Management of
Microbiological Hazards in Foods 12th International Advanced course March 15 - 19, 2010 Wageningen, The Netherlands Organised by The Graduate School VLAG, in co-operation with The European Chair in Food Safety Microbiology* |
Background
The twelfth edition of the international advanced course on Management of Microbiological Hazards in Foods addresses both success stories in food safety and problems remaining to be dealt with as, indeed, foodborne illnesses are a continuing problem worldwide. To protect consumers, important trade agreements have been put in place (World Trade Organization/Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Measures), management systems (i.e. Good Hygienic Practices, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) are being more solidly implemented to assure food safety and new frameworks such as Risk Analysis introduced to link food safety management to public health protection. Food industry (incl. primary production, manufacturers, retailers, food service), governmental authorities and consumer representatives all play a role regarding the safety of food. The roles of differ-rent stakeholders, how food safety assurance can be achieved, which problems are to be prevented and in particular what knowledge is essential in managing the production of safe foods will be prominent topics in this course.
Target group
Anyone working or studying in/for a role in academia, industry or government associated to food safety management who wishes to update their knowledge and interact with key experts willing to share their experience. Participants may be graduates in (Food) Microbiology, Food Technology, Food Science, Food Chemistry, Veterinary Sciences or Medicine, as well as in related areas of science or with equivalent expertise.
Course aim
The aim of this course is to further improve the knowledge of course participants regarding the management of micro-organisms that may compromise the safety of foods. With this knowledge they will be better prepared for functions such as food quality and safety assurance, risk management and public health protection.
Course design
The course programme combines lectures, group work on case studies and plenary discussions. The lectures will be given by first-hand experts from academia, industry and government. Background material will be provided during the course for further reading and reference material.
Course participants are encouraged to prepare for the life event using distance learning material developed at Wageningen University that can be accessed via internet. Two of the distance learning modules, i.e. Food Preservation and HACCP, are of particular relevance and successful completion of these modules before the actual course will help participants in the course work. Access instructions are given upon final registration.
Programme topics
Provisional programme
Click here for the provisional programme in pdf.
Course coordinators
Prof. Leon G.M. Gorris and Dr. Martine W. Reij, European Chair in Food Safety Microbiology *
Mrs. Yvonne Smolders, The Graduate School VLAG
*The European Chair in Food Safety Microbiology is located at the Laboratory of Food Microbiology of Wageningen University. The chair is sponsored by five international food companies: DSM Food Specialties, Groupe Danone, Kraft Foods, Nestlé, and Unilever. The aim of the chair is to support the education of graduates and post-graduates for food safety management jobs in industry, government, and other relevant organisations.
Other faculty
Date & duration
The course is scheduled for March 15 - 19, 2010.
Study load
The life event and the two distance learning modules advised as preparatory work, require about 4,5 and 5,5 days respectively. For university students: the study load of this course is 1.4 ECTS credits and successful completion of the two distance learning modules equates to 1.6 ECTS.
Language
The course language will be English.
Location & accommodation
The course venue is the Conference Centre Hof van Wageningen. The town of Wageningen is 5 km from Ede-Wageningen railway station, with transport options being taxi or bus. Ede-Wageningen railway station is about one and a half hours from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. For train schedules visit: www.ns.nl.
A number of hotel rooms have been block booked at the Hof van Wageningen for course participants, but only until February 12, 2010. Accommodation costs are € 92,- (twin room (also for single use); bed & breakfast) or € 117,50 (luxurious single room, bed&breakfast) per night. Hotel reservation is handled by Hof van Wageningen. Participants have to book their own hotel room by sending an email to: info@hofvanwageningen.nl.
Please mention booking code MMHF10.
Social programme
On Monday and Thursday evening a course dinner is organised.
Contact information
For more information please contact:
Mrs. Yvonne Smolders
The Graduate School VLAG
P.O. Box 8129
6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 317 485108
Fax: +31 317 483342
E-mail: Yvonne.Smolders@wur.nl
The number of participants to the course is limited to 35.
Please register by completing the course registration form.
Note: to be able to fill in the course registration form, you need an account. To create an account, please click the link above. Don't forget to fill in the course registration form after creating your account.
The final registration date is February 12, 2010. Registrations are accepted in the order in which the registration form and course fee payment are received. Registrations are only final when the course fee payment has been received.
Applicants will be informed of acceptance of their registration within two weeks of the final registration date. They will then receive instructions for payment, a letter of acceptance to apply for a visa (if applicable), and further course details. Cancellations may be made free of charge until February 12, 2010. After this date the charge will be 25% of the course fee already paid or due. Substitutions for participants may be made at any time until the start of the course.
The course fee includes printed materials, access to distance learning materials, coffee/tea during breaks, lunches and two dinners (Monday and Thursday) but does not cover accommodation. The course fee depends on the participant's affiliation:
| Industry / For-Profit | € 1500 |
| University Staff / Non-Profit organisations | € 900 |
| PhD student | € 450 |
For participants from the new and candidate member-states of the European Union, a limited number of University grants are available which cover the course fee only. Contact the VLAG course coordinator Mrs. Yvonne Smolders for details.
Click on the photos (course 2004, 2006 and 2007) to enlarge them.
