Companies or other organisations interested in becoming full or associate members of ICD should contact the Secretary General :

Full membership is open to all companies in the food and allied industries and is subject to the approval of the ICD Board. Companies in full membership are entitled to appoint a member to the ICD Board. The Board of ICD determines the organisation's strategy and programmes. All members of the ICD Board have equal voting rights in all decisions taken by the ICD Board. Companies in full membership pay an annual membership fee (agreed by the Board) which is intended to cover the organisation's administrative costs and the costs of certain core programmes agreed by the Board. Currently, the core programmes relate to food safety and drinking water quality and safety. Companies in full membership may also contribute towards the cost of certain optional programmes agreed by the Board, these currently include including a project relating to diet and health. Companies in full membership may also provide non-financial support to core activities including expertise and project management.

Associate membership is open to any organisation the aims of which are in line with those of ICD. Organisations in associate membership may send a representative to participate in meetings of the ICD Board but these representatives are not entitled to vote. The contribution to ICD's activities by organisations in associate membership may vary depending on the organisation and the activity; contributions may be financial or may be by the provision of expertise or facilities or other non-financial contribution. Contributions by associate members may be at a local or international level.