Brief:

To promote and further the iterests of those involved in the microbiology of food and food- and water-bornne diseases.

Convenor:

Norberto Ricacho (MSc, PGCertHSc)
Unitec NZ

Auckland
Email: nricacho@unitec.ac.nz

What's new in the Public Health SIG?

NEW! 19. August, 2007 - New Meetings/Symposia Announced:

Two new meetings/symposia of interest to members of Food Microbiology SIG have been added to the conferences page.

The first is a two day symposium on 'Microbioloogical Food Safety Management' to be held in Singapore and organised by the International Commision on Microbiological Specifications for Food (ICMSF). A program flyer (as pdf) can be downloaded here.

The second meeting is the 21st International ICFMH Symposium 'evolving microbial food quality and safety' (FOOD MICRO 2008) to be held at theAberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, Scotland from 01.-03. September, 2008. Further information and on-line registration can be found here.

Public Health SIG Meetings – 3 in a row

SIG to focus on “burning issues”

The Public Health (Food Microbiology, Water and Foodbourne Diseases) Special Interest Group has met thrice already, first at the September 2003 NZMS Conference in Auckland, a midyear meeting at the May 2004 DIANZ-NZIFST Conference in Hamilton and thirdly, at the November 2004 NZMS Scientific Conference at Palmerston North. The meetings, convened by Norberto Ricacho, Lecturer in Microbiology at Unitec NZ and formerly of ESR, were well attended and saw the presence of our eminent Public Health and Food Microbiologists in the country.

The September meeting was a good opportunity to foster closer and more dynamic interaction among the members. NZMS President Andrew Hudson and Treasurer Phil Bremer, who also are members of this SIG, expressed optimism for a greater relevance of the group’s activities not only to the scientific community but to the community-at-large.

Dr Roger Cook of NZFSA and Chairman of the International Association of Food Protection Management Committee for the Journal of Food Protection floated the idea of setting up an IAFP affiliate, with NZMS and NZIFST as the core associations. The Food & Water Micro SIG shall take the lead on this initiative and Roger shall investigate further on the requirements.

Gail Greening, ESR Senior Scientist, briefly described the Institute’s research in Food Virology, particularly on the Rotavirus and Norwalk virus detection in seafoods.

The meeting ended with a commitment to “keep the ember burning” for this SIG by organising local area meetings and perhaps a mid-year general SIG meeting. A light lunch provided by the Unitec Schools of Health Science and Animal Welfare was shared by everyone after the meeting

The May 2004 SIG meeting along with the DIANZ-NZIFST Conference in Hamilton was then a planned sequel. With apologies from some members, the mid-year meeting was attended by the ex-SIG Convenor Sally Hassell, Graham, Shanti, Sajith, John Brooks, Irene, John Mills, George, Shane, Steve, Phil and Norberto (see photo).

Steve apprised the group on the forthcoming NZMS Scientific Conference at Palmerston North and extended invitation to attend the pre-Con workshops. Phil and Shane expressed appreciation on the opportunities for greater interaction afforded by these SIG meetings. Dr Sally Hassell encouraged the group to focus on burning issues that would exert a more significant impact on public health and food & water microbiology research in the country, and that the SIG, being composed of recognised food scientists in the country, should spearhead on this initiative.

The Convenor, Norberto Ricacho, thanked everyone for their continued enthusiasm for the area and promised to expand if not sustain the level of interaction now manifest among the SIG members. (by NRicacho)

  Strengthening New Zealand’s networks of food safety professionals

After several years of planning by Dr Roger Cook (NZFSA), Dr Sally Hassell (President, NZIFST) and Rosemary Whyte (ESR), a New Zealand affiliate to the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) has been chartered.

Founded in 1911, IAFP is a non-profit association of food safety scientists and industry personnel with over 3,000 members from 50 countries, which aims to keep its members and others up to date with the latest industry technologies, innovations and regulations. IAFP publishes the leading food safety scientific journal, Journal of Food Protection and also Food Protection Trends. IAFP holds an annual conference that provides its members an opportunity to establish and maintain contacts with other leading food safety researchers and professionals. New Zealand’s representation at the conference has been increasing over the last few years, reflecting the importance of this conference to New Zealand’s food safety community.

New Zealand currently has two food safety based associations; the New Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology (NZIFST) and the New Zealand Microbiological Society (NZMS). IAFP has been formed as a strategic liaison between the Food Safety Forum of the NZIFST and the Food & Water Microbiology (Public Health) Special Interest Group of the NZMS in order to encourage research collaboration and maximize knowledge transfer between these groups and their associated industries. NZAFP will be an umbrella group supporting the two parent associations with infrastructure and resources provided IAFP. Members of IAFP, NZIFST and NZMS will automatically be members of NZAFP.

The resources that NZAFP will be able to utilise to the benefit its members include fully paid international experts visiting New Zealand to speak at conferences and the like, a huge audio visual library, and funding for New Zealand researchers and industry people to attend the full IAFP annual meeting.

New Zealand has a unique scientific advantage with significant tangible benefits because our country is so small and there is a close relationship between industry, the science community and the regulators. For example, we get a lot of cooperation from industry to conduct research projects as there is no suspicion around the reasons for doing the research or how the results will be used.

NZAFP will enhance this relationship even further by providing more networking and joint learning opportunities for all industry participants. Each year, IAFP will hold a scientific meeting, and annual general meeting, alternating between the annual NZIFST and NZMS conferences.

The inaugural Annual General Meeting to select the association’s officers and plan the 2005/2006 activities will be held during the 2005 Joint NZMS/NZSBMB Scientific Meeting in Dunedin.

Venue: Otago University, Dunedin (Specific room to be advised later)

Date: Wednesday, 23 rd November 2005, 12:30pm

Officers include:

President (1 year term) Roger Cook (Interim)

Secretary (1 year term, succeeds to President) Rosemary Whyte (Interim)

Affiliate Council Delegate (2 year term) Roger Cook (Interim)

Board member, NZIFST FSF Chairperson Shane Hopgood

Board member, NZMS Public Health SIG Chairperson Norberto Ricacho