Archive of News articles

Two new webinars are available and provided by MoniQA. The webinats were produced in coperation with CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy and Thermo Fisher, Prague, Czech Republic, both MoniQA members. Please click on the links below to watch Dr. Veronica Lattanzio, from the Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Italy, speak about quantitative determination and metabolite discovery of mycotoxins using Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ high resolution accurate mass spectrometry and Dr. Linda Monaci, also from the Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Italy, speak about multi-allergen detection and quantitation of milk and egg proteins in white wine using Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ high resolution accurate mass spectrometry.

• Webinar 1: Orbitrap High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Mycotoxin Analysis - Quantitative Determination and Metabolite Discovery
• Webinar 2: High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Tailored for Multi-Allergen Detection

The webinars are offered free of charge!

The quality of food supplements made from plants is an ongoing subject of debate inside the European community. These products are usually a complex mixtures of ingredients derived from plants of different origins and composition, and the quality of products can be affected by a countless number of factors including the incorrect identification of the plant species, the presence of naturally present compounds of some concern, unintentional contamination by biological, physical or chemical contaminants, or fraudulent adulteration with other plants and/or the addition of illegal substances.

The specific quality issues of plants for food supplements have been addressed and discussed at the conference dedicated to the Quality of Plant food supplements in Vienna 11 July 2013 and hosted by the Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds University of Veterinary Medicine.

To read more please go to: link

NOTE: The lecture has been postponed! The special workshop on 19 June 2013 takes place with a changed agenda.

Roland Poms, Secretary General of ICC and MoniQA Association will lecture on "Reference Materials and Method Validation in Food Safety Assurance" at BOKU - University of Life Sciences and Natural Resources, Vienna, Austria. Apart from enrolled MSc and PhD students, ICC and MoniQA members have access to a maximum of 10 places. If interested, please register by email to office [at] icc [dot] or [dot] at. The lectures, excursions and workshop activities are on 5 afternoons 17-21 June 2013, 13:00-17:00. Invited speakers from international standardisation organisations will enrich the workshop programme and give a global perspective and the value of international standards.

The aim of the workshop on "Reference materials and method validation in food safety assurance" is to describe the issues and challenges involved in the international comparability and validity of analytical results in the assurance of food safety and quality. On the basis of practical examples the focus will be on current hot topics, such as mycotoxins, food allergens, pathogenic micro-organisms, GMOs, etc., the analytical possibilities (including rapid methods), and the corresponding EU regulations. Additionally, an overview of international standardization bodies and examples of international validation studies will be given.

Special workshop "Method Performance and Analytical Uncertainty" on 19 June 2013, 15:00-17:30: see the attached agenda.

A Regional Expert Advisory Working Group Meeting was held in Jahorina, Bosnia on: Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Control related to Aflatoxins in South Eastern Europe, 4^th/5^th April 2013.

The meeting was called upon by the Ministers of Agriculture of the Balkan region, which was recently affected by aflatoxins in maize and milk. The aflatoxin issue had also spread to West European trading partners. The meeting was organised by the South Eastern Europe Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group based in Skopje, Macedonia. Approximately 30 participants from Balkan countries attended the meeting. Two external experts, Frans Verstraete (European Commission, DG-SANCO, Brussels, Belgium) and Hans van Egmond (RIKILT Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen UR, the Netherlands) were found to be available to attend the meeting, after an urgent call from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations through the Network of the MoniQA Association. The meeting resulted in recommendations that were immediately presented to the joint ministers to enable management decisions and adequate measures to resolve the aflatoxin problems in the Balkan region. The day after the meeting these recommendations were ratified at the political level.

The case shows how the MoniQA Association can successfully provide expertise from its members at short notice, in case of emerging food and feed safety issues.

A big Thank You to the two experts!

The 2^nd FOODSEG Symposium will be held in Bucharest, Romania from 14^th to 15^th of June 2013.

For further information please visit www.b2match.eu/foodseg2013.

The early bird registration for the EuroFoodChem XVII (www.eurofoodchemxvii.org) is over. Exclusively for MoniQA Association Members, the deadline for this registration at the reduced fee will be extended to end of next week (7^th April 2013)! Additionally accommodation at the University guest house can be offered at lower rates. The number of available rooms is limited.

For registration, please get in contact with Ms Aysun Sahin (Arber): project [at] arber [dot] com [dot] tr

Some 200 participants from some 40 countries attended the 4^th MoniQA International Conference in Budapest, Hungary. The main focus of the conference was "Food Safety under Global Pressure of Climate Change, Food Security and Economic Crises".

Emerging issues and the various aspects of the interrelation between food safety, food security, economy development and globalization were presented and discussed in some 80 oral presentations in 20 technical sessions and close to 80 posters. The 6 keynote speakers at the start and at the end of the conference embedded the conference topics in both a global picture of the current situation as well as gave an expert glimpse into the future. We were proud to have had the following keynote speakers with us:

• Franz Fischler, president of the European Alpbach Forum and former European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Austria
  "Impacts of economic crises on food markets and how to make the food production sector sustainable"
• Vish Prakash, Distinguished Scientist of CSIR - India, President ISNNAN, India
  "A sustainable nutrition security through a food security for health and wellness in developing countries by adaptable, accessible and affordable food technologies"
• Eleonora Dupouy, Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, FAO, Hungary
  "Safe food supply in a globalized world: a sustainable development perspective"
• Elke Anklam, Director, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Joint Research Center, ISPRA, Italy
  "Emerging food safety risks and global trade"
• Frans Verstraete, DG SANCO, Belgium
  "Regulating for emerging food safety concerns as regards mycotoxins and phytotoxins"
• Dieter Brigitta, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Belgium
  "Horizon 2020 – Future Research for a Safe, Secure and Nutritious Food Supply"

In various pre-conference workshops, young scientists and professionals were able to get in-depth insight and training in various food safety management and risk communication aspects as well as hands-on training in food safety analytical methods. The Young Scientist Forum and a Best Poster Awarding session offered opportunities to present new and ongoing research work. MoniQA would like to congratulate the winners of the 3 Best Poster Awards: Olivia Csernus, Central Environmental and Food Science Research Institute, Hungary, Isabel Mafra, ICETA, Portugal and Ljiljia Torovic, Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Serbia which were sponsored by the organisers of the conference MoniQA Association (www.moniqa.org), based in Vienna, Austria, and Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Hungary together with QAS Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods, the official media partner of the conference.

The 5^th MoniQA International Conference will be held in Porto, Portugal and will be organised by the MoniQA Association together with the MoniQA Association member ICETA - "Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologias Agrárias e Agro-Alimentares da Universidade do Porto".

We look forward to meeting you in Porto in 2015!

Prof. Dr. Roland E. Poms
Secretary General MoniQA Association

14 December 2012, Wageningen

Wageningen Academic Publishers is pleased to announce the collaboration with ICC and MoniQA for publishing 'Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods (QAS)'. This international journal was previously published by Wiley Blackwell. The journal will be published by Wageningen Academic Publishers starting in 2013 with Volume 5. The journal transfer will ensure further growth and continued delivery of high-quality content.

Mike Jacobs, Managing Director at Wageningen Academic Publishers, said, "We are delighted to add 'Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods' to our portfolio. It ties in nicely with the food and feed titles that we have published for years. It is our aim to use our experience in this topic and our personal approach to re-launch the journal. Together with our motivated editors we look forward to expanding the journal's reach and readership."

In the new setting Dr. Roland Poms (ICC) and Stanley Cauvain (BakeTran, UK), are the editors-in-chief. Both editors were already involved with 'Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods' before the transition.

Being asked for his opinion on the journal transfer, Roland Poms replied "The acquisition by Wageningen Academic Publishers is an exciting development in the life of QAS and I am convinced that this new collaboration with WAP will be most beneficial to the growing success of this international journal, which received ISI rating already in the first few years of its existence. QAS will perfectly complement the range of journal titles published by WAP and thus synergies in promotion of the journal and in increasing impact of the published articles will help strengthen QAS' position. As co-editor-in-chief I am looking forward to working with this energetic and enthusiastic team at WAP."

About 'Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods'

'Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods' publishes papers from around the globe with the major focus on analytical tools for assuring quality and safety, traceability and authenticity, food security, and technologies associated with harvesting, storing, processing and manufacturing of cereals, crops and derived foods and feeds, refined products and ingredients. The scope of publications will also cover other disciplines related to food and feed quality and safety, such as legal requirements, regulations, socio-economic impact, globalisation and trade, international organisations and agreements. The journal is internationally recognised, indexed by ISI Web of Science, peer reviewed and supported by an international editorial board. For more information, please visit the website: www.wageningenacademic.com/qas.

About Wageningen Academic Publishers

Wageningen Academic Publishers is an independent publishing company in the field of Life Sciences. It publishes journals as well as books. Wageningen Academic Publishers is one of the few STM publishers that do not only offer the option of Open Access publishing for journals, but also for books. For more information, please refer to the website: www.wageningenacademic.com.

About ICC

ICC is the pre-eminent international association in the field of cereal science and technology, committed to international cooperation through the dissemination of knowledge, conducting research, and developing standard methods that contribute to improved food quality, food safety and food security for the health and well-being of all people.

About MoniQA

MoniQA (International Association for Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the Total Food Supply Chain) is an international and interdisciplinary network of professionals from institutions working in food research, regulatory bodies and trade, providing solutions to promote a safer and secure food supply worldwide. MoniQA facilitates international research collaborations to enable services and products for food safety & quality assurance, progress and validation of analytical methods, training and continuous professional development, consultancy and socio-economic impact assessment.

Media contact

E-mail: qas [at] wageningenacademic [dot] com
Phone: +31 317 476516

MoniQA is a broad and diverse network of partner organisations working in the area of food safety and quality management, method development and validation. One of MoniQA's services to its members and with this also one of the great advantages of being part of such a network is to facilitate participation at national and international research undertakings. Since its launch in September 2011, MoniQA has involved some 20 members in several research projects and/or proposals.

Currently MoniQA and its partners are involved in the preparation of 6 new projects.

Invited representatives from Standardisation Organisations around the globe will kick-off the discussion on priorities and main requirements for design, production and validation of Reference Materials for food allergen and gluten-free analysis. This first meeting is hosted by Trilogy Laboratories/R-Biopharm, one of MoniQA's members in Washington, Missouri, USA. The meeting's aim is to draft a first list of priority materials and to identify key points to be included in a potential future guidance document for the production of such materials. MoniQA will invite to a follow-up meeting to an extended discussion forum for MoniQA members and representatives of other invited research institutions/method providers/and regulatory agents in connection with the Gluten-Free Symposium in Vienna, Austria, 12-14 June 2013.

The objective of the EU supported research project FRISBEE (Food Refrigeration Innovations for Safety, consumers’ Benefit, Environmental impact and Energy optimization along the cold chain in Europe) is to provide new tools, concepts and solutions for improving refrigeration technologies along the European food cold chain. At all stages the needs of consumer and European industry will be considered. Among the tasks of the project is to develop new innovative mathematical modeling tools that combine food quality and safety together with energy, environmental and economic aspects to predict and control food quality and safety in the cold chain.

In order to gain a greater insight into deviations between real cold chain data and targeted specifications, a web based platform for building a comprehensive Cold Chain database has been set up: http://www.frisbee-project.eu/coldchaindb.html

From your published work and research activities or your company's activities you have been identified as a potential contributor. As a contributor, you will have privileged access to the Cold Chain Database (by login and password) and the access to the database will be secured.

Your input will be valuable in updating and extending the already released First European Cold Chain Database which is serving as a valuable tool to people and organizations that like you have contributed and are involved in the Cold Chain as researchers or industrial players.

By contributing data in this platform (instructions are attached) you can also sign up for access to the Cold Chain Predictor software, a tool which allows you to run simulations and distribution scenarios (e.g. worst case scenario based on real cold chain data). The software also allows the user to analyze and determine the product quality status and shelf life of a food product at the different cold chain stages, using real data from the Cold Chain Database.

We appreciate how valuable your data is to your work and the effort that has been committed to collecting this data. With this database you can join forces and share data with other researchers and data holders.

We would like to thank you in advance for your input that will help in extending the First European Cold Chain Database, a valuable tool to people and organizations that have contributed and are involved in the Cold Chain.

If you need any further information please contact directly frisbee [at] chemeng [dot] ntua [dot] gr or Professor Petros Taoukis (taoukis [at] chemeng [dot] ntua [dot] gr), who is responsible for the data collection.

The Cold Chain Database has been constructed in order to develop a user friendly on line platform where collected data from all cold chain stages can be retrievable and available to be used from candidate users (consortium members, beneficiary members, industry and research institutes). One is able to retrieve time-temperature profiles of specific products along the cold chain using search criteria such as Stage/step of the cold chain, Food storage temperature range, Characterization of food, Food product etc.

As of September 2012 the Cold Chain Database consists of nearly 5000 time-temperature profiles and is being continuously updated with new data uploaded from an expanding network of contributors.

Cold Chain Predictor is a software tool designed by NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) and IRSTEA (National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, former CEMAGREF) in the framework of FRISBEE project. The purpose of this tool is to reproduce a time/temperature history by simulating a cold chain. This tool is based on nearly 5000 time temperature profiles obtained for different food products along the European cold chain. The profiles have been contributed by FRISBEE consortium members, beneficiary members, industry and research institutes to the Cold Chain Database. The Database is being continuously updated (in a monthly basis) using the data that are being uploaded from all contributors in the Cold Chain Data Collection Platform.

You can find the User Instructions and Demo Videos presenting the Cold Chain Database and Cold Chain Predictor Software at http://www.frisbee-project.eu/coldchaindb.html by selecting the "Instructions and Demos" box.

Selected Wiley-Blackwell published papers including one paper QAS paper (“Short Communication: Some key emerging food safety issues”; Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods, Volume 2, Issue 3, Pages 141-148) will be highlighted in a special eNewsletter. By this, QAS will benefit from increased readership.

RTD Services in collaboration with EuroFIR organises a 3 day workshop-style seminar 'Successful planning and implementation of FP7 projects', which offers a training opportunity for researchers and research managers. The seminar combines theory, case studies and group work to provide both the “big picture” view and practical hands-on planning and implementation for FP7.The project development course will have a special focus on preparation for the upcoming and final KBBE deadline!

This seminar provides three compact, single day courses:

• Project Development – from the call analysis through to full proposal preparation
• Consortium Management – the specifics of managing an FP project
• Dissemination and Exploitation – communicating science and managing IP 

Each one-day course can be booked individually with reduced rates for 2 and 3 day bookings. There is also a special rate for EuroFIR AISBL and MoniQA Association members.

For further information click here.

For registration, please contact Mrs Menouch Solimani at EuroFIR AISBL (secretariat [at] eurofir [dot] org).

The Workshop on “Rapid Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of Food” (in Bulgarian) organised by the University of Food Technology and MoniQA was successfully held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 19-21 September 2012. A mix of presenters from Universities, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and 8 different companies (such as Merck, Biosystems Ltd and Diamed Ltd) trained around 40 participants for 3 days. The feedback from the participants was enthusiastic and highlights the potential for further MoniQA trainings.

“Thank you” to the successful organisers at the University of Food Technology.

ICC and MoniQA were represented by Roland Poms at the latest meeting of the PWG (prolamin working group) in Leuven, Belgium, 20-22 September 2012, where new clinical research results were presented and food analytical challenges were discussed. Collaboration between the PWG, ICC and MoniQA was reaffirmed especially related to the design and potential production of a new reference material and in organising technical sessions at upcoming conferences, such as the 4^th MoniQA International Conference in Budapest, Hungary, 26 February – 1 March 2013 and the 3^rd International Gluten Free Conference in Vienna, Austria, 12-14 June 2013.

The training is organised by University of Food Technology and MoniQA. It will take place at the University of Food Technology, Plovdiv and will be held in Bulgarian language.

Roland Poms, Secretary General of MoniQA and ICC, is holding a lecture on “Safety, Traceability and Authenticity”. For the detailed scientific programme and further information please go to:

http://www.spq.pt/eventos/11eqa/?setLn=en

4^th MoniQA International Conference, 26 February - 1 March 2013
Novotel Budapest Congress, Alkotas Utca 63-67, 1123 Budapest, Hungary

Food Safety under Global Pressure by Climate Change, Food Security and Economic Crises

Please register now at http://budapest2013.moniqa.org/registration.

Get a glimpse at the outstanding conference programme at
http://budapest2013.moniqa.org/programme.

The following keynote speakers will contribute to the highly relevant conference themes:

• Franz Fischler, former European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Austria: Impacts of Economic Crises on Food Markets and How to Make the Food Production Sector Sustainable.
• Vish Prakash, Distinguished Scientist of CSIR - India, President ISNNAN, India: A Sustainable Nutrition Security through a Food Security for Health and Wellness in Developing Countries by Adaptable, Accessible and Affordable Food Technologies.
• Eleonora Dupouy, Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, FAO, Hungary: Enhancing The Impact Of Agriculture On Food And Nutrition Security Under The Pressure Of Emerging Global Challenges.
• Elke Anklam, Director, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Joint Research Center, ISPRA, Italy: Emerging Food Safety Risks and Global Trade.
• Frans Verstraete, DG SANCO, Belgium: Regulating For Emerging Food Safety Concerns As Regards Mycotoxins And Phytotoxins.
• Dieter Brigitta, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Belgium: Horizon 2020 - Future Research for a Safe, Secure and Nutritious Food Supply.

Topical pre-conference workshops are offered for free to registered conference participants (http://budapest2013.moniqa.org/satellite_events):

• Horizon 2020 - Your Research Priorities on the European Research Agenda
• Quality Assurance aspects of mycotoxin testing
• Risk Communication (additional fee applies)
• Demonstration training on food modelling tools for evaluation of the impact of microstructure on nutritional and sensory properties
• Open debate on hot topics in food safety for the future
• Young Scientist Forum

Limited and exclusive, convenient and discounted travel and accommodation offers for conference participants are available at a first come first serve basis:

15% discount on all flights with Austrian Airlines, the Official Conference Carrier. Use your eVoucher code you receive upon registration to the conference and book your flight at www.austrian.com.

Pre-book your discounted taxi transfer service from any of the airports/train stations in Budapest, Vienna or Bratislava to the conference hotel at http://tshungary.com/moniqa.

Room and breakfast at an unbeatable price at the 4* Conference Hotel http://budapest2013.moniqa.org/accommodation. Novotel Budapest Congress offers best convenience, free wifi, great comfort, and after conference shopping, fitness and relaxation opportunities with a modern shopping mall next to the hotel, the hotel's own recreational amenities including an indoor pool, a sauna, and a fitness facility with the latest, modern equipment. Only a limited number of rooms have been blocked for this meeting until the end of 2012! Book now at a special discounted conference rate.

Become a sponsor at http://budapest2013.moniqa.org/sponsoring or reserve your exhibition space at
http://budapest2013.moniqa.org/registration.

Join our supporters: R-Biopharm, Shimadzu, Austrian Airlines, Trilogy Analytical Laboratory, TS Hungary, MoniQA Association, ICC - International Association for Cereal Science and Technology, BME – Budapest University of Technology and Economics,  IAM - Inter Agency Meeting, GHI - Global Harmonisation Initiative, IFA - ISEKI Food Association, CONffIDENCE Project, DREAM Project, TrackFast Project, FOODSEG Project, QAS - International Journal for Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods, and others.

The 4^th MoniQA International Conference will take place in Budapest, Hungary, 26 February - 1 March 2013, continuing the successful series of MoniQA International Conferences (Rome-Italy 2008, Krakow - Poland 2010, Varna – Bulgaria 2011).

The theme of the conference will put various emerging and persistent food safety issues, and the relevant analytical and legal challenges in perspective of globalisation, climate change, food security and economic crises. These issues are drivers for new developments and new research initiatives in food safety assurance and food safety management worldwide, however economic crises and the volatility of food commodity prices put pressure on food safety assurance strategies especially in developing countries but also in international trade. According to the definition of "Food Security" by the WHO, it is a fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger and to consume safe and nutritious food. MoniQA recognises that climate change poses a severe challenge to people's food security and the safety of food due to emerging risks and the magnitude of food safety related incidents due to modern production practices and global mobility. Furthermore, climate change is a major framing condition for sustainable development of agriculture and food, and it will impact all aspects of our daily lives.

The conference traditionally attracts participants from research and technology organisations, regulatory circles, food industry and manufacturers, retail and food associations, method providers, media and consumer representatives. About 200 participants from some 35 countries are expected to attend the 4th MoniQA International Conference in Budapest. New approaches and developments will be presented and discussed during the main conference in oral presentations, panel discussions and poster presentations. A wide range of relevant satellite workshops and a technical exhibition will give participants the opportunity to dig deeper in specific food safety subjects or get hands-on-experience in using various analytical and electronic tools relevant to food safety assurance. The talks will cover several food safety issues. The multi-disciplinary approach will give scientists, technicians, food manufacturers, policy makers and representatives from authorities and interest groups a profound insight in emerging food safety issues and associated challenges in risk management. Representatives from international organizations, such as FAO, IAEA, UNIDO, World Bank, and the European Commission, will put research results and scientific information in perspective of political and societal challenges for 2020 and beyond.

The conference is organised by the MoniQA Association http://www.moniqa.org/, based in Vienna, Austria, in cooperation with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Hungary, http://english.www.bme.hu/. The international scientific committee comprised of key scientists in the field of food safety and related areas is a warrantor for an exciting and highly relevant programme. Furthermore several international consortia, research teams and projects will be represented at the conference and will use this event for disseminating new findings and present new food safety management tools. Conveniently scheduled just prior to the IAM (Inter-Agency-Meeting) and Codex Alimentarius CCMAS 2013, global networking will facilitate fruitful discussions and new cooperations.

We hope to see you in Budapest, Hungary, 26 February – 1 March 2013.

Dr. Roland Ernest Poms and Dr. Sandor Tömösközi
On behalf of the Organising Committee

MoniQA was organising a scientific session at the World Mycotoxin Forum "WMF meets IUPAC" Conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 5-9 November 2012. The session included talks on MoniQA (Roland Poms, ICC, Austria), effects of processing on Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone levels in wheat (Sine Yener, HCTU, Turkey), an international ring trial for multi-mycotoxin LC-MS-MS analyis (Michele Solfrizzo, ISPA-CNR, Italy), a socio-economic case study on mycotoxin levels in Turkey (Line Lindner, ICC, Austria), and matrix effects in mycotoxin determination by HPLC-MS (Alexandra Malachova, Institute of Chemical Technology, Czech Republic and BOKU Vienna, Department IFA-Tulln, Austria).

More info on the MoniQA Session and the Conference: http://www.wmfmeetsiupac.org/html/welcome.asp 

Roland Poms, Secretary General of MoniQA Association will lecture on "Reference materials and method validation in food safety assurance" at BOKU - University of Life Sciences and Natural Resources, Vienna, Austria. Apart from enrolled MSc and PhD students, MoniQA members have access to a maximum of 10 places. If interested, please register by 25 February 2012 by email to roland [dot] poms [at] icc [dot] or [dot] at. Participation for MoniQA members is free, no support for travel and accommodation is available. The lectures, excursions and workshop activities are on 6 afternoons between 14:00-17:00 on February 27, 28, 29, and March 1, 8, 9).

The aim of the workshop on „Reference materials and method validation in food safety assurance” is to describe the issues and challenges involved in the international comparability and validity of analytical results in the assurance of food safety and quality. On the basis of practical examples the focus will be on current hot topics, such as mycotoxins, food allergens, pathogenic micro-organisms, GMOs, etc., the analytical possibilities (including rapid methods), and the corresponding regulations. Additionally, an overview of international standardization bodies and examples of international validation studies will be given.

Free Registration at the Joint IAM/MoniQA Workshop “Choosing the right laboratories for official control”, 4 March 2012, at Ramada Plaza Budapest Hotel

There are limited places, free registration applies to Codex delegates, IAM members and one delegate per MoniQA member institution. For details please go to

http://association.moniqa.org/workshops/laboratory_control_budapest_2012

To register, please go directly to

http://association.moniqa.org/workshops/laboratory_control_budapest_2012/register

EFSA publishes calls for tenders for all its procurement needs – services, goods, works or for the purchase or rental of a building.

Calls for tenders planned for launch in 2012 under EFSA‘s Annual Work Programme for Science Procurement Projects have been published on 8 February 2012. Several topics are relevant to food safety, food security and nutrition.

For details use the following link: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/procurement/tenders.htm

Free Registration at EFSA-Austria-Norway Workshop at OECD on “Key Allergens and Compositional Analysis in the Allergenicity Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants”, 21 March 2012, Paris, France

Invited speakers from the prestigious MoniQA Network of Excellence are involved in the EFSA Workshop on allergenicity assessment of GM plants. MoniQA Association Members are offered free registration at this workshop. A limited number of places are available and thus the organizer may not be able to accommodate all registrations.

The Final Programme and the Registration Form are available at

http://association.moniqa.org/workshops/efsa_allergen_paris_2012.

Brussels, 13 February 2012 – The European Commission has today adopted a strategy to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources. With the world population approaching 9 billion by 2050 and natural resources finite, Europe needs renewable biological resources for secure and healthy food and feed, as well as for materials, energy, and other products. The Commission's strategy and action plan, “Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe”, outlines a coherent, cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach to the issue. The goal is a more innovative and low-emissions economy, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food security, and the sustainable use of renewable biological resources for industrial purposes, while ensuring biodiversity and environmental protection. The plan therefore focuses on three key aspects: developing new technologies and processes for the bioeconomy; developing markets and competitiveness in bioeconomy sectors; and pushing policymakers and stakeholders to work more closely together.

More info: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/124&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The workshop, organised within the framework of the MoniQA Network of Excellence, offers a broad view on Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals and derived products. It covers overview on natural toxins, major mycotoxins and relevant toxigenic fungi, updated information on risks and regulations related to mycotoxins, various methodologies for mycotoxin analyses and method validation protocols of analyses by the experts of the mycotoxin field.

Laboratory applications for the analysis of deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisins in maize, extruded maize, wheat and pasta will be performed using both immunoaffinity clean-up methods and fast analysis methods. Participants will deal with sample extraction, clean up and identification of mycotoxins in cereal matrix extracts using HPLC techniques as well as with analysis by rapid test kits such as ELISA and lateral flow device. An LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous multi-toxin analysis will also be evaluated as a new approach in mycotoxin analyses.

The practical part of the four day training is open for 16 participants, and the participants will do the experiments in 4 groups (4 people in each group). This workshop is designed especially for people who want to develop skills in mycotoxin analyses and to gain experience on the validation of analytical methods which might help in selecting the right method.

Location: Ankara, Turkey

For more information and to sign up please visit the corresponding page at the MoniQA NoE website: 

http://www.moniqa.eu/node/2209

(Vienna, 5 September 2011) The EU funded MoniQA project is a very successful Network of Excellence which involves experts from around the globe working for safer foods by harmonising worldwide food quality and safety monitoring and control strategies. With EU funding ending on 31 January 2012, the work will continue through the newly set-up MoniQA Association, membership of which is open to all organisations with a commitment to food safety and security. 

The MoniQA Association is dedicated to international collaboration and research aimed at promoting a more secure and safer food supply, its activities include:

• Promoting the harmonisation of analytical approaches involved in food safety and quality
• Improving the knowledge-based bio economy through participation in relevant research programmes and facilitating bilateral/ multinational research collaboration agreements
• Providing the infrastructure for and establishing an international network for inter-laboratory validation trials for analytical methods and reference materials
• Disseminating and providing access to validated and robust data and information for food safety through, for example, online databases
• Sharing expertise and understanding through training courses, scientific conferences and symposia, international exchanges of researchers, technologists, engineers etc, expert consultancy,
• Publication especially but not exclusively through Quality Assurance of Crops & Food, which is jointly offered by ICC, the MoniQA Association and Wiley-Blackwell

The Next Generation - Join Now!

Already over two thirds of the original consortium of 33 members and several MoniQA associate members have joined and we are delighted to invite all interested stakeholders to participate in our growing community as well (membership fee: 1000 € / year)  If you are interested in becoming a member, visit http://association.moniqa.org/.

Membership includes the following benefits:

• Access to new expertise
• Insight into new markets
• Networking and interest representation
• Training and CPD
• Robust and validated information

We look forward to welcoming you becoming part of the next MoniQA Generation!

Dr. Roland E.Poms                                                                                        Dr. Anton J. Alldrick                     

MoniQA Association General Secretary                               MoniQA Association Interim President                                  

                                                               Mag. Daniel Spichtinger

                                               MoniQA Association Interim Vice-President