International Union of Food Science and Technology - Programmes and Achievements: IUFoST Missions Consist Of

Programmes and Achievements: IUFoST Missions Consist Of

• Delivering educational programmes, student scholarships and opportunities for young scientists, including distance learning, which is currently being developed for Sub-Saharan Africa. IUFoST pilot projects are underway in Sub-Saharan Africa providing distance learning modules to food industry middle managers without formal qualifications. These modules are conducted with local advisors/mentors and prepared by international experts. Courses have been created from basic to advanced learning levels in themes like Food Safety, Quality Assurance including HACCP, Shelf Life of Foods, Packaging, Food Laws and Regulations, Food Hygiene, Food Freezing, Practical Human Nutrition, Minimal Processing. IUFoST is also a leader and advises in international programming for food science and technology courses worldwide workshops and training in all aspects of food science and technology worldwide.

• Providing scientific expertise by providing experts for short courses and workshops, and organizing conferences and symposia, in partnership with our Adhering Bodies and regional groupings, on important current issues such as food safety, security, traceability, and food defense by working directly with organizations on a consultant basis. For example, IUFoST has been working with the relevant Chinese Ministries, by invitation and under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, China to present the latest authoritative international perspectives on food safety issues in a series of high level meetings in Beijing. IUFoST has also been assisting member countries in advising their national governments in areas of food legislation when requested.

• Providing global leadership through IUFoST’s biennial World Food Congresses, guidelines for professional conduct in the food science industry, provision of core curricula and accreditation expertise and scientific information bulletins on currently important topics such as obesity, nanotechnology, biotechnology. These bulletins are used by governments, industry and academia worldwide.

As the global food science and technology organization IUFoST has special consultative status with FAO. Similarly IUFoST works closely with related departments in the World Health Organisation, United National International Development Organisation (UNIDO), and many other international organisations in the course of 'strengthening food science and technology for humanity'

• Stimulating exchange of knowledge in the international food science and technology community through the electronic magazine “The World of Food Science,” the annual review of the state of global food science and technology, textbooks, world congress review papers and the Hunger Handbook applying food science and technology to improve nutrition and promote national development. IUFoST publishes the core food science and technology textbook for food science and technology, "Food Science and Technology", published by Wiley-Blackwell.