Africa Food Manufacturing

7-9 April 2019. Cairo. Africa Food Manufacturing conference. The conference hosted professors from various universities, food scientists, industries, and students, local and international. It was organised by MEFOSA (Middle East North Africa Food Associates) and INFORMA / Food Ingredients Africa

Distinguished international speakers, professionals, scientists from different countries met, thought, collaborated and shared their ideas, new releases and scientific research on Food Science and Technological solving problem solutions. 

Extract of the programme:
It included the following tracks:

Track 1: Food science and technology: Preharvest factors, tools, techniques and instrumentation.

Atef Wafic.Idriss MEFOSA (Middle East North Africa Food Associates) Food Industries

MENA Food Safety Associates (MEFOSA) was formed to assist companies hone their competitive edge by establishing and verifying procedures and practices that ensure quality, wholesome and safe products. It provides consulting, auditing and training services in HACCP, GMPs, Hygiene and more. MEFOSA can help move businesses into a leadership position through science-based food safety.

MEFOSA assures that food safety system meets current regulations and is being operated correctly. From HACCP plans to GMPs, MEFOSA enables SMEs to comply with government regulations quickly, economically and get the job done right the first time.

MEFOSA believes that safe food and feed are a prerequisite for sustainable development, and that the Arab Middle East should develop its own food safety prerequisites in full recognition with its own socio-economic priorities, and in harmony with international standards and norms, while respecting the culture, family values and quality of life throughout the MENA region.

ICARDA video interview with Atef Wafic.Idriss MEFOSA:
Linking research to private sector research priorities

He responded to following questions:

• What is the impact of ICARDA's fusarium resistant chickpea in Lebanon?(Some fusarium species produce mycotoxins in cereal crops that can affect human and animal health if they enter the food chain)
• Was this variety up-scaled?
• How difficult is it to convince researchers to do research based on private sector priorities?
• What is your main message for donors?

Dr. Marc Abu Zeidan Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon, The development of indigenous sourdoughs with potential applications in the baking industries

ICARDA video interview with Dr. Marc Abu Zeidan on - Head of the Food Sciences Department
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon: The opportunities of research on Lebanese traditional food fermentation 

He responded to following questions:

• What type of research does traditional Lebanese food need?
• Do we need another type of expertise?
• Do you think there are many job opportunities in processing traditional food?
• Can you give some examples of fermented food products?
• Which organisation is checking on food safety issues?
• Do you also have a civil society organisation working on food safety?

Track 2: Food security: Risk analysis and management, value chain analysis, public health and hygiene.
Dr. Hussein Mansour, National Food Safe Authority

The Egyptian Parliament has approved the law number 1/2017 establishing the National Food Safety Authority on Monday 2, January 2017. the main functions are:

• Supervising the handling of food and making sure all specifications and requirements set out by relevant legislation are fulfilled.
• Setting the rules and conditions for granting validity certificates necessary for the exportation of locally produced food as well as supervising the granting of these certificates and their compliance with the aforementioned rules and conditions.
• Licensing, inspecting and supervising food handling and the workers in these facilities to insure the compliance with the relevant laws and decrees.
• Supervising imported and locally produced food, prohibiting the handling of food unfit for human consumption and preventing fraud and deception in food.
• Setting the regulations and rules for food advertising and the mandatory labeling criteria.
• Regulating the cases of approval or rejection of genetically-modified foods or foods containing components that are genetically modified or irradiated where they relate to food safety and setting the rules regulating the use of food additives, treatment catalysts and other ingredients of which food is composed and which affect its safety according to Codex Commission criteria and standards adopted by international bodies.

Track 3: Impact of environmental pollution on food industries.
Dr. Ing. Zahra S. Ahmed Technical University Munich - Africa's food security and emerging technology - challenges and opportunities

Dr. Patrick Vincent Hegarty (see picture), Importance of Codes Alimentarus for food manufacturers

Track 4: Food Adulteration: Laws, policy and governance.
Dr. Patrick Vincent Hegarty (see picture), Important new developments in food packaging

Track 5: Food Economy, Marketing, Trade, and Market Access.

Mohamed Wageih, The future of empowering the EU-North Africa Research and Innovation Cooperation on Agro-Food under the PRIMA Initiative (2018-2028)

Track 6: Food and Water Testing.

Track 7: Public health and Food hygiene practices/sanitation.

Related:

14 March 2019. Nestle Lausanne bio-degradable packaging research center. 

The institute, which forms part of Nestlé’s global research organisation, will be based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The company says it will employ around 50 people, including around 20 new positions, and include a state-of-the-art laboratory complex as well as facilities for rapid prototyping. It will be working closely with academic partners, start-ups and suppliers, testing new materials in various product categories before they are rolled out across Nestlé’s global portfolio.

One of the key issues Nestlé says the Institute will be facing is that of plastic waste, for which it will be delivering “highly-performing environmentally friendly packaging solutions.” Focus areas for research will include recyclable, biodegradable or compostable polymers, functional paper, as well as new packaging concepts and technologies to increase the recyclability of plastic packaging.

Related:
Webinar: Sicker Fatter Poorer: The Urgent Threat of Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals to Our Health and Future ... and What We Can Do About It

Dr. Trasande exposes the chemicals that disrupt our hormonal systems and damage our health in irreparable ways. He shows us where these chemicals hide—in our homes, our schools, at work, in our food, and countless other places we can’t control—as well as the workings of policy that protects the continued use of these chemicals in our lives. Drawing on extensive research and expertise, he outlines dramatic studies and emerging evidence about the rapid increases in neurodevelopmental, metabolic, reproductive, and immunological diseases directly related to the hundreds of thousands of chemicals that we are exposed to every day. Unfortunately, nowhere is safe.

A Conversation with Author and Leader in Children's Environmental Health, Dr. Leo Trasande. In his new book, Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a pediatrician, professor, and world-renowned researcher, tells the story of how our everyday surroundings are making us sicker, fatter, and poorer. Through a blend of narrative, scientific detective work, and concrete information about the connections between chemicals and disease, he shows us what we can do to protect ourselves and our families from hormone-disrupting chemicals in the short-term, and how we can help bring about the large-scale change that limits this threat to our health. In this webinar 

Dr. Jerry Heindel, director of Commonweal’s Program in Endocrine Disruption Strategies, interviews Dr. Trasande about his research, his commitment to effecting change, and how his new book can help. February 20, 2019.

Related:

Farmer-to-Farmer program

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Land O'Lakkes is leading a five-year $6.25 million F2F program focused on food quality and safety (FSQ). 

Bangladesh, Egypt and Lebanon face considerable food safety and quality challenges. To increase productivity and profitability in the agriculture sectors, Land O’Lakes International Development is implementing F2F FSQ to address the important issues of food safety and quality with highly qualified volunteers. Volunteers assist and train others on good agricultural, veterinary and manufacturing practices in order to improve the local food safety protocols and quality assurance systems from “field-to-fork.”

Transforming the Assessment and Inspection of Food Businesses in Egypt (TAIB)

This project is USAID funded project and the implementation party is Land O’ Lakes.

With a history of food safety issues in the country, the Government of Egypt (GOE) has established the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) to control and regulate food in Egypt. TAIB will work in close collaboration with NFSA and other key stakeholders to ensure a successful transition to a modern food safety system. 

It will provide technical support to NFSA to regulate food across Egypt and promote greater U.S. export and investment opportunities. The three main objectives are to: enhance organizational capacity of NFSA, develop workforce training for NFSA and promote improved policy and regulatory frameworks.