TheAmerican Culinary Federation, Inc., a professional, not-for-profit organization for chefs, was founded in 1929 in New York City by three chefs' organizations: the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique, The Vatel Club and The Chefs Association of America.

The principal goal of the founding chefs remains true to the ACF today - to promote a professional image of the American chef worldwide through education among culinarians at all levels, from apprentices to the most accomplished certified master chefs of the culinary arts.

Comprised of more than 25,000 members with over 300 individual ACF chapters throughout the United States and Caribbean, in addition to an ACF Army chapter in Frankfurt, Germany, the ACF is the largest and oldest organization dedicated to professional chefs in the USA today.