Impact of Climate Change and Globalisation on Safety of Fresh Produce -

The purpose of this Intensive Program in Food Safety is to train and disseminate knowledge and know how to participants, working for governmental, research or non profit organisations in the agri-food chain which may facilitate the setting up of studies, improvement of organization structures or taking the initiative for further capacity building in the various aspects of food safety and its governance in developing countries. In the training course in Ghent, the main subjects, microbiological, chemical and physical hazards, in food safety are intensively reviewed. Participants will be trained to manage the potential control measures of the hazards specified by (inter)national legislation, (Codex Alimentarius) guidelines, quality assurance standards/systems (e.g. Pre Requisite Programs, HACCP, ISO 22000, Global Gap). The various components of Risk Analysis, as basic methodology to take policy/management decisions, will be discussed and elaborated including both microbiological and chemical case studies. The Training encompasses a farm to fork approach, covering both primary production (fresh produce, animal production and aquaculture) and processing industry (dairy, fresh cut produce, meat and meat products, fish and fishery products) and including some aspects of consumer’s risk.

The lectures are given by professors and research assistants, of the Ghent University Association, complemented by invited (inter)national speakers from other research institutes, competent authorities or companies/organizations in the agri-food chain. The program is composed of several modules and can be followed as a whole or per module. Upon notification and agreement with the lecturer also some of the individual sessions can be attended.

Module 1 :
Situation of food safety in the international context and the development of (inter)national standards/legislation/guidelines
This introductory module discusses the principles of the different hazards of food safety, food safety versus food security and the international process of developing food safety control measures and criteria resulting in for example Codex Alimentarius guidelines or EU legislation. 

Module 2 :
Knowledge of the agri-food chain (primary production and processing industry)
The second module covers both theoretical lectures and practical exercises with regard to “good practices” in the primary production (fresh produce, animal production and aquaculture). Next to this, basics of food chemistry and food microbiology applicable to the food processing industry is reviewed. In addition the principles of analytical methods and techniques in food microbiology and food chemistry will be discussed and demonstrated.

Module 3 :
Food safety and related hazards
This module transfers the knowledge and know how related to food safety hazards i.e. a) microbiological hazards including bacteria, viruses, moulds); b) chemical hazards including pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, processing contaminants such as acrylamide, PAHs, etc.; c) allergens; d) physical hazards; e) nutritional disorders and their link towards food safety.


Module 4 :
Risk analysis
This module is setting up the risk analysis procedure for both microbiological and chemical food safety hazards. It includes lectures on the principles and parts of risk analysis, aspects of both microbiological and chemical risk assessment; information on statistics for selection of distribution and procedures sensitivity analysis and finally some notes on risk management and risk communication. Theoretical knowledge will be translated in practical examples by exercises in the computer classes.

Module 5 :
Quality Assurance Systems to control food safety
This module focuses on the different measures to control food safety in the agri-food chain. This includes the Principles of a Quality Assurance Systems; Pre Requisite Programs based on Codex Alimentarius principles and exercises; HACCP principles (both theory and exercises). QA systems will be presented by testimonies of QA managers of companies or representatives of industry associations talking on challenges to set-up Quality assurance systems in primary production as well as the processing industry. Also some visits are scheduled to a farm, a slaughterhouse and food (fish, meat, dairy, vegetables) processing companies to witness the implementation of Quality assurance systems in the field. Furthermore lectures are foreseen on validation and verification of food safety management systems and traceability and crisis management.

Module 6 :
Control on food safety in the agri-food chain
In this module the principles of inspection/audit are discussed and the organization of the European food safety agencies. 

Module 7 :
Case study food safety problem in home country
In this last module, the participants are invited to work out a case study relating to a particular food safety problem in their home country. Possible preventive measures in the food chain, control strategies and risk analysis application should be evaluated to tackle the problem. All collected knowledge during the ITP Food Safety should be applied for the case study. A presentation and defense of the case study is foreseen.

It is estimated that up to one third of the population in developed countries are affected by food borne diseases each year, while the problem is likely to be even more widespread in developing countries. In addition to food borne infections by bacteria, viruses or protozoa, chronic dietary exposure to various chemical contaminants is also considered to contribute to the burden of disease. Last decade, large efforts have been made on the global level towards development and implementation of food safety management systems to assure food safety in the agri-food chain. This is demonstrated by multiple Codex Alimentarius guidelines and for example in EU illustrated by the introduction of the General Food Law. As a result of this, compliance to stringent requirements for foodstuffs that are put to the market or being imported or exported is needed. These control measures challenge individual farmers or manufacturers, in particular those in developing countries that may not be able to comply fully with food safety requirements considering the particular context in which they have to operate. Moreover, in many of these developing countries, there is the dilemma of food safety versus food security. Risk assessment being an objective evaluation of risk in which assumptions and uncertainties are clearly considered is the current accepted basis for decision making on control measures in the food chain. But still in many countries in the South, knowledge and skills on the methodology of risk assessment and how to apply it for particular case studies is insufficient.