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AN INCREASINGLY sophisticated food industry stemming from the globalised nature of food production also means more complex issues around food safety and security.
With New Zealand's heavy reliance on exporting primary produce, this demands robust knowledge and constant up-skilling in the processes and requirements of food safety and security by industry professionals.
Lincoln University, through its Centre for Food Research and Innovation, is now running a series of ongoing professional development courses for those in the food industry.
The first such course (which will be repeated throughout the year) took place April 15, 2014 and was a one day introductory course on food safety in general and the well-established Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) management system for food safety.
The next short course will take place June 16-18, 2014 and cover practical considerations in food microbiology.
The courses have been established by Lincoln University Senior Lecturer in Food Microbiology, Dr Malik Hussain and the University's South Island Business Development Manager, Dr Sam Yu in response to the shortage of adequately trained food professionals working in the industry.
"These courses will suit a wide range of industry people: anyone from distributers, manufacturers, Government regulators, sanitation supervisors, plant managers, or packing staff," says Dr Hussain. "New Zealand has a great reputation for the quality and safety of its food; however, we should never get complacent.
"There is a strong need for science-based 'field-to-fork' food safety education. Ultimately, such an approach can bring long-term benefits through savings in healthcare and for the food industry in general, and increases our competitive standing on the world stage."
Dr Yu says the fallout from the false positive test result for botulism last year shows how food safety scares can significantly disrupt 'business-as-usual'.
"These kind of issues can really put an industry or individual business on the back foot; meaning a lot of relationship-building effort has to go back into building trust – it's time consuming and expensive. We have started these professional development courses to help ensure that businesses never have to experience such a situation.
"This is all the more relevant considering the worldwide increase in food safety incidents, which is partly a result of more expansive global trade, meaning a wider range of products and ingredients in the food chain.
"It's also worth noting that approximately 40% of New Zealand's food production exports come from the South Island, and around 30% of food and beverage companies are here too. That's another good reason why Lincoln has decided to start running these professional courses," he says.
More information on upcoming professional development courses can be found at www.lincoln.ac.nz/Research-at-Lincoln/Research-centres/Centre-for-Food-Research-and-Innovation/
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