AFRICAN JOURNAL OF FOOD & NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES
(AJFNS)

online version ISSN 1681 - 9608
Volume 2 No. 2

 


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UPCOMING EVENTS


IUFoST/ECSAAFoST Symposium
FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA
20 July 2002, Grand Regency Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

Symposium Summary Report
by
Ruth K Oniang'o and Joseph Mutuku


International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), in conjunction with its regional organization, the Eastern, Central and Southern African Associations of Food Science and Technology (ECSAAFoST), held a one-day symposium on Food Safety and Quality Management in Africa. The symposium was held on 20 July 2002 as pre- ITANA event, as both organizations wanted to demonstrate their support for ITANA and to have some of the ITANA participants attend the event.

During this symposium, Food Scientists representing the IUFoST Governing Council from Korea, Brazil, UK, USA, Germany, South Africa, France, Saudi Arabia and Australia joined colleagues from African countries to deliberate on food safety and quality management issues. Many delegates participating in the ITANA conference, as well as other professionals in the field were also in attendance.

The symposium was divided into three thematic sessions: Food Engineering, Food Safety and Distance Education. However, the main theme was "Food Safety and Quality Management in Africa". Most aspects of food safety were covered including risk management, good manufacturing practices, quality management and standards, safety practices and use of natural preservatives. The relationship between food engineering and food safety was also discussed. In addition to the Governing Council members who made presentations, food scientists and technologists from Kenya and other African countries were also present to address issues in the area of Food Safety/Food Security, and CODEX.

The issue of distance education was also addressed at length. To this end, IUFoST is fostering development of continuing professional development opportunities through distance education at regional and national levels in Africa. The call for Distance Education activity from the IUFoST regional group, ECSAAFoST, is in keeping with the plan drafted by the IUFoST Distance Education Taskforce at the World Congress in Korea. It has been agreed that the first programme would be in the area of continuing professional development and consists of a series of 6-10 hour modules in selected topics in food science and technology. Modules proposed for development are: (1) food safety (2) quality assurance (including HACCP) (3) Food laws and regulations (4) shelf life of foods (5) thermal processing (6) food freezing (7) food dehydration and (8) food packaging.

The workshop participants were also multidisciplinary and from various institutions. Most of them were from the universities, food industries, professional organizations, and hospitals, the Kenya Coalition for Action in Nutrition (KCAN), private consultancy groups and government ministries. It was a very captivating event especially for the students and members of the industrial community. The IUFoST council members also had a chance to interact with their African counterparts.

We wish to express our very sincere thanks to all those who heeded the invitation and attended. In all there were about 150 participants. We further would like to express our appreciation to IUFoST for sponsoring the symposium and to the Council, for choosing Nairobi as the venue for this year's Governing Council meeting. Karibu sana again.

For more information about this symposium contact,
Rural Outreach Program, P.O Box 29086, Nairobi
Email: oniango@iconnect.co.ke

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The Vaal Triangle Technikon(Vanderbijlpark, South Africa)
in cooperation with
The University of Westminster
(London, United Kingdom)
presents the

1st AFRICA NUTRITIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY CONFERENCE

FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Social, cultural, dietary and behavioural characteristics determine the health of an individual society and also the nation. The Centre for Food, Nutrition and Public Health (University of Westminster) and the Department of Hospitality and Food Consumer Science (Vaal Triangle Technikon) aim to integrate the study of these disciplines to promote better health for society.

DATES: 19, 20 & 21 August 2002
VENUE: Auditorium 200, Vaal Triangle Technikon, Andries Potgieter Boulevard, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.
TOPICS: * Public Health and Epidemiology * Nutrition and Public Health * Food Resources and Food Security
PROGRAM: A copy of the preliminary program is attached for your information
ENQUIRIES: Registration & Accommodation, Ms Alinah Mokoena at Tel. & Fax +27-16-950-9676 or e-mail: alinah@nt.tritek.ac.za
REGISTRATION: If you wish to attend the conference, please complete the registration form and return it together with the appropriate fee.
CONTACTS: Ms Alinah Mokoena, Unit for Lifelong Learning, Vaal Triangle Technikon, Private Bag X021, Vanderbijlpark, 1900 South Africa or pay it directly into the banking account.

BANKING DETAILS:
Bank: ABSA, Vanderbijlpark, Branch Code: 632005, Account Number: 0530 861 945
Ref: ULL003/2002
NB: All deposits must be followed by faxing the deposit slip and the completed registration form to: +27-16-950-9373 on the same day the deposit is made.
FEE: (includes meals, evening functions and conference proceedings)
R550.00 per person 3 Day conference and functions
R520.00 per person - when 3 or more delegates from the same institution register (3 day conference and functions)
R480.00 per person - Presenters (3 day conference and functions)
R200.00 per person - Per day (excluding evening functions)
R50.00 per person - Per workshop (excluding evening functions)

CLOSING DATE FOR REGISTRATION: 1 August 2002
CANCELLATIONS & TRANSFERS: The fee is not refundable. If you cannot attend, send a substitute at no extra charge.
WEB ADDRESS: http://mysite/mweb.co.za/residents/mwilna
DISCLAIMER: The organizers reserve the right to cancel or change the published program, due to unforeseen circumstances.

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Seventh Annual ECOWAS Nutrition Forum
Banjul, The Gambia, September 2-6, 2002
"Nutrition - Key to Sustainable Development"
www.nutritionwaho.org

The 15 nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)* have a combined population of 227 million of whom 41 million are under 5. They represent over 1/4 of the population of Africa, and include Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries. The average under-5 mortality for the region is 185 per 1,000 and protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are major contributors to this rate. Since 1995, the Centre Régional de Recherches en Alimentation et Nutrition (CRAN), a structure of the Organizations pour la Cooperation et la Coordination de Lutte Contre les Grandes Endémies (OCCGE) has worked with partners and member states to create a network of nutrition focal points, which serves as a vehicle for documenting and sharing experiences in nutrition and reinforcing regional and national capacities. The network originally covered the nine countries of the OCCGE (all Francophone) but expanded to all 15 ECOWAS members in 1999. In 2000, the two regional health organizations of ECOWAS (one Anglophone and one Francophone) were merged into the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and WAHO has taken the lead in organizing the network and adopted nutrition as one of its eight priority program areas.

Annual meetings, now called the ECOWAS Nutrition Forum are organized with countries taking turns as host. Each year, nutrition focal points choose a theme for a technical update. The theme of this year's meeting is "Nutrition - key to sustainable development". This year's Forum will be organized in Banjul, The Gambia, September 2-6, 2002.

For more information, consult the web site www.nutritionwaho.org, or contact Ms. Isatou Semega-Janneh, Director of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) of The Gambia, e-mail: nana@qanet.gm and isatouaquarian@hotmail.com, or Dr. Kabba T. Joiner, Director General, West African Health Organization, e-mail wahooas@fasonet.bf.

Partners include several USAID-funded projects (BASICS II, FANTA, LINKAGES, MOST, SANA, SARA), UNICEF, Helen Keller International, the Micronutrient Initiative, the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

_____________

ECOWAS is composed of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cap Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

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WABA Global Forum
23 - 27 September 2002 - Arusha, Tanzania

Nurturing the Future
Challenges to Breastfeeding in the 21st Century

Organised by:
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in collaboration with Commonwealth Regional Health Community Secretariat (CRHCS) and Tanzanian Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC) with support from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)

Participants:
WABA invites participation from individuals and groups interested in the topics of Forum 2, ranging from women, children, environmental and consumer groups, to individuals such as health workers and young people. There will be a strong training and capacity building focus. The presence of many experts in the fields of health and nutrition, childcare and community participatory action will make it possible to share skills and knowledge about advances along a wide front.

Venue:
Forum 2 will be held in the city of Arusha in northern Tanzania. With a temperate climate and its location close to Mount Kilimanjaro, the city offers good conference and hotel facilities and is close to world-famous attractions such as Serengetti National Park and the Ngorogoro Crater.

Plenary Sessions of the Forum will be held at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), equipped with simultaneous interpretation and audio-visual facilities. Medical services, travel agencies, snack shops, bureau de change, postal and banking, international courier services, fax and phones, email and internet services are available within the AICC complex.

All workshops and other Forum events such as poster sessions, exhibits and displays will be held at the Mt. Meru Novotel Hotel, about a 10-minute drive from AICC. More details will be given upon your registration.

For more information please visit our web site: http://www.waba.org.br/forum2/


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KENYA AGRIGULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (KARI)
8TH BIENNIAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH WEEK


Date: 11 to 15 November 2002
Venue: KARI Headquarters Complex, Kaptagat Road, Loresho, Nairobi-KENYA

Theme
Demand-driven Agricultural Research for Sustainable Natural Resource Base,
Food Security and Incomes

Objectives
- To share relevant research findings
- To commercialise agricultural research outputs
- To create awareness of available agricultural technologies and products
- To exhibit agricultural technologies and products

Potential participants should submit first drafts of their papers by 30th June 2002

Final manuscripts of the accepted papers should be submitted by 30th September 2002

For further information contact
The Secretariat
8th KARI Biennial Scientific Conference
KARI Headquarters
P.O. Box 57811, Nairobi - KENYA
Tel: 254-2-583301-20, Fax: 254-2-583344
email:
researchweek@kari.org

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HelpAge International
Leading global action on ageing

14 - 18 October 2002, Nairobi, Kenya


What is it about?
This five day training course aims to provide a broad and up-to-date understanding of the issues of ageing in Africa. It offers a unique opportunity to enable social workers, care givers, volunteers, policy formulators, implementers, researchers and academics as well as trainers to deliver better services to the elderly.

The course that will be facilitated by practitioners from organisations working with older people and experts from academic and research institutions in Africa will address key issues of ageing in the continent. Among others, it will cover:

· Social, psychological and biological aspects of ageing
· Demographic situation and socio-economic implications for Africa
· Care of older people in the family, community and institutions
· Rights of older people, and their violations
· Ageing and Health
· HIV/AIDS and its impact on older people
· Gender dimension to ageing
· Older people and emergencies
· Income/social security
· Poverty
· Research and Policies on ageing

Who is this training course for?
Applications are invited from those who are:
· directly involved in the care of older people within the family, community and institutions
· Social researchers with interest in ageing
· Trainers and educators with interest in awareness raising activities
· Personnel working in social welfare departments responsible for policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and assessment

Venue and accommodation
The training course will take place at the Training Institute of the Agriculture Finance Corporation which is located 20kms from Nairobi city centre.

Course Fee
The course fee is US$400. The fee covers 6-nights full board accommodation, air port transfers, course materials, facilitation costs and a social event.

For participants who do not require accommodation, the course fee is US$150. Please note, in this case participants will need to make their own transport arrangements to the venue on a daily basis.

In addition to the course fee, participants will need to pay for their own travel to Nairobi, medical/travel insurance and any allowances to meet incidental costs not covered by the above.

Funding
Possible sources of financial assistance include the following international agencies:

· The British Council
· UNDP/UNFPA country offices
· WHO country offices
· Embassy funds

How to apply?
For more information and application form, please contact:
HelpAge International
Africa Regional Development Centre
P.O.Box 14888, Westlands,
Nairobi, Kenya
Fax 254-2-441052
Tel. 254-2-444289/446991/449407
e-mail: helpage@africaonline.co.ke


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SOUTH AFRICAN NUTRITION CONGRESS 2002
EMPOWERING NUTRITION - BROADENING OUR HORIZONS
5 - 9 November 2002, POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA

The 9th Biennial Congress of the Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA) and the 7th Biennial Congress of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) will be held from 5 to 9 November 2002 in Potchefstroom, North West Province, South Africa.

The theme of the Congress, Empowering nutrition - Broadening our horizons, reflects the need of nutritionists and dietitians to embrace a trans disciplinary way of working in order to address the nutritional needs of South Africans. We need to strengthen our discipline and equip ourselves with skills and new, innovative ways of solving problems. It is our sincere wish that this Congress will indeed broaden our horizons and empower the study and practice of nutrition to make a real difference in the quality of the lives of all South Africans.

The congress will consist of:
l Plenary lectures - invited international and national speakers will deliver papers on a range of topics
l Free oral research communications - you are invited to submit an abstract for consideration as a free communication
l Symposia - invited and free communications on topics of current interest
l Workshops - hands-on learning experiences
l Master classes - learn from the experts at a master level
l Posters - research posters and information posters

International speakers already confirmed:
Dr. Noel Solomons will lecture on "Probiotics and bovine colostrums as 'functional foods' for the deprived populations: potentials and limitations" and "Innovations in growth and body composition monitoring in children: applications in developing countries".
Dr. Artemis Simopoulos will lecture on "Variations in dietary response - how do genes and diet relate?" and "Making sense of the dietary omega-3/omega-6 balance".

The Scientific Committee has already identified some topics for the programme. These topics will be presented in the form of plenary sessions, symposia or free communications. The symposia could include invited speakers and free communications. Other topics could still be added.

Food fortification Infant nutrition
Women's health Nutrition and HIV/AIDS
Genetically modified foods Organic foods
Nutrigenomics Child nutrition and growth monitoring
Cognitive development and nutrition Nutrition for the physically & mentally challenged
Sports nutrition Economy of nutrition
Functional foods Chronic diseases of lifestyle
Ethics in nutrition research and industry Bio-ethics
National vs. household food security Food-based dietary guidelines
Polyphenols and nutritional health The naturopathic approach to health and disease

Charges for the congress are shown below: Category Before 30th Mar. From 2nd Apr.
Full registration for congress & 2-day workshop/master class Member R700.00
Full registration congress only Member R450.00 R650.00
Non memember R600.00 R800.00
Student member R300.00 R450.00

Day registration: R300.00 . Workshop/master class for Friday & Saturday: R150.00 per session. Social evening, Tuesday 5th November: R35.00. Banquet, Thursday 7th November: R65.00.

Important dates:
Deadline for early registration at discounted rates: 30 March 2002; Deadline for the submission of abstracts: 12:00 on 30 June 2002.


Contact address:
The Secretariat, Nutrition Congress 2002, P. O. Box 760, Bloemhof, South Africa, 2660
Email: edelweis@iafrica.com
Website:
www.ebsconsulting.co.za

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XXI International Vitamin A Consultative Group (IVACG) Meeting,
Marakech, Morocco, 3-7 February, 2003

IVACG will host its XXI IVACG Meeting in Marrakech, Morocco during the week of 3-7, February 2003. "Improving the Vitamin A Status of Populations" is the tentative theme of the meeting. More than 500 participants from over 60 countries are expected to attend the XXI IVACG Meeting. Among these are policy makers, program managers, planners, and scientists in health, nutrition, biochemistry, agriculture, horticulture, education, communications, and development.

The deadline for submitting abstracts has passed.

For more information, please contact the IVACG/INACG Secretariat, ILSI Research Foundation, One Thomas Circle, NW, Ninth Floor, Washington, DC 20005, USA; tel.: 202-659-9024; fax: 202-659-3617; e-mail: hni@ilsi.org

Visit IVACG on the Web at: http://ivacg.ilsi.org

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ACC/SCN Annual Meeting


ACC/SCN Annual Meeting in February 2003, in Chennai, India, to be hosted by the M.S. Swaminathan Foundation. Exact dates will be announced later.

For more information, visit website: www.unsystem.org/scn

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FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT
CALL FOR PAPERS

International Conference
GERIATRIC CARE IN AFRICA - NOW AND THE FUTURE

6-8 March 2003
President Hotel, Bantry Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

The International Conference is hosted by the South African Geriatrics Society and the South African Gerontological Association. It is auspiced by the International Association of Gerontology (IAG) and the African Gerontological Society (AGES International). It is convened with the participation of the United Nations Programme on Ageing, the World Health Organization Ageing and Life Course Programme and the HelpAge International Africa Region Development Centre.

Conference objectives
To address the challenges of equity and quality in the provision of health care to older Africans. To present new research in geriatric care and practice in Africa. To share experience in geriatric practice and care. To strengthen collaboration between researchers and practitioners. To inform African governments, global agencies, industry and funders on geriatric care needs in the region.

Conference sub-themes
Sub-themes, relevant in the Africa region, include: Improvement of the provision and quality of geriatric care. Advances in clinical geriatric care. Evidence-based decision making in geriatric care. Marginalisation of older health-care clients. Indigenous best practice health-care solutions.

Key speakers
Confirmed key speakers thus far include Alexandre Sidorenko (UN), Alexandre Kalache (WHO), Nana Apt (AGES International) and Gloria Gutman (IAG).

Target participants
Geriatricians, researchers, educators, health professionals, funders, policy makers. All who are involved or have an interest in geriatric care in Africa.

Topics
Topics provisionally identified for plenary, paper and poster sessions and symposia include: Dementia. Disability. Epidemiology. Ethics. Geriatric services. Health systems. HIV/AIDS. Non-communicable diseases. Nutrition. Oral health. Policy and research. Prevention. Primary care. Rehabilitation. Traditional medicine.

Call for papers
The submission of abstracts of papers and posters to be presented in the conference are invited. Abstracts should follow the format and instructions as posted on the web page www.uct.ac.za/depts/pgc/geriatrixafrica.html, and be forwarded to the address below.

Deadline for receipt of abstracts: 30 September 2002

For more information, contact Janet Sirmongpong, Conference Management Centre,
University of Cape Town,
Faculty of Health Sciences, Observatory 7925, South Africa.
Tel: +27 21 406-6330. Fax +27 21 448-6263. E-mail:
jsirmong@curie.uct.ac.za

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College of Food Systems, United Arab Emirate University
April 20 - 22, 2003, Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirate University will organize the First International Conference on Food Systems. This conference will be held on April 20-22, 2003 at Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates.

For more information, visit the web site: http://www.cfs.uaeu.ac.ae/conferences/foodsys/ficfs.htm

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International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST)
Feeding the world - Opportunities without boundaries
July 16 - 20, 2003, Chicago, Illinois, USA

The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) wil organize the 12th World Congress of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST Congress XII), which will take place in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from 16 - 20 July 2003.

For more information visit the web site: http://www.iufost.org/Events.html

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First announcement and invitation
18th International Congress of Nutrition
Nutrition Safari for Innovative Solutions

19-24 September 2005
ICC, Durban, South Africa

Hosts:
The South African adhering body to the
International Union of Nutritional Sciences

Consisting of:
Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA)
South African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SASPEN)

You are cordially invited to a safari (journey) in Africa for the 18th IUNS Nutrition Congress in 2005. The logo of the Congress suggests that the aim is to bring nutrition role players from all over the world to Africa in order to explore, exchange and integrate knowledge about nutrition to generate new insights and to define innovative solutions for global nutrition problems. We want to fit and align the circle of solutions into the triangle of nutrition problems!

These interactions should and will contribute to an increased political awareness of the human right to be food and nutrition secure. It will also emphasize the importance of nutrition for human development, health and well-being, equity, and a quality of life for all.

Congress Structure: 19-22 September
Plenary invited speakers on molecular, clinical, and public health nutrition
Parallel symposia on focussed, relevant and actual topics
Round table discussions on controversial issues

Poster Sessions: 23 and 24 September
Safari workshops in different South African destinations: The objective is to bring together established senior scientists and young enthusiasts around selected topics. Capacity and team building in nutrition science, research and practice and development of young leadership in the African bush and around a campfire at night under the African stars are on the agenda.

Contact information:
Email: vgetan@puknet.puk.ac.za
Postal address:
Nutrition Safari 2005
Private Bag X6001
Potchefstroom 2520
South Africa



 


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