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About MoniQA (Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the Food Supply Chain)

We can buy food from all around the world but is it safe to eat? To protect our health and ensure food is safe and of high quality, we need reliable tools and methods to assess the foods we eat. Funded by the European Union, MoniQA brings together 33 organisations from around the world that are working together to help food manufacturers, retail outlets and regulatory bodies to cope with the challenges posed by a globalised food economy. In particular, MoniQA is establishing common methods and standards in food analysis.

MoniQA in a nutshell:

  • Scientists from around the globe
  • Harmonising global food quality and safety monitoring
  • Adding value to the food chain to ensure consumer confidence
  • Ensuring effective and efficient food quality and safety regulations within the EU and worldwide

Continue reading at MoniQA details and click here for key contacts.

MoniQA methods database now open

The MoniQA project now offers its Associated Partners and selected stakeholders free access to the MoniQA methods database. This database has been launched and tested extensively within the core consortium. We are now ready to offer it to an audience of selected stakeholders.

What is the MoniQA methods database?

MoniQA at the European Food Science Day

The European Food Science Day was held in Brussels on November 18, 2009 and brought together over 100 participants from a variety of stakeholders. Its aim was to widely disseminate the results of EU funded projects in the field of food and nutrition science. Speakers included high level representatives from the Commission and the European Parliament as well as from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries (CIAA) and the European Consumers’ Organisation.

MoniQA at RAFA 2009

Prague, Czech Republic; 4-6 November 2009 In line with the previous RAFA conferences the focus of RAFA 2009 was on “recent advanced analytical and bioanalytical technologies and emerging food related applications“. The meeting was hosted by the Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague (ICT Prague, Czech Republic), RIKILT – Institute of Food Safety (Wageningen, the Netherlands) and the International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (IAEAC, Allschwil, Switzerland). The main conference topics included:
  • Residues and contaminants,

MoniQA in the Asian Pacific Region

From the very beginning MoniQA was designed as a project with a truly global reach, bringing together partners from East and West. In September and October our consortium participated in and organised several events in China and Vietnam targeting stakeholders in the region.

Swine Flu

What is Swine flu?

Swine influenza is a common infection of pig populations worldwide caused by the H1N1 virus. A new subtype of this virus (Hi1N1/09) commonly referred to as “swine flu” and sometimes “new flu” now also affects humans. This new subtype was first identified in April 2009 as the result of an outbreak in Mexico. The virus spread globally and the WHO declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on June 11, 2009. On October 24, 2009, United States President Obama declared the H1N1 flu a national emergency.

New MoniQA Food Allergy Factsheet published

The public perception is that food allergy is a common condition. It is true that allergy is on the increase and with that also food allergy. In this factsheet (October 2009) we provide an overview of Food allergens in MoniQA and the importance of food allergy to different staekholder groups.

To download the factsheet go to http://www.moniqa.org/factsheets
To learn more about the MoniQA Allergens working group go to http://www.moniqa.org/allergens

New MoniQA glossy executive summary available

MoniQA Executive Summaries are abstracts of the work conducted within this EU funded project. Each year the project publishes an updated glossy executive summary with key research results. This year we have published both a 4 page and a 16 page version of the executive summary. Addtionally, abstracts of specific deliverables are available as well.

For more information and to download the executive summaries go to http://www.moniqa.org/execs

2nd International MoniQA Conference “Emerging and persisting food scares: Analytical challenges and socio‐economic impact” (8-10 June, 2010, Krakow, Poland)

After the success of the First International MoniQA Conference in Rome (8‐10 October 2008) the second conference will set out the state of the art on emerging and persisting food scares and the analytical challenges and socio‐economic impact that are connected with this issue. In particular we will provide an in‐depth look at the following thematic areas:

• Food Allergens
• Food Authenticity
• Food Additives and Processing Toxicants
• Microbiological Contaminants
• Mycotoxins/Phycotoxins

For more information go to http://krakow.moniqa.org

Second MoniQA newsletter published

Our MoniQA Newsletter informs you about recent MoniQA activities and the progress of our project.
Highlights in the new edition include articles on MoniQA and Food Allergens, The MoniQA Methods Database, Nano-food as well as our regular policy monitor section and the food safety web spotlight. In "project news" we cover the new journal "Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods (QAS)" and in the "Ask MoniQA" section we answer the question how associated partners can participate.

Read the newsletter online at http://www.moniqa.org/newsletters/2/newsletter.html

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