Global Food Safety Curricula Initiative (GFSCI): What is it? An ambitious project to identify gaps in food safety curricula, build capacity, and establish and harmonize core competencies at the University and graduate levels everywhere. Collaboration between academia, industry, governments and non governmental organisations ensure this initiative will harness the power of education to ensure long-term food safety benefits for everyone from farm to table. The future work force across nations and regions throughout the world will have the skills necessary to handle food safety issues and reduce risk management to make a safer, economical and efficiently distributed food supply.

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Food Safety and Nutritional Security Workshop in Lebanon: Organized through Dr. Lara Hanna Wakim, IUFoST Governing Council and IAFST member, a series of professional training programmes on Food Safety and Nutritional Security were held at the Holy Spirit of Kaslk University, (USEK), Lebanon, beginning on February 28. The training was held in response to health concerns related to Lebanese civil service members and their families. The objectives of the programmes were to raise the awareness of food safety and nutritional security among those participating; to help the attendees improve their nutritional choices; to avoid poor nutrition; and to provide hands-on training on food service best practices and management. Additional goals were to assist in reducing government medical bills and to improve the health and well-being of those involved. IUFoST encourages other Adhering Body members to consider similar initiatives.

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Nigerian Food supply: Millions annually spent importing food, yet there is untapped potential in indigenous crops: About 60-70% of the 170 million Nigerians (accounting for about 50% of the population of West Africa) is food insecure. Aproximately $10 billion is spent annually on food importation. Yet, there are hundreds of lesser-known indigenous crops and wild food plants that could be exploited to increase food supply. These crops include fruits and vegetables that are rich sources of essential micronutrients and nutraceuticals, and play critical roles in the nutrition of the people, especially the rural populace. Rural development is closely linked with the promotion of small-scale industries that utilize locally available raw materials and rely on simple, inexpensive technologies. Promoting the utilization of lesser-known, under-utilized indigenous West African crops through small-scale value-added food processing will enhance small farmers’ income, reduce poverty, food importation and food insecurity and ensure sustainable development. (Professor Charles Aworh, Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, presenting at the IUFoST 2016 World Congress, West Africa Association of Food Science and Technology meeting)

International Health Regulations (IHR)

Global Health Security: Strengthening national infrastructures for food safety and related country obligations under the International Health Regulations IHR (2005). Food safety issues happen everywhere. IHR helps the international community prevent and respond to acute public health risks that have the potential to cross borders and threaten people's health worldwide. Countries are required to report certain disease outbreaks and public health events to WHO - including those relating to food safety. Past examples include Radiation in food (i.e. Fukushima disaster in 2011) Microbiological hazards (E. coli from Egyptian sprouts, Salmonella from US Mangoes, Norovirus in German strawberries imported from China) Chemical hazards (methanol poisonings in the Czech Republic from bootleg alcohol, aflatoxin in US corn) Natural disasters (spoilage and food insecurity after Hurricane Sandy in North America). Other instances include Chemical hazards (lead contamination of 'Toxic Waste' candy from Pakistan and acrylamide causing low birth weights). IUFoST and its partner organisations' support IHR's efforts to safeguard the food supply for everyone. http://ow.ly/RbiS30aphCo

Global Food Safety Curricula Initiative | Food Safety

Global Food Safety Curricula Initiative: Expert working groups have developed 21 core food safety subject areas, which are being assessed by experts around to globe to reflect regional requirements and specific local education needs. Read more: http://foodsafety.iufost.org/home

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Food Regulations and Control Systems: Every food control authority in the world requires the best scientific knowledge available, as a foundational principle of food safety management. Constant dialogue between food regulators and scientists underpins the protection of public health and consumers' welfare: Dr Jairo Romero, President of ALACCTA, IUFoST Regional Group for Central and South America. IUFoST continues to facilitate these conversations, through many events and support for local education opportunities for policy makers.

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"World food supply: Left to market forces? Global food supply is influenced by political aspiration, ethical standards and consumer behaviour. There is a real danger in the absence of co-ordinated planning, at both regional or international levels to address the threats to human welfare of increased demands for sustainable and healthy foods. The role of food science and technology (FS&T) to meet these societal and technological challenges is a vital issue that is often not considered in global documents concerning the food situation in a changing world. Only when specific strategies for economic growth of food chains have been developed at a national level, or by a supra-regional body, are clear strategies for FS&T also available. IUFoST and its affiliated bodies are actively supporting collaboration between the stakeholders of government, academia and industry to develop foresight and future action plans to ensure the world food supply. "

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World Water Day: Since 1974, IUFoST has had a standing committee, ISOPOW (International Symposium on the Properties of Water) whose activities aim at progressing the understanding of the properties of water in food and related biological systems, and the exploitation of this understanding in improved raw materials, products and processes in the food, agro-food or related industries. ISOPOW is committed to the exchange of knowledge and dialogue between academic and industrial scientists/technologists. The latest meeting was held during the IUFoST World Congress, August 2016, with guest speakers on the topic "Water, in supramolecular structures", chaired by IAFoST Fellow Dr. Yrjo Roos, President of International Symposium of Water in Foods, and Chair, European Academy of Food Engineering (EAFE).

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International Forest Day is Mar 21st. IUFoST recognizes how closely food security is linked to deforestation. As the world demand for food, fibre and fuel continues to rise, deforestation degrades ecosystems, diminishes water availability and limits the collection of fuelwood - all of which reduce food security, especially for the poor. IUFoST celebrates International Forest Day, and supports initiatives and policies which incorporate trees, forests and the agroforestry industry's contributions towards food security and nutrition.

Food Security; central to economic growth: Food security needs to be a substantive part in a larger cross-sectoral strategy at national, regional and global levels. It is more than a single issue; it requires a combination of coordinated actions and policies in various sectors, including finance, agriculture, health and nutrition, infrastructure and others. It is essential to change outdated mindsets aimed at economic growth that do not include food and nutrition security targets. Without stable and long-lasting food security, there will be a continued negative effect on human capital and this will raise government fiscal costs, with negative consequences on government public spending, which will also lead to stagnated economic growth in the long term. Investing in food security is a necessary component of every economy: Dr. Maximo Torero, IFPRI, as part of IUFoST's 18th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, from the Session titled 'Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems'.

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Food products often contain ingredients from processors in numerous countries. This underscores how important equivalent or harmonized standards are. Consumers need to know that their food has been produced with the same degree of quality the entire way down the supply chain. IUFoST works with industry, academia, governments and non governmental organisations to ensure a safe food supply for everyone.

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Food Safety in Taiwan: Better than ever, and now state of the art: Been Huang-Chiang, Former Minister of Health and Welfare of Taiwan and IAFoST Fellow reported at the Inaugural IUFoST Global Food Summit, August 2016. The Taiwanese government has made significant changes across four dimensions : 1) government organization, 2) law amendment, 3) policy implementation, and 4) information technology. To promote and implement the policy reforms, citizen participation and the collaboration between public and private sectors are widely encouraged through risk communication. Food manufacturers are increasingly educated on the essentiality of understanding and complying with food safety regulations. Local governments also routinely inspect food establishments to enhance the sanitation and safety management of food manufacturers. Using information communication technology (ICT) to effectively exploit the resources for food safety management, the central government has constructed Food Cloud to manage the information on food safety and interlink with the food safety information systems of local governments. A decision support center has also been established at Taiwan FDA to improve risk assessment and management using big data analysis. After years of effort to restore public confidence, the food safety management in Taiwan has substantially improved, and now is equipped with the state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology (ICT).