the UK’s Channel Four have also aired one-hour documentaries on eating and the IFOCE and Fox Television aired a two-hour IFOCE championship.
The IFOCE maintains a ranking system for competitions it has sanctioned. IFOCE safety measures ensure that all sanctioned matches occur in a controlled environment under the supervision of a licensed emergency medical technician and that only individuals over the age of eighteen compete.
. The belt was rediscovered by IFOCE member Mike DeVito
in 1993 after being lost for more than two decades in Japan. DeVito received the belt after winning an eating match against Japan's Orio Ito. The belt was restored by the Shea brothers and is now renowned in the competitive eating world. It was previously held by Takeru Kobayashi
from 2001 to 2007 but as of 2010 is held by Joey Chestnut
.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American competitive-eating competition, which is run as a publicity gathering event by Shea Communications. It is held each July 4 at Nathan's Famous Corporation's original, and best-known restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in...
, La Costena
La Costeña (food company)
Conservas La Costeña, usually called La Costeña, is a Mexican brand dedicated to the canned products market. It was founded in 1923 by Vicente López Recines. The company has become an important brand inside and outside Mexico. Nowadays, La Costeña sells its products in almost all the Mexican...
"Feel the Heat" Jalapeno Eating Challenge, and the Krystal Square Off
Krystal Square Off
The Krystal Square Off was the official World Hamburger Eating Championship, taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee and as sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating...
World Hamburger Eating Championship. The IFOCE was founded in 1997 by brothers George and Richard Shea.
The IFOCE counts thousands of competitors in its league, including top-ranked eaters such as Joey Chestnut
Joey Chestnut
Joseph Christian "Jaws" Chestnut is an American competitive eater. The , engineering student is currently ranked first in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating...
of California, Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas , also known by her nickname The Black Widow, is a top-ranked Korean-born American competitive eater from Alexandria, Virginia. Thomas joined the International Federation of Competitive Eating in 2003 and quickly rose to the top of the ranks, beating competitive eaters such as Ed...
of Virginia and "Notorious B.O.B." Bob Shoudt of Philadelphia. The IFOCE currently is in a dispute with Takeru Kobayashi
Takeru Kobayashi
is a Japanese competitive eater. He held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and holds several other eating records, including four Guinness Records for hot dogs, meatballs, hamburgers, and pasta....
of Japan over whether competitors may also participate in contests not sanctioned by the IFOCE. The IFOCE develops, promotes and runs more than one hundred events in all variety of venues during its annual circuit.
The organization also produces television shows on competitive eating
Competitive eating
Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to consume large quantities of food in a short time period. Contests are typically less than 15 minutes in length, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner...
. In 2002, IFOCE produced Glutton Bowl
Glutton Bowl
The Glutton Bowl was a two-hour Fox Network eating special in 2002 sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. The special, which was co-executive produced by Nash Entertainment and IFOCE co-founder Richard Shea, featured Mark Thompson and IFOCE co-founder George Shea as...
, a two-hour eating event on the Fox Network. In 2007 the IFOCE produced four one-hour programs for Spike TV under the title Chowdown. In 2006, the IFOCE produced three hours of programming on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, including a one-hour live show on the 2005 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest and one-hour shows on the Johnsonville Foods
Johnsonville Foods
Johnsonville Sausage is a Wisconsin-based sausage producer, founded in 1945 by Ralph F. & Alice Stayer. Johnsonville Sausage produces various varieties of sausage including fresh bratwurst, Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links...
Bratwurst
Bratwurst
A bratwurst is a sausage usually composed of veal, pork or beef. The plural in German is Bratwürste....
contest and the Krystal Hamburger contest. The Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company. It was developed by Treneer in Elkhart Indiana. Alka-Seltzer is marketed for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers,...
U.S. Open of Competitive eating, a three-hour elimination tournament was a 2005 IFOCE production. In addition, the IFOCE produced four 30-minute shows under the title of Tour de Gorge and six 30-minute shows titled Eats of Strength for INHD
INHD
MOJO HD is an American VOD television channel, owned by iN Demand Networks. As a linear television channel, it replaced INHD on May 1, 2007. iN Demand, the owner of MOJO HD, canceled its MOJO HD regularly scheduled programming on December 1, 2008, but will continue to provide On Demand programs.-...
.
IFOCE changed its name to Major League Eating
Major League Eating
Major League Eating is a franchise that sanctions professional competitive eating events and competitive eating television specials. The purported mission of Major League Eating is to maintain a safe environment for all events, while also seeking to create a dynamic and enjoyable fan experience...
(MLE) in the early 2000s.
Worldwide branches
The IFOCE maintains principal offices in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and operates in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
, the TV Food Network and the UK’s Channel Four have also aired one-hour documentaries on eating and the IFOCE and Fox Television aired a two-hour IFOCE championship.
The IFOCE maintains a ranking system for competitions it has sanctioned. IFOCE safety measures ensure that all sanctioned matches occur in a controlled environment under the supervision of a licensed emergency medical technician and that only individuals over the age of eighteen compete.
Mustard Yellow Belt
The Mustard Yellow Belt is the organization's signature championship beltChampionship belt
A championship belt is a large, extravagantly designed belt used primarily in combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling to signify the champions of the promotion or company, much like a cup or trophy in other sports...
. The belt was rediscovered by IFOCE member Mike DeVito
Michael DeVito
Michael "The Scholar" DeVito is a competitive eater and hot dog eating champion, and three-time winner of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, in 1990, 1993 and 1994. DeVito is 6 feet 2 inches and weighs just over 200 pounds...
in 1993 after being lost for more than two decades in Japan. DeVito received the belt after winning an eating match against Japan's Orio Ito. The belt was restored by the Shea brothers and is now renowned in the competitive eating world. It was previously held by Takeru Kobayashi
Takeru Kobayashi
is a Japanese competitive eater. He held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and holds several other eating records, including four Guinness Records for hot dogs, meatballs, hamburgers, and pasta....
from 2001 to 2007 but as of 2010 is held by Joey Chestnut
Joey Chestnut
Joseph Christian "Jaws" Chestnut is an American competitive eater. The , engineering student is currently ranked first in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating...
.