Newsline - iufost.orgiufost.org/publications/newsline/Newsline66.pdf · 2 | IUFoST Newsline —...

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008Number 66, ISSN 0159-4419

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In this issueThe Competitive Edge - IUFoST/Polish Academy of Sciences join FiCEE ..........................3Ecosystem Approach to Water Management, Asia and the Pacific.................................7Small and Medium-scale business in Sub-Saharan Africa........11Join us - SSA Distance Education Coordinators needed .......14ALACCTA, EFFoST, ISFE in focus ......16

NewslineINTERNATIONAL UNION OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGy

Launch of the WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Group (FERG)Report by Geoffrey Campbell-Platt, IUFoST President Elect

On behalf of IUFoST as a stakeholder, I attended the opening day of this newly established Group at the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on 26 November 2007.

This Working Group has been established, for a 5-year period, after an ini-tial meeting in September 2006, and publication recommending the establishment of FERG (www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/foodborne_disease/burden_sept06/en). Its importance is in helping deliver the internationally-agreed Millennium Development Goals, focusing on the need to reduce the debilitating effects of foodborne disease, limiting human wellbeing, potential and life worldwide, and particularly constraining successful eco-nomic development of devel-oping countries. It is difficult to address the real needs and critical points for successful development, when the baseline reference data is inadequate or missing altogether. The Group recommended that the burden of foodborne disease estimates should be measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), which although having limitations, form a common currency usage for Burden of Disease estimates, and cost estimates of economic impact.

This launch meeting of the Group, of some 30 experts from around the world, was chaired ably by Dr Arie Havelaar, of RIVM Bilthoven, Netherlands, and well-organized by Dr Claudia Stein of the WHO Secretariat in Geneva, and includes one of our own International Academy Fellows, Dr John Pitt, from CSIRO, Australia. FERG has decided to address the 3 areas of Foodborne disease: Enteric pathogenic microor-ganisms, parasitic infections, and chemical intoxications. The Group split into 3 sub-groups to address each area, and to identify needs for research and data in each.

We, IUFoST, with the other stakeholders present, the International Life Sciences Institute, ILSI, the International Federation for Animal Health, IFAH, and the con-sumer organization, Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI, were invited to present profiles of our organizations, and explain how we could interact and partner this initiative. IUFoST could offer expertise through our Academy Fellows, our Information Bulletins, and opportunities for associated meetings at our World Congresses, as well as through World of Food Science and our other recognised publi-cations. All these opportunities for partnership and progress were welcomed.

We intend to participate in future stakeholder meetings through 2008, and hope to see the mutual benefits of working together with the WHO expert scientific FERG group. This could provide a useful model for other areas of partnerships, where greater world benefits can be achieved together with others beyond our IUFoST membership.

2 | IUFoST Newsline — February/March 2008

BOOK REVIEW

Sustainable Development at Risk Ignoring the PastJoseph H. Hulse ISBN No 9788175965218

by Robert D. Reichert, Industrial Research Assistance Program, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada

This book is about sustain-able development in the con-text of improving the plight of

third world nations, i.e. the main challenge being to alleviate extreme poverty while protecting the environment and con-serving critical resources. Considering that most developed nations are currently on a path of unsustainable development, and considering that these are the same nations that are the major aid donors, third world nations are clearly at risk of also creating patterns of unsustainable development. The author even suggests that nations such as India can likely provide more productive and appropriate assistance to poor nations than affluent donor governments. This book is very timely in the context of a deteriorating planet and the world’s pursuit of sustainable development.

The author is highly qualified to present a balanced per-spective on this subject. Prof. Hulse has worked in the private sector as a Director of Research, in government as the Vice President of a major aid organization, and now in academia. Currently, he is a Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester, the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, India, and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu, India. His primary challenge to development agencies seeking to bring about beneficial change reflects his own management style, i.e. to first thoroughly ana-lyze and understand what already exists and then to define quantifiable objectives and criteria of assessment.

Today, there are many difficulties in trying to bring about sustainable development including: the inexorable growth of an already large population; the ethical dilemma where the rich do not want to share with the poor, and do not consider they have any responsibility to the latter; the driving forces of glob-ablization, the market economy, consumerism, and the visibly increasing pressure on environmental life support systems.

The purpose of the book is to examine, in an historical context, sustainable development and the variant concepts that relate to:

international development: alleviation of poverty, dep-a) rivation, economic and social inequities, and what may inf luence future food and hygienic security for all humanity, industrial biotechnologies as they have evolved and are b) applied to agriculture, food production, preservation and distribution, and pharmaceutical diagnostics and therapeutics,concerns among civil society for their health and secu-c) rity in the light of exceptional innovations in agricul-tural and industrial biotechnologies, and the capacity of the planet’s environments and resources to with-stand increasing stresses imposed by human and industrial activities.

One of the major themes expressed in this book, is well-characterized by a quotation from “An Allegory of Prudence” by Titian and workshop: “From experience of the past the present acts prudently lest it despoil future action”. The text’s extensive review of international development activities since 1945 indicates that few development agencies maintain a comprehensive and reliable corporate memory, and that many administrators appear relatively unaware of what has gone before.

In the context of providing corporate memory, the text provides a critical review of the reports and recommen-dations of premier development agencies, charters, com-missions and conferences since World War II (e.g. the Atlantic Charter, World Bank development reports, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports, Pearson Commission report, Brandt Commission report, Brundtland Commission, etc.) and provides an excellent comparative prospective on their value. For example, the author questions whether the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as “the Earth Summit”, provided a forum for “talkers” rather than an opportunity for “doers”. In general the author is particularly critical of mam-moth international conferences, whose cost could have been more productively devoted to specific aid projects.

The book traces agricultural and urban development from ancient civilizations to modern mechanization and genetic modifications, a highly-useful historical perspective. Sustainable agriculture is well discussed in a major chapter covering 29 pages out of the 371 page treatise. Of note is the discussion of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) jointly launched by Unilever and Nestlé; now, through this initiative some 20 corporations collaboratively share general information about sustainable agriculture while each corpo-ration also pursues sustainable agriculture R & D independ-ently. The SAI encourages farming practices conservative of critical resources, protective of land, water, the environment,

Book Review — Sustainable Development at Risk

IUFoST Newsline — February/March 2008 | 3

safety and wholesomeness of all raw materials.Twenty-eight pages of case studies of successful, sustain-

able development projects are particularly useful but limited mostly to those involving the International Development Research Centre, one of the publishers of the book. One of these projects was the development of mechanical dehulling equipment which replaced the traditional mortar and pestle method of removing the outer layers of sorghum and millet. The equipment was designed by scientists and engineers at the National Research Council in Saskatoon, Canada on the basis of specific African needs provided by IDRC project officers. The latter acquired an understanding of these needs through personal experience in African villages and also through sys-tematic surveys. For the past 20 years, the dehulling equip-ment has been manufactured in Africa. This development was particularly important for African women because it freed up several hours per day. This enabled rural women to devote the liberated time to child care, the tending of kitchen gardens and the raising of poultry.

Sustainable development presents many ethical dilemmas and this is covered particularly well in this book. Mahatma Gandhi stated that “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”. Greed is often auctioned by developed nations in the form of aid that is tied to the pro-curement of goods and services from the donor country. The author strongly recommends that donors’ tied-aid policies give way to assistance that enables recipients to develop and adopt technologies and systems that are appropriate to their needs. Clearly, there is a continuing challenge to balance con-tinued economic growth, necessary for gainful employment, with reasonable restraint on consumption.

The scope of this book is ambitious and wide-ranging. It should especially appeal to policy makers who are charged with using taxpayer’s money to create programs that result in sustainable development in third world nations. In particular, newcomers to international, governmental and non-govern-mental aid programs will benefit by learning about what their predecessors have attempted to do in the past.

Editor’s note: The book includes some 200 literature references, a Glossary of Biotechnology and a comprehensive Index covering 23 pages. Foundation Books/IDRC 2007, e-ISBN 978-1-55250-368-3, 390 pp. (www.idrc.ca)

Professor Hulse is a Past President of IUFoST and inau-gural Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. Professor Hulse chairs the IUFoST Task Force on Integrated Food Systems. Volunteers from industry are invited to contact IUFoST regarding this task force’s work. Please use subject line Food Systems Task Force, [email protected].

Book Review — Sustainable Development at Risk

FiCEE/IUFoST Conference 23 - 24 April 2008 Warsaw International Expocentre, Poland

Opportunities and Challenges of Internationalism: The Competitive Edge

Opportunities and Challenges of Internationalism: The Competitive Edge brings together leading authorities on the major concerns and promises of today’s market and developing food issues. This FiCEE conference will highlight what the food industry must do to be competitive.

Supplements, Regulations and Green Packaging International authorities Prof. Z Karnicki, Z. Sikorski and Prof.

Krzysztof Krygier join their distinguished Polish colleagues to look at food safety issues, traceability and the trends in food supplements. Industry leaders include Dr. Michele Kellerhals, Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for Coca-Cola Europe who will present the challenges and necessary ingredients for success in a global supply market related to functional beverages. The latest in EU regulations affecting food industry is available from acknowledged expert in European Union Food Law, Dr. Moritz Hagenmeyer. Perspectives on Green Packaging, positions on Food Supplements and one to one discussion time with conference speakers are offered to FiCEE conference attendees.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear the issues, talk with industry leaders and get ahead of the competition. Join us for the FiCEE conference, Opportunities and Challenges of Internationalism: The Competitive Edge.

This international conference held in conjunction with the FiCEE exhibition is organized in cooperation with the Polish Academy of Sciences through the Polish National Committee to IUFoST and the International Union of Food Science and Technology ((IUFoST). We look forward to seeing you in Warsaw. For the complete programme and to register, please visit: http://cee2008.fi-events.com


CODEX Report

Bad Neuenhauer, Germany, November 2007

Report on The 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)Report by John Lupien, IAFoST

The CCNFSDU 29th session, chaired by Germany, met to consider a range of topics for the Codex Alimentarius Commission. These topics included a definition of dietary fiber, gluten-free foods, the scientific basis for health claims, risk analysis principles for nutrition and foods for special dietary uses, nutrient reference values for labeling purposes, production and processing standards regarding the nutritional quality and safety of foods, and the general principles for the addition of essential nutrients to foods.

The 29th session was attended by 278 delegates from 71 Codex member countries and the European Commission (EC) and 26 international non-governmental observer organiza-tions. The agenda and most background papers for the meeting are available on the Codex website, www.codexalimentarius.net. The report of the meeting adopted by attending Codex

member countries is also available on the Codex website.The 29th CCNFSDU made significant progress on

gluten-free foods, and on a list of nutrient compounds for use of foods for special dietary uses intended for infants and young children. Other issues made less progress, particularly on adoption of a definition of dietary fiber, and on food addi-tives to be used in infant formula products.

On dietary fiber, the CCNFSDU has been discussing the text of a proposed guideline definition for dietary fiber for about 15 years. After extensive discussions in previous CCNFSDU meetings a draft definition was finally moved to step 6 of the 8 step Codex procedure and was to be discussed at the 28th session held in Chiang Mai, Thailand in November 2006. In 2006, at the last moment, WHO introduced to the 28th session a Conference Room Document with a new WHO draft definition that was very restrictive stating that dietary fiber was “intrinsic plant wall polysaccharides”. The pur-pose of this definition, according to WHO, was to promote consumption of fruits, certain vegetables and whole grain cereals. The WHO text at the time made it clear that WHO did not consider any other natural or processed sources of dietary fiber to meet this definition. Because of the consid-erable differences between the Codex draft definition that was designed to include all substances shown by the totality of available fiber to be dietary fiber, and the more restrictive WHO draft definition introduced to the 28th session, discus-sion of the definition was put off until the 29th session.

During the period between the 28th and 29th sessions Codex member countries and international non-government organizations reviewed the different definitions and filed comments for consideration at the 29th session. While WHO had promised at the 28th session to publish the review papers considered by a secret and non-transparent meeting of selected experts early in 2007, this publication did not take place until a few days before the 29th session. This later publication of the WHO papers meant that Codex member countries did not have sufficient time to consider the WHO information.

Countries instead expressed concern about the late availability of the WHO review papers and the lack of time to review them prior to the 29th session. Accordingly, the Chairman, after encouraging Codex member countries to intervene without success, returned the draft Codex definition to Step 6 of the Codex procedure. This will delay any further discussion by one year, with member countries and observer organizations needing to again file comments and prepare for the 2008 discussions.

On gluten-free foods, there was extensive discussion on the draft standard that was considered at Step 6 of the Codex process. The standard was made final, setting a limit of 20 mg gluten per kilogram of foods that can be sold as “gluten-free”.

New Zealand

NZIFST NewsThe theme of last year’s annual conference held in Wellington, the

Capital of New Zealand. was “Food – the challenges.” New Zealand is one of the world’s major food producing countries.

Food exports far exceed domestic consumption, and trade in food is a major contributor to the country’s economy. Key markets for New Zealand food exports are in Asia, which presents a challenge to the industry, which is accustomed to producing for the European palate. Currently, the New Zealand dairy industry is thriving on the elevated prices for dairy products. However, Andrew Ferrier, CEO of our largest dairy company, Fonterra, cautioned against being complacent and identified the major challenges ahead. This was echoed by Rod Oram, a business journalist whose pri-mary message was to ‘de-commoditise yourselves’, if the good times for the food industry are to continue. He used examples of two companies that have faced challenges and showed what could be achieved in the way of international success. The companies are– Zespri who developed the gold kiwifruit, and Comvita, who have successfully marketed the unique properties of Manuka honey at ‘staggering premiums over the regular pot of honey’.

The 2008 NZIFST Conference will follow some of the themes that are of great concern today for food production – carbon footprints, sustaina-bility and the environment. Everyone is very welcome to join us in Rotorua, heart of the NZ thermal region the last week in June.


ICSU

The standard also provides a separate category for foods spe-cially processed to reduce gluten content to a level of 21-100 mg/kg, and labeling for these foods can be set at the national level, but cannot be labeled as “gluten-free”. The text of this standard was approved by the 29th session, and will be for-warded to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at the 2008 Commission session.

Similar progress was made at the 29th session on an Advisory List of Nutrient Compounds for Use in Foods for for Special Dietary Uses Intended for Infants and Young Children. This rather extensive list was discussed at step 6 of the Codex process. Some compounds were eliminated from the list, and one, acacia gum, was kept at step 6 for the submission of additional technical justification for use at 100 mg/kg in these products. With these amendments, the list was adopted by the 29th session, and will be forwarded to the Commission for final adoption (Step 8) at the 2008 Commission session.

Discussions were held at Step 3 on Draft Recommen-dations on the Scientif ic Basis for Health Claims; on Application of Risk Analysis Principles to CCNFSDU work; and on discussion papers on Proposals for Additional or Revised Nutrient Reference Values for Labeling Purposes; on Production and Processing Standards Regarding the Nutritional Quality and Safety of Foods, and on a Proposal for New Work to Amend the Codex General Principles of the Addition of Essential Nutrients. These discussions were on new draft documents prepared by several Codex member countries, for consideration by CCNFSDU. The 29th session decided no further work was needed on guidelines for pro-duction and processing standards for nutritional quality and safety of foods. More work will be done by the delegation of France on health claims, held at Step 3 of the Codex process, and on risk analysis, with the draft text moved forward to Step 5. These topics will be discussed at the 30th session of the CCNFSDU to be held in South Africa from November 3-7, 2008.

Interested members of IUFoST adhering bodies are encouraged to visit the Codex website to review documenta-tion on the 29th CCNFSDU meeting, especially those docu-ments related to dietary fiber.

IUFoST will continue to monitor this topic, and may submit comments to the CCNFSDU for consideration at the 2008 meeting. Comments from members of IUFoST adhering bodies sent to the IUFoST Secretariat in this regard will be most welcome.

Visit the Food Science Forum on the IUFoST website to comment on the dietary fibre issue. www.iufost.org/forum/

Global Scientific Challenges: Perspectives from Young ScientistsICSU International Conference 2007, Lindau, Germany

Excerpts from the Report by Enda Cummins

Global Scientific Challenges: Perspectives from Young Scientists, organized by The International Council for Science (ICSU) last year brought together 29 different scientific dis-ciplines, representing 71 countries. The topics for discussion came under a number of key themes: building bridges within the scientific community; building bridges between science and the world; working for the private sector and scientific freedom and responsibilities. Experiences, lessons learned and much debate from the 142 young scientists were key to making this conference a huge success.

Building bridges within the scientific communityAn inspiring presentation from Khotso Mokhele (ICSU

Vice President for Scientific Planning and Review) set the scene for this session with an emphasis on strengthening international science for the benefit of society. The ICSU vision put the conference into perspective with aspirations for “a world where science is used for the benefit of all, excel-lence in science is valued and scientific knowledge is effec-tively linked to policy-making. In such a world, universal and equitable access to scientific data and information is a reality and all countries have the scientific capacity to use these…”

International co-operationThere is a growing necessity for international co-oper-

ation in scientific observations, monitoring, research and assessment. Ravinder Bhatia provided an example of inter-national co-operation through the Scholarship Research Institute, providing a personal perspective on building inter-national scientific networks. This Scholarship programme involved teaching and research spanning the natural and social sciences. Science programs include an oceanography programme and a coastal environment programme with sev-eral research conferences. The programme includes capacity building workshops for the next generation of senior scientists, in partnership with the World Academy of Young Scientists and ICSU delegates. Lessons learned from the experience include the need to co-operate and not compete. Finding and working with the “gatekeepers” is also central to success. Emphasis needs to be placed on how co-operation helps all partners. Scientists need to demonstrate strong programmatic control, including project management and time management


while being sensitive to different ways of working between communities.

Public engagementEffective communication between the scientific com-

munity and the general public is critically important for providing society with a better understanding of scientific breakthroughs, challenges and controversies. However, effec-tive communication of ideas to society is problematic. Rehana Jauhangeer reported on the importance of science commu-nication and reminded us of the words of Francis Bacon: “Knowledge is power”. Science communication is domi-nated by two themes: it is important, and it is not done well. Scientists need to define their overall communication goal(s), identify target audiences, segment audiences and work out the relationships. Key messages for target audiences need to be decided upon. Identification of communication resources for the target audience is critical, for example, in press articles vs. radio. A scientist needs to choose communication tactics and to develop a communication strategy. This may include the targeted use of scientific journals, press/media, national and local papers, popular magazines, television and radio.

Scientific freedom and responsibilitiesScientific freedom requires the ability of scientists to

conduct research without external impositions, while also ensuring scientific research does not cause dangerous or det-rimental outcomes for society. Personal responsibility is a key issue in this. Alexis Vlandas highlighted the special position that scientists have enjoyed in many political systems. Due to their position in society and knowledge production, scientists have responsibilities toward society. Honesty is necessary for science to progress. How should we make the best use of this freedom? What are our responsibilities? Again the need to communicate and speak out as much as possible on issues that are of concern to society is a key responsibility. Scientists should try to make knowledge useful and available. There may be a large personal cost in speaking out. For example, in extreme circumstances, so-called “whistle-blowers” often lose everything when they try to highlight their concerns publicly. We must reduce this personal cost if we want more information to be available sooner.

The ICSU conference crossed disciplinary boundaries and made for some interesting discussion and debate. Central to the debate was the need to co-operate and not compete with other scientists, while recognizing that difficulties remain, particularly in terms of funding and asymmetry in resources and infrastructure between countries. Funding agencies are now focusing on the explicit return on investment to society; hence increased emphasis is being placed on international

and interdisciplinary collaboration for the overall benefit of society. Development of a management strategy can help to guide research and highlight explicit return on investment to society and should comprise a partnership between young and more experienced scientists to ensure continued scientific development and knowledge progression. Communication to the public was a central theme throughout the conference. The need to develop a communication policy for efficient dissemination of scientific work, not only to other scientists, but also to the general public, has also being highlighted. We are reminded of the special position scientists enjoy and the personal responsibility that comes with that position. Issues of public concern should be highlighted without fear of ret-ribution. Honesty and frank knowledge transfer is important, and such information should be made easier to interpret for the non-scientific community. The information that scien-tists have can save lives and hence the need to facilitate the transfer of this knowledge and information. The publication of research in very focused, expensive and non-globally avail-able journals is questioned. The increased use of open access journals, open data centres and archives can result in a wider distribution of scientific knowledge and can promote capacity building in developing countries, while also increasing scien-tific citations for the author.

The conference helped to foster international and inter-disciplinary collaboration and prompted a greater apprecia-tion for the mutual benefits of scientific co-operation, while highlighting the need for dissemination of scientific results to a wider audience.

Acknowledgements:We wish to thank ICSU for organizing such an important

conference for young scientists. We wish also to acknowledge and express our deepest gratitude to IUFoST for nominating and sponsoring our attendance at this conference.” (Dr. Enda Cummings and Prof. Melanie Plourde, - IUFoST nominations to the ICSU Young Scientists Conference, Lindau, Germany.)

For the complete report please visit the International Relations section of the IUFoST website at www.iufost.org/working_groups/

ICSU

Hunger HandbookA handbook entitled “Using Food Science and Technology to

Improve Nutrition and Promote National Development: Selected Case Studies” edited by Gordon L. Robertson and John R. Lupien and to be published online by IUFoST is currently in preparation. It aims to show, through the use of case studies, how the application of food science and technology has improved nutrition and promoted national development in developing countries.

It is not too late to become a contributor. Simply send a 500 word outline of your proposed chapter to Professor Gordon Robertson at [email protected]. Once your outline has been accepted, the final chapter will be due within 3 months. Unless otherwise indicated, chapters should be a minimum of 3000 words and a maximum of 6000 words of text (excluding tables, figures and references).


Sweden

Center of Excellence on supramolecular biomaterialsBy Nils Bengtsson

The VINNOVA foundation, together with Chalmers Technical University and Swedish industry, has created 15 Centres of Excellence in research, one of which is entitled “Supramolecular biomaterials – structure dynamics and properties”. The center is located at Chalmers and involves close cooperation between the unit for Structure and Material design at SIK, the departments of Biopolymer technology, Pharmaceutical tech-nology, and Chemical and Biological Engineering at Chalmers, as well as other research groups there, representing competences needed in the research program of the new centre. Anne-Marie Hermansson, SIK, is the program coordinator.

An Excellence Center is unique in that financing is guaranteed for a period of 10 years, making it possible to tackle long-range multidiscipli-nary research problems of high scientific quality, which is at the same time of genuine interest to industry as well.

The vision is to establish a unique interdisciplinary Center of Excellence for structure design of new supramolecular biomaterials with controlled properties. The main focus is to master inherent structural prop-erties that give rise to desired functionality with regard to mass transport, water management and molecular mobilities. The Center will develop crucial new knowledge that can only be achieved with powerful interdis-ciplinary research in the international front-line, ranging from solid state physics, visualisation techniques and mathematical modelling via colloid and surface chemistry, nanotechnology and biopolymer technology and material design to pharmaceutical technology and medicine. The broad applicability of the knowledge created is demonstrated by the large number of companies in different industrial areas that have expressed an interest in the program, in which seven strongly interacting research areas will be built on a foundation of scientific disciplines.

The first phase of the program is dedicated to the development of tools to establish relationships between mass transport and structure.

The following three projects have been initiated, the first two are already in progress:

1. Mass transport and structure relationships – Microscopy2. Mass transport and structure relationship – NMR diffusometry3. Swelling and releaseThe objective of the first project is to obtain information about local

diffusion directly in the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). New developments of fluorescence recovery after bleaching (FRAP) make it pos-sible to determine diffusion in complex heterogeneous mixtures. The main research will focus on microscopy and FRAP studies of model systems of relevance to the industrial partners:

Gels and viscous solutions such as entanglement gels or viscoe-•lastic solutions, chemically or physically cross linked gel structuresMultiphase biopolymer systems such as phase separated mixtures or •composite structures such as starch/protein or cellulose compositesEmulsions where the fat composition or the interfacial characteris-•tics can be varied.

Dr Niklas Lorén, SIK, is project manager and also supervisor of a PhD project within the overall project.

The objective of the second project, which is managed by Professor Magnus Nydén, Department of Applied Surface Chemistry, Chalmers, is to obtain information on the effect of microstructure on diffusion proper-ties by NMR diffusometry. Probes of macromolecules or nanoparticles can be used to mimic the diffusion of macromolecules, proteins/enzymes or carriers for drugs and active compounds in a complex heterogeneous structure, with the use of different generations of dendrimers being of spe-cial interest. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the CLSM/FRAP work in the first project. The plans are to use the same model systems in both projects, in order to obtain synergistic effects. Also within this project, a PhD project is being planned.

The objective of the third project, which is still in the planning stage, is to provide an understanding of how hydration, swelling, gel formation, release and dissolution can be controlled for optimal industrial processing and formulation work. Control of dissolution and swelling is crucial for many applications, such as in pharmaceuticals, hygiene products, foods etc. Dissolution and swelling are often required for the proper function of the product.

Asia and Pacific Ecosystem Approach in Water Management and Food Production Systems, Regional ConsultationChiang Mai, Thailand

Excerpts by Ruud Valyasevi

The ICSU regional consultation on Science Plans was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand in late November 2007 with the objective to seek views and comments on the draft Science Plans for Asia and Pacific region in short (3 years) and medium term (6 years) which included 3 priority areas.

The priority areas focused on the draft Science Plans are hazards and disasters, ecosystem approach and sustainable energy. The section of the Science Plans which is most rele-vant to the food industry is on Ecosystem Approach in Water Management and Food Production Systems in Asia and the Pacific Region. Hence this report will only focus on the Science Plans on Ecosystem.

The goal of the Science Plan on Ecosystem is to provide a science plan for the ICSU Regional Office – ROAP (Regional Office Asia and the Pacific) that can be used to promote and mainstream the ecosystem approach for the water manage-ment and food systems towards sustainability.

The long-term goal of ICSU in planning and coordinating

Asia and Pacific Ecosystem Approach


research to address major issues globally is to ensure a more coordinated and inclusive approach to research on the envi-ronment such that the necessary high-quality scientific evi-dence is made available to the policy makers. The ecosystem approach provides the unifying conceptual framework for all the aspects mentioned above and through it ICSU will have the opportunity to develop new programmes in key areas of concern and interest to Asia and the Pacific.

ICSU has been an institutional partner of the UNU Millennium Ecosystem. Hence the approach used in formu-lating the Science Plan on Ecosystem is based on the recom-mendations of ICSU, UNESCO and the UNU Millennium Ecosystem. The strategy for the Science Plan is to develop regional case studies based on these recommendations. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) follow-up research themes are as follows:

Theme I: Understanding how human activities influence ecosystem services

Climate change and water degradation•Water degradation and biodiversity•Land use/cover change, land degradation, changes in •biodiversity, water degradation, climate changes and persistent organic pollutantsChanges in biodiversity, land and water degradation •and POPs

Theme 2: Understanding the relationships between changes in the hydrological regime and human well being

Benefits derived from water resources and its valua-•tionDifficulties due to limitations in our understanding of •the linkages between ecosystem functions, services, water resources and human well-beingValuation framework (UNCE) and conceptual catego-•rization of water

Theme 3: Improving capabilities of projecting and predicting consequences of change of drivers for ecosystems, their services and human well-being

MA projection scenarios on water, food and ecosys-•tems in the regionThe need to improve capability in modeling connec-•tions of drivers to ecosystem services and human well-beingThe coupling of qualitative and quantitative scenarios •and the integration of the sectoral models for the serv-ices provided by the water resources and human well-beingDeveloping models that address the most important •

feedbacks identified by the MA that cannot be address by the existing modelsModeling the relationships among ecosystem func-•tions, aquatic resources and services needed to derive the value of water ecosystem stocks and the conse-quences of changes in those stocksUnderstanding and value regulating services and •their ability to regulate the impact of shocks, such as extreme climate events, and respond to environmental changes without loosing functionalityExpanding and improving the capacity for measuring •uncertainties of statements about ecosystem servicesUnderstanding the combinations of drivers that will •push ecosystem across the threshold, such as fisheries collapse and degradation of water quality

Theme 4: Understanding the mechanisms that can be used to modify the drivers, ecosystem services or human social, institutional or economic arrangements in order to sustainably enhance human well-being

Livelihood gains by water management approaches, •increasing the economic productivity of the waterUnderstanding the livelihood ecological benefits and •costs, integrated and multiple use systemsUnderestimation of values generated, trade-offs and •decision making processImprove our understanding on how human actions •could be modified to best achieve desired ecosystem and human well-beingCreating market •

Research to achieve the goals of mainstreaming in the science of ecosystem approach in the region

Fundamental concept and definitionWater resource and food production systems1) Characteristics of the region2) Research needs3) Prospects and priorities for research and strategic plan4)

Proposed Research TitlesWater Resources — Comparative studies on the appli-

cation of ecosystem approach in highly degraded and pris-tine ecosystems of selected catchments from countries in the region with special reference to

Water production, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, •soil conservation and other stream servicesSoil erosion, downstream pollution and sedimentation, •nutrient losses, altered run-off patternsLandslides, debris flow, bedload and suspended sedi-•



ment transport, channel stability, storm flow, based f low, hydrogeomorphic processes, biogeochemical processes, and terrestrial dynamicsModeling•

Food Production Systems — Comparative studies on the Application of ecosystem approach in agro-ecosystems from selected countries in the region with special reference to rice, wheat, oil palm, tea, coffee and cotton productions in relation to :

Climate variability – temperature, water stress and •rainfall distributionsCrop-pest ecosystem dynamics in relation to fertilizer •and pesticides applicationsSalinity•

Science Plan on Ecosystem Approach in Water Management and Food Production System: Immediate, Medium and Long Term Objectives

The long term goal of ICSU in planning and coordinating research to address major issues globally is to ensure a more coordinated and inclusive approach to research on the envi-ronment such that the necessary high-quality scientific evi-dence is made available to policy makers.

The immediate objective of the ICSU ROAP programme of work on the ecosystem approach for water and food sys-tems is to lay the groundwork for the use of the approach in the management of water and food systems in Asia and the Pacific. The management of water resources is increasingly becoming a challenge in Asia and the Pacific because of spa-tial and temporal distribution. Extreme weather sometimes causes severe flooding with extensive loss of lives and prop-erty whereas in other parts of Asia and the Pacific and at other times, drought may become so severe and cause considerable harm to agriculture and livelihoods. These variations need to be understood within the framework of ecosystems because of the interrelatedness of human behaviour and activity and what it does to the landscape, and the management of water resources. Similarly, an ecosystem approach is needed to ensure sustainable food systems. Moreover, interaction between food and water systems need to be better understood and transmitted to decision-and-policy makers.

The medium-term objective needs to build interest and capacity among scientists in Asia and the Pacific in research on the management of freshwater resources and food systems using the framework of the ecosystem approach. Pilot studies will be commissioned in the region that will involve scientists from Asia and the Pacific. Such an initiative will fulfill the goal of ensuring the full participation of scientists from devel-oping countries in international science.

As global change has the potential to significantly alter the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, con-siderable resources have been invested over the past decade on research to understand the effects of global change on eco-systems. These include research on whether those changes in terrestrial ecosystems are resulting in positive or negative feedbacks to the atmosphere and physical climate system; and to predict the effects of changes in climate atmospheric composition, and land use on terrestrial ecosystems. Specific projects related to carbon in water and food security were also emphasized.

To achieve the goal of mainstreaming in the science of ecosystem approach in water resource and food production systems, this chapter highlights some of the theoretical frame-works which encompass definition, concepts, issues and the current status of the research findings and research needs in relation to global, regional and local environmental change, as well as its impact on ecosystem services to the human well-being. Finally the chapter identifies research needs based on global experiences that are appropriately addressed for Asia and the Pacific region.

Water ResourcesThe disappearance of water catchments due to forest

fragmentation and habitat destructions has been identified as one of the major environmental issues in Asia and the Pacific region. The modification of rivers and lakes through the con-struction of dams and diversions have increased the water available for human use in many regions of the world. The declining per capta availability of water is having negative impacts on human well-being. Water scarcity is a globally significant and accelerating condition for roughly 1-2 billion people worldwide, leading to problems with food production, human health and economic development.

Food Production SystemsThe growth in food production and farm productivity has

more than kept pace with global population growth, resulting in a significant downward pressure on the price of food-stuff. Over the last 40 years, food prices have dropped due to increases in productivity. Hence the past increases in food production, at progressively lower unit cost, have improved the health and well-being of billions of humans, particularly the most needy who spend the largest share of their incomes on food. However, the increase in the food production, and lower prices for food has not been entirely positive. The industrial countries and the urban population in some devel-oping countries face nutritional problems not in terms of defi-ciency but rather on diet-related risks, mainly associated with over nutrition, in combination with inactive lifestyles and now



account for one-third of the disease burden.The food security challenges in an age of falling water

tables and rising temperatures and the current global scenario are as follows:

The structure of the world economy today is making •excessive demands on the earth – the collapse of world fisheries, shrinking forests, expanding deserts, rising CO2 levels, eroding soils, rising temperatures, falling water tables, melting glaciers, deteriorating grasslands, rising sea levels, rivers that are running dry and disap-pearing speciesNearly all these environmentally destructive trends •adversely affect the world food perspective – the temperature rising 1 degree Fahrenheit can increase rainfall and decrease snowfall. This results in more flooding in the lowlands in the rainy season and less snowmelt to feed rivers in the dry seasonThe collapse of fisheries and the associated leveling •off of the ocean fish catch over the last half-century – with the 5-fold growth needed to satisfy much of the growing demand for animal protein pushed ocean fish-eries to their limits and beyondThe accumulative effects of soil erosion on land pro-•ductivity, the loss of cropland to non-farm uses, the encroachment of deserts on cropland, the depletion of aquifers for their irrigation, besides experiencing higher temperatures and crop-scorching heat waves

Consequently, it is even more difficult for farmers to feed ade-quately the 70 million people added to our ranks each year.

Hence the strategic plans need to explore, examine and synthesize the existing tools such as legal and policy, insti-tutional framework, financial availability and technology capability on how best it could be utilized optimally. The nature of research needs would require deep understanding on ecosystem approach (based on structure and function of the ecosystem components), socio-political and cross-cultural practices, as well as the trans-boundary nature of trade, eco-nomics, and environmental issues. Countries in the region need to establish health and well-being, and water availability sustainablility.

Visit World of Food Science, www.worldfoodscience.org for the full report. Prof. Ruud Valyasevi represented IUFoST at this regional meeting. He is a member of the IUFoST International Relations Task Force.


WHO Major Achievements in 2007WHO Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases

Excerpts by Gerald G. Moy

The Beijing Declaration on Food Safety was adopted at the conclusion of the High-level International Forum on Food Safety that was held in Beijing, 26 and 27 November 2007. The forum brought together senior officials from more than 50 countries and international organizations to review the major issues related to food safety. By adopting the Beijing Declaration, the meeting participants demonstrated the high-level political commitment of WHO Member States to resolving food safety problems through positive international collaboration rather than inefficient bilateral measures. The declaration urges all countries to develop comprehensive capacities to protect consumers from foodborne hazards from production to consumption, from routine to emergency, and from domestic to international. Among other recommenda-tions, the declaration urges all countries to actively partici-pate in the WHO/FAO International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) to share information on emerging food safety issues and experience about best practices. Also important is rapid exchange of information on food safety incidents and emergencies, especially those that fall under the International Health Regulations. INFOSAN presently counts 165 Member States and continues to build linkages with other networks, such as the OIE/FAO/WHO Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases (GLEWS). In addition, the declaration urged countries to assess exposure of their populations to potentially toxic chemicals in their food sup-plies, especially by undertaking Total Diet Studies. WHO cosponsored the forum in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH) and State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine.

Powdered infant formula (PIF) has been associated with serious illness and death in infants due to infections with Enterobacter sakazakii and other contaminants, including Salmonella. Recognizing the need to address such hazards the WHO requested the development of guidelines in order to minimize the risk to infants in PIF. These global guidelines have been finalized in 2007 based on specific scientific advice and risk assessments from the joint WHO/FAO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA). For the first time ever the scientific models underlying this work are now also available on the Web (www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/pif2007/en/ ) to be used for national or regional iterations enabling the objective comparison of the efficiency of different risk management options. Based on


Kenya

Food safety imperative for Small and Medium-scale businesses in Sub-Saharan AfricaBy Oiye Shadrack

In Kenya, and generally in Sub-Saharan Africa, there are major con-cerns that have been raised about food safety, aimed at stimulating action among key stakeholders to improve the safety of foods produced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Food safety is an imperative considera-tion in food business, and different types of foods represent varying levels of risks to consumers. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the problems of food insecu-rity, poverty and food safety are simultaneous and the latter apparently receives less attention than it deserves. The opposite is true for the devel-oped countries, where issues of food safety receive paramount attention. It could be argued that developing countries still struggle with issues of food adequacy, let alone concerns for the quality. But there are currently emerging interests and actions towards improving food safety regulations in East Africa. Individual countries, through their respective regulatory authorities, are now, more than before, stepping up and scaling out their activities. Further, there are currently efforts to harmonize safety standards (in East Africa) for specific food items such as maize. This is in recognition of the ever-increasing cross-border trade, and the realization of the pos-sible cross-border spread of food poisoning and food related infections. Food safety, quality and attendant standards are key to facilitating food trade across borders. It then follows that those involved in food business, either locally or internationally, are compelled to adhere to food safety and quality regulations/standards.

Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have the adequate capacity for the surveillance of possible food poisoning or infection out-breaks. However, maintaining basic food hygiene and adhering to food safety management practices such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) by food processing entrepreneurs, have been found to be sure ways of preventing or controlling food poisoning and infections. It is believed however, that most of these outbreaks occur unreported in most parts of Africa. In Kenya for instance, only those outbreaks that have resulted in massive deaths and serious illnesses, such as the methanol and aflatoxin poisoning, have been reported. It is easy to see that these cases of food poisoning are a result of

the negligence or ignorance of small and micro enterprises who have lim-ited (or no) knowledge of food safety and food safety management tools, and do not understand the importance of food safety to their business.

Apart from food quality and the effort to offer customers their utilities, safety is also one of the key factors that enhance customer’s confidence on the products. For business sustainability and continued profitability food safety is paramount. The effects of food poisoning and infection on busi-ness can be damaging, and recovery can be obstinate. Business lost on food safety grounds can be almost impossible to recover from in a short while. Customers experiencing stomachaches, vomiting and other symp-toms of food poisoning and food related infection are less likely to repeat-edly purchase the suspected food from the same source. This is even more critical for those who have regular customers. For this category of entrepre-neurs, the consumers of their products can easily identify changes in their products in terms of quality and safety. To regain the confidence of such customers after a food safety problem can be an uphill task. Food safety is a real business threat, which has vast business ramifications if something goes wrong. Maintaining hygienic standards and Good Manufacturing Practices are simple but sure ways of controlling food and water borne illnesses.

Food safety issues are even more critical for those involved in mini-mally processed foods, including fresh foods. The case of fresh juice processing is typical for SMEs. The fact that business start-up for this kind of business is relatively easy, it has proved to be attractive to those who wish to venture into food business, either on a part time or full time basis. These entrepreneurs have limited basic training in food safety or safety man-agement tools, and this potentially poses a serious safety risk to their cus-tomers. For instance, cases of dysentery and cholera have been reported in some parts of Nairobi, and possible outbreaks of water and food borne infections cannot be ruled out. It is also important to note that most authori-ties concerned with food safety are regulatory and not trainers.

There is a paucity of research that proves a lack of food safety, espe-cially among the food-based SMEs. However, most research proposes that there might be high levels of contamination among food consumed by the masses that may potentially pose a health risk. It is apparent that this could be related to previous training received by the food producers, location of sale or production, price and handing methods, inter alia. There is thus a need for more and more information to be generated to provide a mean-ingful basis for relevant stakeholders to intervene to improve the safety of food products produced by the SMEs.

this work the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission has also decided to revise the International Code of Hygienic Practice for Foods for Infants and Children, including guide-lines for the preparation, use and handling of PIF. The next step will be for the roll-out and dissemination to all Member States of these practical guidelines.

Antimicrobial use in food animal production contrib-utes to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria causing human disease. This problem touches the full food production chain from the farm to the table. International interdisciplinary cooperation is essential; therefore since

1997, WHO, FAO and OIE have organized a number of con-sultations to address the issues related to antimicrobial use at the different steps of the food-chain, the emergence of resistant pathogens and the associated human public health problems. Since 2004 additional work has been initiated in the Codex system. This has resulted in two major new activities coming to fruition in 2007, namely a Codex Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance held its 1st meeting in Seoul in October and a WHO List of Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Health was finalized in Rome with input from OIE and FAO experts. The work will now

WHO 2007


hopefully continue in the Codex Task Force with a view of selecting antimicrobial agent - human pathogen - animal spe-cies to be considered by risk managers as the priority com-binations in terms of future consideration for control. In this area, special consideration should be given to the following combinations: f luroquinolones - Salmonella - poultry, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins - Salmonella - poultry and macrolides - Campylobacter - poultry.

Guidelines for the Investigation and Control of Foodborne Disease Outbreaks (www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/foodborne_disease/fdbmanual/en/) The investi-gation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks are multi-disciplinary tasks requiring skills in the areas of clinical medicine, epidemiology, laboratory medicine, food micro-biology and chemistry, food safety and food control, and risk communication and management. Many outbreaks of foodborne disease are poorly investigated, if at all, because these skills are unavailable or because a field investigator is expected to master them all single-handedly without having been trained. These guidelines have been written for public health practitioners, food and health inspectors, district and national medical officers, laboratory personnel and others

WHO 2007

who may undertake or participate in the investigation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks.

While the book focuses on practical aspects of outbreak investigation and control, it also provides generic guidance that can be adapted to individual countries and local require-ments. At the field level it will be valuable in initial epide-miological, environmental and laboratory investigations, in implementation of appropriate control measures, and in alerting investigators to the need to seek assistance for more complex situations. At national and regional levels, the guide-lines will assist decision-makers in identifying and coordi-nating resources and in creating an environment appropriate for the successful management of foodborne disease out-breaks.

Dr Gerald G. Moy is Manager, GEMS/Food, Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Dr Moy is a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. For the complete report, please see World of Food Science, www.worldfoodscience.org

Sub-Saharan Africa Distance Education Initiativeby Donald G. Mercer and Daryl B. Lund

The Sub-Saharan Africa SituationSub-Saharan Africa consists of approximately 47 coun-

tries lying south of the Sahara Desert. Many of these emerging or developing nations lack sufficient economic resources and infrastructure to create an acceptable quality of life for their citizens. Overall, there is insufficient food production to support the region’s population without a heavy reliance on imports. Food losses range from 5% to 60% and average about 25% for crops such as rice, maize, wheat, barley, millet, sorghum, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. It is estimated that nearly one-third of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished. In addition to current pressures on its food supply, the population of Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase by 80% from its 1995 level by the year 2020. This is a net population growth of approximately 425 million people!

The United Nations acknowledges that over 800 mil-lion people in developing counties worldwide do not have a sufficient diet to lead normal and active lives. In September 2000, the United Nations presented a Millennium Declaration

outlining eight goals targeted for completion by 2015 to help underdeveloped countries overcome problems pertaining to hunger, poverty, and economic sustainability. Foremost among these goals was the eradication of extreme hunger and poverty.

IUFoST’s ResponseIn 2002, during his term as President, Dr. Walter Spiess

proposed having IUFoST undertake a project to catalyze dis-tance education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The rationale for this project was the realization that the sustainable develop-ment of any society depends on a safe, nutritious, dependable, and affordable food supply. This, in turn, is dependent on the ability to convert raw food stocks into consumer-ready prod-ucts for distribution. Many of the Sub-Saharan countries were identified as being largely under-served in their professional development needs, particularly in the agro-food sector.

To develop a plan, President Spiess appointed Daryl Lund to chair a Distance Education Task Force (DETF). The plan developed by the DETF can be found on the IUFoST web-site (http://www.iufost.org). An initial challenge was how to tackle such a huge problem, involving so many people, over such a wide geographical area. One has only to walk through the markets of the larger cities in Africa (e.g., Accra, Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya) and see the hundreds of vendors selling food products from small stalls to recognize the problems


Thailand

“Development King”, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand awarded Dr. Norman E. Borlaug MedallionFoSTAT Report

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand became the first recipient of the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Medallion, awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation on its 20th anniversary.

The medallion is intended as a special honor to be presented to indi-viduals at the highest levels of the international community, who would not normally be considered for the World Food Prize, but who have provided exceptional humanitarian service in reducing hunger and poverty. The Medallion is named in honor of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, who founded The World Food Prize in 1986.

“Since his accession to the throne in 1946, King Bhumibol has dis-played an unwavering dedication to the well being of his subjects, and a deep concern that they have sufficient food and proper nutrition,” said Ambassador Quinn at the ceremonies in October 2007. “His Majesty’s commitment to his subjects has been reflected in the more that 2,000 Royal projects he has established throughout the Kingdom of Thailand, the first of which was initiated in 1952.”

Among these projects have been efforts to promote small-scale agri-culture, the introduction of new agricultural technologies and the sustain-able use of water. Beyond these projects, His Majesty has led other efforts to promote child health, combat iodine deficiency and increase access to education.

Recognized earlier in the year by the United Nations as the “Development King,” King Bhumibol’s projects have benefited millions of people across Thailand, with a particular focus on aiding ethnic groups and hill tribes in the mountain regions.

“Dr. Borlaug tells of his visits to Thailand and the time he has spent meeting with His Majesty and walking through the countryside with him as they discussed possible new approaches to agriculture,” said Ambassador Quinn. “Given this personal connection between these two individuals, whose lives have been committed to uplifting the poor and hungry, it is especially appropriate that in this, the year that celebrates the 60th anni-versary of his taking the throne, that His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is presented the first Dr. Norman E. Borlaug World Food Prize Medallion.”

in reaching out to this many people with an educational pro-gram. Using the results of the Southern Africa Development Consortium (SADC) assessment of education needs in the food sector, it was recognized that education particularly for middle management was essential for supply chain managers and resulting processing improvements to reduce food losses. If such losses were reduced by one-half, food availability could be increased by as much as 15%. Education was the key component in this regard.

Therefore, in order to target the most appropriate group, the project was focused on providing continuing professional development to employees of the value-added food processing sector throughout the region. Nine core competencies were identified as potential training modules. These were:

Food Safety1) Quality Assurance (including HACCP)2) Food Laws and Regulation3) Shelf-Life of Foods (including food losses)4) Thermal Processing5) Food Dehydration6) Food Freezing7) Food Packaging8) Food Nutrition9)

Although the initial project proposal was received with enthusiasm among the many agencies, industries, and founda-tions to which it was submitted for funding, it was ultimately unsuccessful in obtaining sponsorship. While this was cer-tainly disappointing, the importance of the initiative to the Distance Education Task Force was viewed as being far too pressing for its members to accept the lack of funding as a sign of defeat.

To overcome this “setback”, DETF redef ined the approach and is continuing with the overall initiative in a rather creative manner. Recognizing that it would be difficult to proceed with a full-scale training development program, it was decided to prepare one pilot training module on a volun-teer basis. This would eliminate the necessity of providing a stipend for module developers in all nine subject mod-ules. In 2005, a draft “Food Dehydration and Drying Course Manual” was prepared by Don Mercer (Department of Food Science, University of Guelph) in his position as Co-chair of the Module Development Committee. This manual was then used as the basis of discussion with representatives of uni-versities and associations during a trip to Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa in August 2006. One outcome of these meet-ings was a feeling that a series of courses at the introduc-tory, intermediate, and advanced levels in the drying module would be more appropriate for the proposed target audience than a single course covering the complete range of the topic.

A draft of an “Introductory Course in Food Dehydration and Drying” manual was completed in January 2007 and was for-warded to reviewers for feedback. Revisions based on their feedback were completed in April. A draft of the follow-up manual, “Intermediate Course in Food Dehydration and Drying,” has been sent to reviewers and revisions will be made once all of the comments have been collected. An addi-tional manual, “Advanced Course in Food Dehydration and Dying,” is currently nearing completion.

Sub-Saharan Africa Distance Education


ObjectivesThe Distance Education Initiative has four basic objec-

tives:To provide educational opportunities by means of 1) distance education to the food industry sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.To develop a consensus on the content of the distance 2) education training program for the food industry in Sub-Saharan Africa.To develop training modules in Food Science and 3) Technology leading to a comprehensive training pro-gram.To assess the training through the application of a pilot 4) training module.

Subject Module DevelopmentThe Distance Education Training Initiative was the sub-

ject of a poster presentation and round-table discussion at the 13th World Congress of Food Science and Technology in Nantes, France (September 17 to 21, 2006). In addition, Fellows of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST) met at the Congress to discuss the status and future directions of the project. The Fellows of the Academy enthusiastically volunteered their assistance in pre-paring and reviewing course material and acting as technical resources.

Early in 2007, a number of individuals voiced an interest in acting as module developers for the subject modules.

During the months of May, June, and July 2007, additional individuals were contacted to see if they would like to “vol-unteer” to be developers for the remaining modules. By early July, lead developers had been identified for all nine modules:

Food Safety 1) Lucia Anelich (South Africa)Quality Assurance 2) Purwiyatno Hariyadi (Indonesia)Food Laws and Regulation 3) Vincent Hegarty (USA / UAE)Shelf-Life of Foods 4) Paul Singh (USA)Thermal Processing 5) Don Mercer (Canada) & Daryl Lund (USA)Food Dehydration 6) Don Mercer (Canada)Food Freezing 7) Walter Spiess (Germany)Food Packaging 8) Gordon Robertson (Australia) & Jeremy Selman (UK)Food Nutrition 9) Delia Rodriguez Amaya (Brazil)

In addit ion, Don Mercer developed a module on numeracy, and Jeremy Selman, Managing Director, International Food Information Service, developed a module of food science and technology information sources.

We are truly fortunate in having world-wide representa-tion among the module developers.

On July 29, 2007, several DETF members met in Chicago prior to the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo for an update on recent developments and a discussion of proposed future activities.

Module DeliveryThe initial plan was to offer a pilot training module (i.e.,

Drying) in three selected target countries: Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. The logistical challenges that this would present, while somewhat troublesome, were felt to be man-ageable through the use of local mentors for the program. However, during Don Mercer’s visit to South Africa in August 2006, he and Owen Frisby, Executive Director of The South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST) met with representatives of the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria. UNISA staff was very interested in delivering Food Science based courses as part of their distance education course offerings. UNISA is one of the largest distance education universities in the world with almost a quarter of a million on-line students taking courses from them. Since the “Introduction to Food Dehydration and Drying Course” manual was developed, UNISA has evalu-ated the possibility of having this introductory pilot course as part of their course offerings. Paul Singh also met with Dean Margaret Linington during his visit to Pretoria in August 2007 as did Daryl Lund during his trip to South Africa in September 2007. The current UNISA assessment is that the


SSA Module Development Co-ordinators Needed

Join Us!If you are involved in food industry management or R & D sector,

in the classroom or in other areas of food science and technology in Sub-Saharan Africa, we invite you to partner with us to provide expert resource by reviewing the modules being developed, identifying location-specific examples and by working alongside us as a Module Development Co-ordinator. As SSA coordinator, you will be asked to review the modules, according to your areas of expertise, to identify location-specific examples of agricultural and agri-food practices, to arrange for video of examples of these in operation and to commit to active engagement throughout the delivery of the pilot project. With this invitation, IUFoST offers you the opportunity to be involved in an important and needed project and to work with other food scientists and technologists of international reputation.

If you are interested in the opportunity, please contact:Prof.EmeritusDarylLund,DETFChair•[email protected] or JudithMeech,IUFoST•[email protected] state “DETF Module Development” in subject line


targeted audience for the IUFoST DE effort is not eligible to take courses offered through UNISA. Therefore, the DETF is seeking other opportunities and has decided to test the Introductory Dehydration Module in Sub-Saharan countries on its own.

Once the Introductory Drying Course is up and run-ning, the Intermediate Drying Course and Advanced Drying Course will be developed for presentation at appropriate time intervals. In the meantime, other module developers will be working on course material in their particular areas of expertise so that these courses may also be brought on line. Initially, it is hoped that the module developers will be able to serve as course instructors until such time as their courses are running smoothly, or until they wish to step down as distance education instructors. Most of the modules will have at least two levels of instruction, depending on the nature and com-plexity of the subject.

From the perspective of those taking these courses, we will have a network of mentors in place to support them in their educational endeavours. For example, in South Africa, there is at least one SAAFoST member working in most of the country’s food processing companies. These members could serve as potential mentors for employees taking the distance education courses and assist them in their studies. We anticipate that with the organization of the West African Association of Food Science and Technology (WAAFoST) and with the resurgence of the East, Central and South African Association of Food Science and Technology (ECSAAFoST) additional support networks would be in place to support stu-dent needs and concerns.

Summary CommentsThe Distance Education Task Force is truly excited about

the potential that this initiative has in improving the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Enthusiasm amongst Fellows of the Academy has been demonstrated in that there was little dif-ficulty in recruiting volunteers to serve as module developers in all subject areas.

At the present time, we are looking to have all introduc-tory level courses ready for offering by February 2009. We would also like to have our intermediate courses in place by this date, and then follow with advanced courses for the February 2010 semester.

Editor’s note: About the authors - Prof. Em. and Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology, Daryl Lund chairs the IUFoST Distance Education Task Force. Professor Donald Mercer of the University of Guelph, Canada has been an invaluable contributor to the Task Force activities to date.


October 19 - 23SHANGHAI

CHINA

The Call for Papers has now

been issued.

[email protected]

www.iufost2008.org

International Events FOCUS - 2008April 11 - 12 International Probiotics Association World CongressBeverly Hills, California, USA Contact: Ioannis [email protected]•www.internationalprobiotics.org

April 22 - 24FiCEE Exhibition and IUFoST ConferenceWarsaw, Poland. Contact: Ms. Haf Cennydd, CMP InformationTel:+31346559444•Fax:+313465738111•[email protected] Full conference programme at www.iufost.org - Latest News

May 15 - 174th Central European Congress on Food, 6th Croatian Congress of Food Technologists, Biotechnologists and NutritionistsCavtat, Croatia. Contact: Kata Galiccefood2008@pbnhr•www.pbn.hr/CEFood2008

June 24 - 26FiAsia/China Exhibition and IUFoST ConferenceShanghai, China. Contact: Ms. Haf Cennydd, CMP InformationTel:+31346559444•Fax:+313465738111•[email protected]

Congress AbstrACt deAdline > 30 April 2008


South America and the Caribbean

ALACCTA NewsProject: Thematic Network on Food Science and Technology to improve people’s health and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean

General Objective: To encourage better health of the population and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean by means of the diffusion, discussion, cooperation and training in areas specific to food science and technology.

Specific Objectives:To create the Thematic Networks on the following areas: (a) Food 1) and Health; (b) Food Safety; (c) Food and Environment; and (d) Food processing.To create a roster of experts by region in each of the thematic areas: (a) 2) Northern Region, formed by Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba and Dominican Republic; (b) Andean Region, which includes Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela; and (c) Southern Region, inte-grated by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.To develop activities for technology transfer and training in each one 3) of the proposed thematic areas by means of conferences and short courses in each specific region, as well as electronic forums.To enforce the bonds between the participant institutions, international 4) organisms, state dependencies and independent colleagues in order to propose integral actions toward the problems that compromise the health of the population, the environment and the food safety in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In order to reach the abovementioned objectives, ALACCTA is cur-rently elaborating the roster of experts in each of the thematic areas. The next step will be directed toward the analysis of the regional situation and to propose specific activities in each network. Technical support and super-vision rounds will be held in order to measure the advance of the activities at regional level. This dynamic will enforce the bonds between colleagues by means of interchanging experiences and the contribution of knowledge by each group of experts.

For more information on this project, please contact ALACCTA at www.alaccta.org

Europe

EFFoST News Student of the year Award 2007

Announced at the EFFoST conference, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 2007. The winners were: (1) Kristina Radovic, University of Split, Croatia; (2) Ivana Vrhovac, University of Zagreb, Croatia; (3) yuan Li, Wageningen University, the Netherlands; (4) Grigor Badalyan,yerevan State Universit, Armenia; and (5) Abishek Gupta,Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

IUFoST Regional Groups

young Scientist Award 2007Dr. Xavier Malcata, Catholic University of Porto, Portugal

Call for new partners for NovelQThe NovelQ-project is looking for more European partners. Please

visit www.effost.org for information.

West Africa

WAAFoSTDr. G.I. Okafor, National Secretary

“On behalf of the President, the Governing Council and the entire Members of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), it is my pleasure to express our profound gratitude to the President of IUFoST, Dr. David Lineback and the Governing Council Members, 2006-2008, for the successful inauguration of the West African Association of Food Science and Technology (WAAFoST), during the 31st annual con-ference of NIFST...

The Institute deeply appreciates the parental role played by IUFoST towards the realization of this dream. We count on your continual support in carrying out the mandate for which WAAFoST was established…

Thank you once more for your efforts in the global dissemination of the knowledge and practice of Food Science and Technology. “

Special thanks from IUFoST to Professor Aubrey Parsons, SAAFoST, who represented IUFoST at these inauguration ceremonies.

IUFoST Special Interest Groups

ISFE NewsThe ICEF 10 Conference will be held in Viña Del Mar, Chile. This

once-every-four year event will be held from April 20-24, 2008. Well-known colleagues such as José M. Aguilera, José Manuel del Valle, and Ricardo Simpson will host this meeting. We are planning to have an ISFE get together during ICEF 10 as well. Visit www.icef10.com for details.

ISFE is also planning to have a cocktail gathering at the upcoming IFT Annual Meeting to be held in New Orleans, June 28-July 2, 2008. Most likely this gathering will take place on Monday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m.

Another very important event that ISFE will actively participate in is the 2008 IUFoST World Congress.

In January, we began holding special drawings among ISFE mem-bers. Each month, one ISFE member will be selected to receive a free book on a Food Engineering related topic. The results of the drawings will be announced every 25th of the month.

Our goal as always is to make sure ISFE is an excellent resource that helps its members stay in touch with the food engineering world commu-nity. your valuable suggestions and input are more than welcome. We look forward to hearing from you!! www.iufost.org/isfe•[email protected]

October 6 - 9, 2008ALACCTA Congress and XXI Brazilian Congress of Food Science and TechnologyConvention Centre Minascentro - Belo Horizonte – MG www.sbcta.org• www.alaccta.org

April 20 - 24, 2008ICEF 10 ConferenceViña del Mar, Chilewww.icef10.com

November 4 - 9, 2008EFFoST congress 2008: First EFFoST Congress on Food SystemsLjubljana, SloveniaPre-register for 2008 via email: [email protected]

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