MoniQA eNews Alert 2017-01-15

Bari Banner 2017

Stay up-to-date with food safety and new trends in food analysis!

From the content

1. Food Authenticity and Food Allergens among the top 5 food safety priorities in 2017

In 2017 MoniQA Association (Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the total food supply chain) will highlight emerging issues related to 1) food authenticity and food fraud prevention and 2) food allergens and effective food allergen management. Starting with various task force meetings (25 January 2017) and an international symposium on Food Fraud Prevention and Effective Food Allergen Management 26 + 27 January 2017 the MoniQA Global Food Safety Network again will strengthen its involvement in collaborative research projects, providing validated reference materials (especially for food allergen analysis), developing harmonized protocols, offering validated information and online tools and databases, as well as providing training and continuous professional development. The top 5 priorities for 2017 will include food authenticity, food allergens, antimicrobial resistance, processing and chemical contaminants (including mycotoxins), and microbiological contaminants.

On behalf of the MoniQA Association we would like to wish you a good start in the New Year! We thank all our members and the extended global network for their trust in the past year and their support. With a great team at the new MoniQA Headquarters in Neutal, Austria, we were able to improve our services to our members and the food analytical community. MoniQA was able to contribute to various burning issues in the area of food safety risk assessment and management with various collaborative research projects and proposals, the establishment of new online tools, the production and validation of food allergen reference materials, and the organisation of various training and networking events. We thank all the contributors and collaborators that made these activities a great success. We are certain that these initiatives have contributed to a safer world for food production and consumption worldwide. We can look back at a busy and successful year and we are looking forward to working with you in 2017.

2. Food Fraud Prevention and Effective Food Allergen Management, Bari, Italy, 26-27 January 2017 – last chance to register!

Check out the final programme of this international symposium and join us for this high level discussion on how to combat food fraud and how to assure authenticity of foods (Day 1), as well as how to best manage food allergens and food allergy (Day 2) at this international symposium to be held in Bari, Italy, 26-27 January 2017. http://bari2017.moniqa.org
The two-day-symposium on Food Fraud Prevention and Effective Food Allergen Management is organised by MoniQA Association together with it's longstanding member CNR-ISPA.

Check out the programme and register today!

Conference Website: http://bari2017.moniqa.org

Meet the speakers and find the final programme at http://bari2017.moniqa.org/programme

Register now and secure your registration (MoniQA Members enjoy a substantial discount): http://bari2017.moniqa.org/registration
Online registration ends 20 January 2017!

Meet the sponsors at http://bari2017.moniqa.org/sponsor.

The symposium will tackle various burning questions related to food authenticity and food allergens, respectively:

Food fraud is a US$ 80 billion business worldwide. Food fraud is undermining consumer confidence and poses a threat to food safety. What are the most recent advances in analytical tools and the use of big data to assure the authenticity of foods? Will targeted or non-targeted methods best help to prevent food fraud? How do food detectives and food forensics work to assure food authenticity and food safety?

Food allergens affect about 2-4 % of the general population in Western societies and the number of sufferers from food allergy is growing. The food industry is obliged to use adequate labelling and to have a food allergen management system in place. More than 50 % of all food recalls are due to food allergens and/or labelling errors. Allergic consumers depend on the provided information and the due diligence of food manufacturers. How can we produce safe foods for everyone and best manage food (allergen) safety? Which analytical tools are best fit to support appropriate food allergen management or assuring compliance to regulations? Which new tools are in the pipeline? How can I find answers to questions about liability?

The symposium will give practical, scientific and legal background information, insight in innovative approaches, newly developed tools and recently introduced analytical methods to combat food fraud and to improve food allergen management. These new developments will be linked to real case studies and learnings from recent incidents, as well as from research projects.

For more information please contact the conference website http://bari2017.moniqa.org

We thank our sponsors:

Diamond Sponsor		Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor		Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor		Bronze Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor		Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor

This event is supported by:

Media partners:

3. Food Allergen Reference Materials - MoniQA Task Force Meeting in Bari, Italy, 25 January 2017, 14:00-17:30 CET

All MoniQA Members, Task Force and Committee Members, Speakers and Sponsors of the Bari Symposium are invited to participate in our upcoming MoniQA Task Force Meeting. This time two task forces will meet in parallel:

Food Allergen Reference Materials, chaired by Roland Poms
Food Authenticity and Food Fraud Prevention, chaired by Richard Cantrill

If you are interested in participating in any of the two task forces or if you think that a colleague of yours should participate, please confirm your participation and/or acquire an invitation by return email to roland [dot] poms [at] moniqa [dot] org and marion [dot] forgash [at] moniqa [dot] org at your earliest convenience and indicating the respective task force of interest to you.

Location: ISPA-Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 BARI, Italy
Contact organizer: roland [dot] poms [at] moniqa [dot] org OR mobile +43 6765516636
Local contact: linda [dot] monaci [at] ispa [dot] cnr [dot] it OR mobile +39 3471765786

An agenda for each meeting will be provided to confirmed participants in due time. Please find some preliminary items below. You may also propose additional or new agenda items or express your ideas of interest. Please find also a symposium leaflet attached for your reference and for your use to further disseminate the event.

Preliminary agenda items for the Food Allergen Reference Materials TC:

Milk Allergen Control Materials: production and confectioning completed, product facts, results of validation study, publication, price/sales/distribution, requirements to become an official distributor
Status of the new gluten standard
Next target allergens and AOAC-ISPAM collaboration: soy, egg, ...
iFAAM EU Project main outcomes: harmonizing reporting units, peanut validation study, tool box
New project proposals

Please mind that a confirmation of attendance is required.

4. Food Authenticity - MoniQA Task Force Meeting in Bari, Italy, 25 January 2017, 14:00-17:30 CET

The newly established MoniQA Task Force on Food Authenticity and Food Fraud Prevention will meet in parallel to the Food Allergen Reference Materials TC on 25 January 2017, 14:00-17:30 at CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy. All MoniQA Members, Task Force and Committee Members, Speakers and Sponsors of the Bari Symposium are invited to participate. For administrative information and registration details refer to the above information on the food allergen RM meeting.

Preliminary agenda items for the Food Authenticity - Food Fraud Prevention TC:

Gaps and needs: Existing initiatives and running projects, emerging challenges, brainstorming gaps and needs – what can MoniQA do to help?
Guidance on developing non-targeted methods: collaboration with US Pharmacopeia
Databases, harmonization, validation of non-targeted methods – third party benefits?
New project proposals

Please mind that a confirmation of attendance is required.

5. Guidance on Developing Non-Targeted Methods for Adulteration Detection

Are you interested in the development and validation of non-targeted methods for adulteration of food ingredients or dietary supplements? If so, USP invites your feedback on the proposed ‘Guidance on Developing Non-Targeted Methods for Adulteration Detection.’ This draft guidance is intended to provide users in supply chain management with information that can be applied to testing and authentication of raw materials. To learn more and submit comments visit: http://www.usp.org/guidance-developing-and-validating-non-targeted-methods-adulteration-detection.

MoniQA supports USP in providing tools to assure the authenticity of food and to prevent food fraud. We invite you to a face-to-face meeting with the experts in this field and to an interactive discussion of the new approaches at the International Symposium on Food Fraud Prevention on 26 January 2017 in Bari, Italy, http://bari2017.moniqa.org and as part of MoniQA’s Food Authenticity Task Force meeting in the afternoon of 25 January 2017 prior to the main symposium. For more information and to receive an invitation please refer to http://www.moniqa.org/node/899.

6. Free Workshop: Introduction to food allergen management (in Italian), Rome, Italy, 7 February 2017

Within the framework of the EU-funded Project iFAAM (Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management, http://www.moniqa.org/ifaam), we would like to invite you to a workshop on "Introduction to food allergen management" on 7 February 2017 in Rome.

The workshop provides an introduction on food allergen management for SME food businesses and will cover the following topics:

Food allergens of importance, prevalence and basis of food allergies and coeliac disease
iFAAM - FP7 EU-funded project activities
Food allergen management across the supply chain
Role of testing in food allergen management and an introduction to different types of testing
Practical hands-on sessions using common rapid methods in allergen testing for monitoring cleaning

Short user-friendly lectures, demonstrations, and interactive Q&A sessions will give attendees a basic knowledge and understanding of food allergen management.
The workshop will be mainly held in Italian. Please note that the number of participants is limited and registration will be on a first-come, first served basis. The registration is free of charge and will be confirmed after receipt of the registration form included in the workshop leaflet.
For more information on the workshop or your registration, please contact Francesca Bucchini from Hylobates (MoniQA Member since 2016) francescabucchini [at] hylobates [dot] it.

7. New Trends for Multi-Components Analysis, 02-03 March 2017, Barcelona, Spain - Register before 13 February 2017 and enjoy a 40 % discount!

The Europe Section of the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, cordially invites you to attend the International Symposium “Labs in a Crystall Ball - New Trends for Multi-Components Analysis”, 02-03 March 2017, in Barcelona, Spain, jointly organized by the International Symposium AOACI Europe and ACE Analytical Community Europe. A great programme is waiting for you and will offer new insights in modern food analysis. To view the programme details and to register, please go to http://www.moniqa.org/webfm_send/259.
Register before 13 February 2017 and enjoy a 40 % discount on your registration fee!

Take this opportunity and learn more about the Europe Section of AOAC and experience the many benefits of this professional group which consists of representatives of the analytical community in Europe.
The activities of the section are of interest to many stakeholders from industry and trade, consumer and environmental protection agencies, public authorities and regulaters in Europe and/or Mediterranean countries.
AOAC Europe is a section of AOAC INTERNATIONAL and was established in 1989. It is an organization of professional scientists that exchange knowledge and information to help each other excel in their profession. For more details please go to http://www.aoaceurope.com/.

The target of the International Symposium in Barcelona on the 2nd and 3rd March 2017 is a solid example of these activities. High level scientists with International profile will be presenting and debating their latest results in the following areas:

Analytical tools for public health
Marine Biotoxins
Pesticides
Mycotoxins
Veterinary Drugs
Food Packaging contact materials
Environmental contaminants
Dioxins determination
Quality assessment, QbD (Pharmaceutical Quality by Design)
Accreditation of testing laboratories

On behalf of the Organizing Committee we hope to see you in Barcelona!

8. 1st APGC – First ICC Asia-Pacific Grain Conference, Xiamen, China, 21-24 May 2017

The ICC Asia-Pacific Grains Conference (APGC) which is co-organised by ICC - The International Association for Cereal Science and Technology and CCOA - The Chinese Cereals and Oils Association (both MoniQA Founder Members), will take place in Xiamen, China, a beautiful coastal city in Southeast China, May 21-24, 2017.
On the theme "Science and Innovations in Grains: From Asia-Pacific to the World", the 1st APGC will promote scientific and technological knowledge and innovations related to the processing, utilisation, green storage, quality and safety, health and nutrition, and consumer needs of grains, oil seeds, pulses, and foods to help shape their future in the Asia-Pacific region. The conference aims at attracting researchers, product developers, industry representatives, legislators, and stakeholders from around the world, but especially from the Asia-Pacific region. A large exhibition of products, machinery and instruments will complement the technical programme and give the participants a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the field of grains, oils, and foods.
Stay posted for more details or refer to the conference website at http://main.ccoaonline.com/2017APGC/en/index.html.

9. Important Dates

iFAAM Final Project Meeting (by invitation only)
22-24 January 2017, Madrid, Spain
www.moniqa.org/ifaam

MoniQA Task Force Meeting of Food Authenticity
25 January 2017, Bari, Italy
http://www.moniqa.org/node/899

MoniQA Task Force Meeting on Food Allergen Reference Materials
25 January 2017, Bari, Italy
http://www.moniqa.org/node/899

Food Fraud Prevention and Effective Food Allergen Management
International Symposium, Bari, Italy
26-27 January 2017
http://bari2017.moniqa.org

Introduction to Food Allergen Management
iFAAM Workshop (in Italian)
Rome, Italy
7 February 2017
http://www.moniqa.org/node/890

New Trends for Multi-Components Analysis
International Symposium AOACI Europe and ACE Analytical Community Europe
Barcelona, Spain
02-03 March 2017
Information sheet (PDF)

IAM 2017
Inter Agency Meeting
For CCMAS 2017 Codex Alimentarius
Budapest, Hungary
05 May 2017 (tbc)

CCMAS 2017
Codex Alimentarius Meeting
Budapest, Hungary
08-12 May 2017
http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/committees/committee/en/?committee=CCMAS

APGC - 1st ICC Asia-Pacific Grain Conference
Xiamen, China
21-24 May 2017
http://main.ccoaonline.com/2017APGC/en/index.html

Australasian Grain Science Conference
Christchurch, New Zealand
20-22 September 2017

131st AOAC Annual Meeting & Exposition 2017
Atlanta, GA, USA
24–27 September 2017

AACC International Annual Meeting 2017
San Diego, USA
08-11 October 2017
http://www.aaccnet.org/meetings/annual/Pages/default.aspx

WGS 2017 - 6th International Whole Grain Summit
Vienna, Austria
13-15 November 2017
https://www.wholegrainsummit.com/

10. Not a MoniQA Member yet? Sign up today!

The MoniQA Association www.moniqa.org is an international group of institutions dedicated to collaborative research aimed at promoting a more secure and safer food supply. The MoniQA Association was established in 2011 as a non-profit distributing organisation with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The association continues and follows up on the results achieved by the FP6 EU-funded MoniQA Network of Excellence (Jan 2007- Jan 2012), which brought together more than 500 scientists and food safety experts from around the world. To date (December 2016) more than 40 institutions from some 20 countries from 5 continents are members of the association and some 8000 professionals from over 80 countries are linked to the association’s activities, providing a global network which has established an efficient and effective collaboration culture. Membership is open to institutions involved or interested in food safety http://www.moniqa.org/membership/signup.

Membership in MoniQA Association is open to all institutions interested in food safety and quality related issues. MoniQA – the 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.

Sign up for Membership in MoniQA today and start benefiting from the association’s international network and a variety of activities and services: www.moniqa.org/about/association. To date more than 40 institutions from some 20 countries from 5 continents are members of the association and some 8000 professionals from over 80 countries are linked to the association’s activities, providing a global network which has established an efficient and effective collaboration culture. Membership is open to institutions involved in food safety http://www.moniqa.org/membership/signup.

The MoniQA Association undertakes research, coordinates and manages various working groups in areas such as food authenticity, food allergens, chemical and processing contaminants, mycotoxins, and microbiological contaminants. MoniQA Association is a publisher of harmonized protocols, new methods and food safety research results. MoniQA’s training programme includes workshops and courses, eLearning and webinars. MoniQA Association provides validated information, databases and on-line tools, training and continuous professional development, and a network of highly qualified institutions dealing with food safety research and assessment. The partners have successfully worked together on method validation studies, ring trials and proficiency tests, production of reference materials and advising CEN and ISO and the European Commission in food safety issues. Since 2008 MoniQA has been the official organiser of the technical training session for the delegates of the yearly meeting of the joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Committee on Methods and Sampling. Additionally, MoniQA provides robust policy support and socio-economic impact assessments. MoniQA has contributed to several high-level events, such as the World Expo in Shanghai (2010) and in Milan (2015). MoniQA has a very effective and efficient dissemination network (not least with other EU projects).

11. Imprint

MoniQA eNewsAlerts and Newsletters are published by MoniQA Association quarterly and additional issues may be distributed based on demand. Traditionally the eNewsAlerts are written by the Secretary General. MoniQA’s eNewsAlerts reach close to 9000 contacts in over 85 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas and Australia-New-Zealand. As international and interdisciplinary network of professionals from institutions working in food research, regulatory bodies and trade, MoniQA aims at 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. MoniQA contributes to the development and validation of analytical methods, provides training and continuous professional development (CPD), consultancy and socio-economic impact assessment.

You can view and download the full newsletter at www.moniqa.org/enews-alert-2017-01-15

12. Your feedback is important to us

We value and appreciate your feedback and suggestions in order to improve our services and the way we communicate. Please feel free to send us your thoughts and suggestions to moniqa [at] moniqa [dot] org.

Stay connected with MoniQA and enjoy reading this MoniQA eNews Alert 2017-01-15!

Dr. Roland Poms, Secretary General/CEO

© 2017, MoniQA - International Association for Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the Total Food Supply Chain, General Secretariat, Werner von Siemens Straße 1, 7343 Neutal, Austria, www.moniqa.org. Email: moniqa [at] moniqa [dot] org .