The AOAC INTERNATIONAL/Herbalife Scholarship, supported by contributions from Herbalife and designed to encourage student researchers who are advancing analytical or molecular (DNA) testing in herbal or dietary supplements, was awarded to Ondrej Brabenec, University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT), Prague, Czech Republic. Congratulations!

In mid-September 2021, training was provided for local food producers in Moldova and representatives of the Katalyst Kitchens incubator in sensory analysis and the possibilities it provides for assessing the quality of food products. It was an activity within the joint project “Ecological product innovation lab at the Moldovan Agri-food Business”, the training was carried out by Marek Doležal, Zdenka Panovská and Vojtěch Ilko from the Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition.

A manual for sensory analysis translated into Moldovan was also prepared for the participants of this training. Producers who provided samples of their products (oils) also had the opportunity to get acquainted with the results of analyzes performed by the UCT Prague team and thus verify the quality of their products.

More information can be found HERE

The project “Ecological product innovation lab at the Moldovan Agrifood Business Incubator“ is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Prague – The Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition at the University of Chemical Technology, Prague, led by Professor Jana Hajslova, became Europe’s first laboratory for medical cannabis products to receive Patient Focused Certification (PFC), a quality standard issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) Cannabis monograph.

The only other five certified laboratories in the world are all located in the USA.

"PFC serves both government authorities and end users. It guarantees that medical cannabis products have the strength, composition, purity, and identity they claim to constitute or possess," said Dr. Jahan Marcu, chief auditor for Americans for Safe Access Foundation (ASAF).

"This is the first laboratory which passed certification with flying colors. Industrial and academic laboratories in the United States could learn from Professor Hajslova," he added at a talk at UCT Prague’s Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition.

ASA works closely with the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI), a center of excellence for cannabis and cannabinoids research initiated to share experiences in clinical and basic research, medical informatics, administration, legislative efforts and studies, product security protocols, and the production and distribution of cannabis products.

As part of the international BEAGLE project, which aims to connect academia with industry, Aristeidis Tsagkaris participated in the selection process. His video summarizing proposed research activities advanced to the next round of evaluation. Currently, there are 60 candidates that inquire to match with an industry partner. Of them 20 projects will be selected to be potentially supported under Horizon Europe.

Video poster with Tereza Jaegerova on topic Characterization of secondary metabolites of dyer´s alkanet (Alkanna Tinctoria) possessing antimicrobial activity

The roots of Alkanna tinctoria were used mainly as a source of natural red pigments, however, several research papers pointed towards various bioactive properties, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Nonetheless, the chemical profile of the roots has not been studied in detail yet. Our study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of different root extracts against 7 pathogens and identify the bioactive compounds. According to the results, the aqueous root extract did not show antimicrobial activity at all, while the ethanolic and isopropanol-hexane extracts showed comparably strong inhibition of the growth of Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Cutibacterium acnes. Using these extracts, a fractionation method on preparative HPLC was developed and the obtained fractions were further tested on the inhibitory activity. Bioactive fractions were then analyzed by targeted screening using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. While no phenolic compounds were identified in the fractions, the analysis revealed the presence of several naphthoquinones, of which alkannin and β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin were confirmed by a certified reference standard. The inhibitory activity of Alkanna tinctoria roots against Cutibacterium acnes is reported for the first time.

2nd Food Safety Forum 2024 was organised in Rome, 2. - 3. 12. 2024. Forum connects scientists, academia, research organisations, representatives of laboratories, food safety agencies, government, EFSA, industry and many others. By integrating expertise, fostering innovation, and promoting collaboration, these participants and organizations collectively support ensuring a safer, more sustainable European food safety framework.

Keywords identified during interactive sessions and representing the most important aspects for shaping food safety system in future are addressing:

• Sustainability
• Collaboration
• Innovation
• Regulatory Compliance
• Data Transparency and Traceability
• Education and Training

Monika Tomaniova moderated session „Networking space for the EU FOOD SAFETY PLATFORM“.

Aristeidis Tsagkaris presented his research activity in the session dedicated to „Youths in action for the future of Food Safety in the EU“.

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph Vanquish Horizon with high resolution tandem mass spectrometer Exploris 240 (U-HPLC‒HRMS/MS) is a modern, user-friendly instrument enabling chromatographic separation at very high operating pressures, ionization using electrospray (ESI), or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). Detection is performed using a high-resolution orbitrap mass analyzer with a resolution of up to 240,000 FWHM. High precision of the detected ions m/z is achieved through the built-in autocalibration module (EASY-IC) that can be utilized before and during the analysis. The measuring PC and the available powerful data processing station are equipped with specialized software for handling extensive data.

The instrumentation is utilized at the Department of Analytical Chemistry and in the field of metabolomic analysis, ultra-trace analysis, and it is also used for the identification of unknown compounds.

In May 2022, the PARC (European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals) project was launched, supported by the new Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Framework Program (2021-2027). The project in which UCT Prague participated, is closely linked to the European Green New Deal, aiming to significantly reduce the impact of chemicals on human health and the environment. This transnational European project involves almost 200 institutions from 28 countries and three European Union institutions.

UCT Prague (Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition) will participate in activities related to the development of new analytical methods and their application for biological and environmental monitoring of chemicals, which, due to their adverse effects on human health, are of a high concern among scientists.

“As part of the ‘Monitoring and Exposure’ work package, we will build on our experience from a previous project, HBM4EU (the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative) and will participate in surveys on the quality and comparability of data obtained from biomonitoring studies. We will also be involved in solving the issue of environmental and multi-source monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkylated (PFAS) substances and other chemicals interfering with the endocrine system in various environmental compartments (especially water, food, air),” Prof. Jana Pulkrabová stated.

To fulfil this task, UCT Prague is part of a team that supports the development of new analytical approaches to target and non-target screening of these chemicals in the environment and biological matrices.

In the work package, “Building infrastructural and human capacities” led by the RECETOX research centre at Masaryk University in Brno, UCT Prague will also participate in capacity building and harmonization for biological and environmental monitoring, which will generate the necessary data for chemical risk assessment in Europe.

RAFA 2021 organizers, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague, Czech Republic) and Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), part of Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands), are delighted to invite food scientists from academia and industry, representatives of national and international agencies, control authorities, governmental and commercial laboratories to attend RAFA 2021, 3-4 November, 2021.

Considering the ongoing uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic situation, it has been decided not to hold a live RAFA symposium with personal (physical) participation this year. To keep RAFA community together and invite newcomers to join us, we organize an online special event “RAFA Trends & Views”.

Attending this event is free of charge for all registered participants, the deadline for free registration is November 1, 2021.

More details can be found on the RAFA 2021 website at www.rafa2021.eu.

RAFA history

RAFA has grown since the first edition launched in 2003; it has become a prestigious event attended by up to 800 participants from more than 50 countries worldwide. More than 50 sponsors, exhibitors and media partners have supported RAFA symposia (you may visit www.rafa2019.eu).

RAFA 2021 program highlights

In line with the concept of the previous events, RAFA 2021 symposium will provide an insight into contemporary trends in (BIO)ANALYTICAL STRATEGIES IN FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY CONTROL and discuss CHALLENGES / NOVEL APPROACHES IN FOOD AND NATURAL PRODUCT ANALYSIS. Oral program will be composed only of invited lectures presented by distinguished speakers who will open discussion on current trends and their visions.

It will be accompanied with a series of webinars offered by leading companies. These vendor webinars will provide the opportunity to introduce recent instrumentation and analytical strategies for advanced food quality, safety and authenticity control. Networking and virtual meetings to enable sharing your views on presented topics will be also supported.

Next RAFA 2022 (live event)

Due to a limited format of this year RAFA, no proposals for oral and/or poster presentations can be accepted. However, RAFA Scientific Committee will give a floor to all interested researchers on occasion of the 10th anniversary RAFA that will be organised as a live event in Prague, in November 2022. The invitation to contribute to the selection of burning topics for a high end program will be launched during spring 2022.

Prof. Jana Hajslova and Prof. Michel Nielen, RAFA 2021 chairs

Until recently, most people believed ensuring food safety was a job for governments and industry. However, as consumers become more aware about food safety and the associated risks, we are witnessing a rise in citizen-science-based tests which will allow for affordable and sensitive on-the-go food testing. In this article, we presented how the detection of high levels of pesticide residues can be significantly improved by using portable, easy-to-use devices such as smartphones.

Harvey W. Wiley Scholarship is awarded annually in the name of Harvey W. Wiley who was one of the founders of AOAC INTERNATIONAL in 1884.  AOAC INTERNATIONAL is a scientific association dedicated to promoting methods validation and quality measurements in the analytical sciences.

“Ecological product innovation lab at the Moldovan Agri-food Business” is a project aimed at creating a certified commercial kitchen and experimentation lab, set up to stimulate ecological product development, help start-ups and small producers shift to more sustainable operations, host educational events, formalize economic transactions, increase food safety and promote good practices in the food sector.

University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Dept. of Food Analysis and Nutrition has partnered with the Public Association Katalyst in Moldova in order to establish this ecological food fab lab and boost small business in adoption of sustainable practices. The partners plan to coach food start-ups and help implement nutritional and sensory food analysis, upgrade their product quality and reduce their environmental footprint.

 As the result of the project a 72 m² shared kitchen will be established, 10 food businesses trained and coached in ecological product innovations and wide public informed about sustainable approaches in food systems. The intervention shall have a longer-term effect, since it will further stimulate ecological shift in the food industry through by becoming an integral part of the 1st Moldovan Food Business Incubator.

More information on the project and grant provided here. 

The project “Ecological product innovation lab at the Moldovan Agrifood Business Incubator“ is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The AOAC INTERNATIONAL/Eurofins Foundation award recognizes up-and-coming scientists for their innovative work in life science testing. The award, supported by the Eurofins Foundation, is designed to encourage researchers who are advancing basic or applied science in analytical or molecular testing for food safety, food security, food defense, food authenticity, or health and environmental protection.

Aristeidis Tsagkaris was awarded for his work entitled “A lab-on-a-chip analytical platform with smartphone readout for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors screening”. The developed smartphone-based assay can screen for neurotoxic organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in fruits and vegetables. This screening method can be performed on-site since the paper assay is embedded into a lab-on-a-chip prototype device able to inject samples and necessary reagents on-demand. This cost-efficient (0.30 euro/per device) and rapid (results within 10 minutes) method can be used as a complementary screening tool to assist instrumental analysis by reducing the samples arriving in the lab.

In August 2020, John Wiley & Sons published a revised and updated second edition of the in-depth textbook of food chemistry, The Chemistry of Food. The authors of the book are Jan Velíšek, Richard Koplík and Karel Cejpek from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague.

The monograph of The Chemistry of Food (1,200 pages) provides a comprehensive overview of important compounds that are contained in foods and raw materials for their production. The book focuses on the structural properties of food ingredients and their chemical reactions, organoleptic properties and nutritional and toxicological significance. In addition to a detailed bibliography and index, the book contains a number of reaction schemes, figures and tables, and almost 2,000 chemical structures.

The current edition includes many new findings on food chemistry and related fields from hundreds of scientific papers published in 2012-2018. The new information relates to known as well as recently discovered food ingredients, their formation, reactivity, degradation, reactions with other compounds, but also organoleptic, biological and other important properties.

The revised second edition of The Chemistry of Food is intended for university students, teachers and workers in food research and industry. The book will provide quick guidance on almost any range of issues related to the chemical composition and chemical reactions in food.

Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, UCT Prague, organizes on 8-10 Septemer 2020 event financially supported by EIT Food „Training on analytical approaches for food safety, authenticity and quality assessment“. Agenda of the event is available HERE.

Aim of the event is to provide an opportunity to PhD students and post-docs in the field to be trained in advanced analytical strategies applied for food safety, authenticity and quality assessment. Various case studies will be presented, including analytical methods development, data evaluation, QA/QC, … Participants will have an opportunity to meet up with the experts and learn more from other young colleagues in order to network and discuss on their current and future research activities. They will also be informed about activities of EIT Food aimed at supporting students and entrepreneurial talents.

Who should attend?

Training is targeted particularly to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers interested in learning more about strategies applied in food analysis, including current trends in analytical methods development, data evaluation, QA/QC, troubleshooting.

Why attend?

To meet up with the experts in the field of food safety, quality, authenticity assessment and learn more on other young colleagues and stakeholders in order to exchange on their current and future research activities.

Registration (free) - until 31. 8. 2020

Registration form

Where the event takes place: http://www.vanuv-statek.cz/

Language of the event: Czech

In case of questions, please contact Mrs Martina Vlckova (martina.vlckova@vscht.cz).

Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, UCT Prague, organizes on 11-13 Septemer 2019 event finnacially supported by EIT Food „ Training on analytical approaches for food safety, authenticity and quality assessment“. Agenda of the event is available HERE.

Aim of the event is to provide an opportunity to PhD students of the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague to be trained in advanced analytical strategies applied for food safety, authenticity and quality assessment. Various case studies will be presented, including analytical methods development, data evaluation, QA/QC, … Participants will have an opportunity to meet up with the experts and learn more from other young colleagues in order to network and discuss on their current and future research activities. They will also be informed about activities of EIT Food aimed at supporting students and entrepreneurial talents. To register for participation in this event, please contact Martina Vlckova (martina.vlckova@vscht.cz ).

Prof. Jana Hajslova and her PhD student Aris Tsagkaris demonstrated the rapid and simple screening test for selected pesticide residues (organophosphates and carbamates) detection which is being developed within the Horizon 2020 project FoodSmartphone. You can see the news report on TV PRIMA here or the stream on facebook here .

Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition contributed to the publication FoodIntegrity Handbook: A Guide to Food Authenticity Issues and Analytical Solutions, which is freely available here.

UCT Prague, Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, in cooperation with the EU-funded project FoodIntegrity, organizes a Training week in Prague from the 3rd to 7th September 2018.

The event consists of TRAINING SCHOOL on assuring the integrity in the food chain (3-5 September 2018), and SYMPOSIUM for Post-Graduate Students on Food Fraud (6-7 September 2018).

Website of the FoodIntegrity Training week

Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, UCT Prague has supported, along with other major European organizations, the establishment of the National Center of International Research on Food Authenticity Technology in China. The ceremonial opening of the Center took place on 17.4. 2018 in Beijing. Prof. Jana Hajslova, as a member of the Academic Committee of the Center, was the honorary guest of his inauguration.

The 8^th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2017) will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, on 7–10 November, 2017.

The RAFA organizers, the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague, Czech Republic) and RIKILT, Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands), would like to invite food scientists from academia and industry, and representatives of national and international agencies, control authorities, governmental and commercial laboratories to attend this event.

RAFA has grown since the conference was launched in 2003. The previous two events were attended by 800 participants from more than 60 countries of Europe, Asia, America, Australia and Africa, and supported by more than 50 sponsors, exhibitors and media partners.

The RAFA 2017 symposium will provide an overview of contemporary trends in analytical & bioanalytical strategies in food quality and safety control and discuss challenges for novel approaches. The following recent & emerging issues will be addressed by RAFA 2017 sessions:

Workshops, Seminars, Tutorials

The conference programme will be accompanied by several satellite events alongside workshops, seminars, and tutorials on novel analytical strategies, including workshops on “Vibrational Spectroscopy and Chemometrics for the Monitoring of Food and Feed Products and Contaminants Detection” and “Analysis of Nanoparticles in Food, Cosmetics and Consumer Products” and  “Human Biomonitoring of Food”. Other sessions include “Smart Portable Food Analysis Systems and Citizen Science” and “Data Quality and Smart Data Handling in Food Analysis”. There will also be an opportunity to enhance your knowledge of mass spectrometry at the RAFA Mass Spectrometry School.

An interactive seminar will discuss “Sample-prep, Separation Techniques and Mass Spectrometric Detection in Food Quality and Safety: Step by Step Strategies for Fast development of Smart Analytical Methods”.

The Reference Laboratories Colloquium will include a workshop on “Experiences, Achievements and Challenges Addressed by EU Reference Laboratories

The Food Authorities’ Summit — EU and Beyond will include a seminar from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on “Food Safety Issues Beyond the EU”  as well as workshops on  “Food Safety in China: Past, Present and Future” and Sustainable Food Security and Quality – Challenges for Developing Countries”.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) information platform on emerging food quality/safety issues of high concern will also be discussed.

An open day on food integrity will focus on the latest developments and strategies in safety, quality, authenticity and traceability and the HORIZON 2020 session will discuss the collaboration challenges within EU framework programme for research and innovation.

Vendor Seminar and Exhibition
Vendor seminars provide the opportunity for leading companies to introduce recent instrumentation and analytical strategies for advanced food quality and safety control. An exhibition of modern instruments, laboratory equipment, reference materials, and consumables used in food analysis will be an important part of the symposium.

Young Scientist Opportunities

A platform for young scientists will be offered to present their scientific work; typically 20% of the contributed oral presentations is assigned to the next generation. Also a number of RAFA 2017 Student Travel Grants will be provided. The best poster presentation(s) by a young scientist(s) will be awarded with the prestigious RAFA Poster Award and sponsored poster award(s).

In summary, RAFA 2017 will offer a high-quality scientific programme with top-quality presentations followed by stimulating discussions, a series of satellite events, a large state-of-the-art exhibition and an attractive social programme. Scientific contributions will be presented by leading scientists through keynote lectures and by contributed oral and poster presentations. The RAFA 2017 programme will be tailored to provide a lot of opportunities for networking as well as exploration of the latest results of the food analysis community.

More details can be found on the RAFA 2017 website www.rafa2017.eu.

Prof. Jana Hajslova

RAFA 2017 chairwoman

Within the new FoodSmartphone project (Horizon 2020-MSCA-ITN-2016) has a new PhD researcher, Aristeidis Tsagkaris, M.Sc., started working at our department. Aristeidis was chosen from 66 candidates from all over the world. More information about the project here.

Karen McCloskey is Professor of Cell Physiology and Deputy Director of the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen’s University Belfast. Since 2012, she has been Director of the Gender Equality Office in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences.

She led the successful Athena SWAN Silver Award Applications for the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences in 2012 and 2016, working with an enthusiastic and highly-motivated Gender Equality Committee representing staff and students at all levels across the research and education units of the School.  In 2016, she proposed and implemented a strategy for a Gender Equality Office in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, serving 4 Schools. Chairing the University SWAN Champions Group has provided valuable insight into the challenges faced by colleagues in other disciplines as they work towards Gender Equality and has enabled good practice to be shared across the University.

University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) is offering a unique opportunity for an Early Stage Researcher to undertake research in the framework of the project “Smart phone analyzers for on-site testing of food quality and safety (FoodSmartphone)”. The Early Stage Researcher will be funded for 3 years by the prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Innovative European Training Network (MCSA-ITN-ETN-2016) programme. The successful candidate will be offered the opportunity to enrol on the following PhD programme: Enzymatic FoodSmartphone assays for AChE inhibitors (ESR 6). He/she will be an active member of a research project team assisting in the delivery of research and training activities within a specified project scope aimed to meet overall FoodSmartphone research objectives and submit a thesis in fulfilment of the requirements of a PhD degree.

Information

For more information regarding this position please contact Prof Dr. Jana Hajslova; jana.hajslova@vscht.cz or at (+420)220 443 185.

Application

Please submit your motivation letter with CV by e-mail to martina.vlckova@vscht.cz (this is the only correct way to apply) before March 27, 2017. Any applications reaching us, in any other way are not taken into consideration.

FoodSmartphone encourages qualified women, researchers from recent member states and researchers with a refugee status to apply as well. A screening research is part of the selection procedure and employment conditions at UCT Prague.

More information here

The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) participates in the new Horizon 2020 ITN project: FoodSmartphone - Smartphone analyzers for on-site testing of food quality and safety (Grant Agreement: 720325 – FoodSmartphone - H2020-MSCA-ITN) coordinated by Prof. Dr. Michel Nielen RIKILT Wageningen University & Research. The project will run from January 1, 2017, until December 31, 2020.

The consortium has been built upon highly complementary disciplines: (bio)analytical chemists, biologists, physicists, micro/nano-engineers, mathematicians, organic- and food chemists will work together on the joint supra-disciplinary goal.

FoodSmartphone offers the ESRs (early-stage researchers) an extensive programme of both mandatory and optional network-wide training events and intersectoral secondments. The scientific training in novel smartphone-based sensing technologies plus the complementary skills training provided, will have a major impact on future EU monitoring practices and, moreover, pave the road for Citizen Science.

More information on FoodSmartphone vacancies here. 

Prof. Jana Hajslova wins 2016 Harvey W. Wiley Award - the AOAC International´s highest honor for lifetime scientific achievement. AOAC INTERNATIONAL is a globally recognized, independent, third party, not-for-profit association and voluntary consensus standards developing organization founded in 1884. When analytical needs arise within a community or industry, AOAC INTERNATIONAL is the forum for finding appropriate science-based solutions through the development of microbiological and chemical standards.  AOAC standards are used globally to promote trade and to facilitate public health and safety.

Photo gallery from the ceremony

25.2.2016, Prague - The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague); University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna; and Queens University, Belfast are launching the MultiCoop Project. Goals of this partnership are strengthening links between project partners. The project will include a series of training and mobility initiatives and will encourage publication of joint scientific papers.

The project will run from January 1, 2016, until December 31, 2018.

Main Coordinator is Prof. Jana Hajšlová in cooperation with Prof. Tomáš Ruml. 

→ Press release

Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU commissioner for Health and Food Safety, visited our Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition during his short stay at UCT Prague.

University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Department of food analysis and nutrition, is the main organizer of the international conference "Assuring the integrity of the food chain: Fighting food fraud (FOODINTEGRITY 2016)", organized in collaboration with Fera Science Ltd., UK.

The conference takes place on April 6 - 7, 2016, in Prague, in the conference center at the Diplomat Hotel.

This conference will focus on the latest research outputs on developments and strategies in the field of food integrity - safety, quality, authenticity and traceability, from the project and beyond, including:

• Tools for food integrity assessment
• Gaps in current research in food authenticity on topics
  • Non targeted analysis
  • Complex foods
  • Transparency along the food chain
  • Rapid methods
• Analytical tools for food authentication
• Demonstration how a European knowledgebase on analytical methodology and databases for food authenticity can be exploited by stakeholders

In addition, series of workshops will be organised to include:

• Food Crime, occurrence, motivations and mitigations
• Industrial perspective for strategies applied for assuring food authenticity
• Citizen science potential approaches to food integrity
• Authenticity of herbs and spices

On-site demonstration of the approaches for food authentication developed by the FoodIntegrity project, will also provide unique opportunity to discuss with FoodIntegrity experts the latest developments and strategies in the field of food integrity - safety, quality, authenticity and traceability.

Similarly, as for the conferences undertaken in the previous two years, for the FOODINTEGRITY 2016 it is anticipated participation of 150 to 200 scientists, representing academics, industry representatives, regulators, government and commercial laboratories, from more than 25 countries around the world, who will hear in the upcoming program about 45 lectures and watch 50 poster presentations.

Within the accompanying exhibition and the workshops, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in modern instrumentation and other equipment used to assess the quality, safety and authenticity of food.

More information about the international conference FOODINTEGRITY 2016 is available on the website www.foodintegrity2016.eu.

Prof. Jana Hajšlová, PhD
Chair of the FOODINTEGRITY 2016 Organizing Committee

In November (9th - 13th) our department organized another workshop for experts from Saudi Food and Drug Authority. The workshop was focused on mycotoxins and pesticide residues.

Our Ph.D. students Darina Lankova and Vojtech Hrbek visited the National University of Littoral UNL, Faculty of Chemical Engineering (FIQ), in Santa Fe, Argentina. Their 3-weeks stay has been organized within the Program of Research and Analysis of Chemical Residues and Contaminants (PRINAC) under the auspices of Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of the Argentinean Republic (MINCyT) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) from Czech Republic (Project MINCYT-MEYS N°ARC/14/09). Their research activities were focused on the development of the analytical methods for determination of pesticides in biological samples using LC–MS/MS technique. They have participated at the Seminar „Advanced analysis of food and biological samples“, where they presented main outcomes of their disertation thesis. Specifically, Ing. Darina Lankova dealt with the analysis of organohalogenated contaminants in biological samples and Ing. Vojtech Hrbek with the possibilities of usage of ambient mass spectrometry in food analysis.

More abou the visit see the National University of Littoral or the local press.

In September (7th - 11th) our department organised workshop for experts from SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority).