DAFF hosts international training course in basic analytical instrument maintenance and troubleshooting for analytical laboratory staff from developing countries
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF)’s Directorate: Food Safety & Quality Assurance, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) will be hosting an international “train-the-trainer” course in basic maintenance and troubleshooting of analytical instruments used in food and environmental safety monitoring and control programmes.
This event is an activity of the IAEA’s Interregional Technical Cooperation Project known as INT/5/154, where South Africa is among 32 developing countries from the continents of Africa, Asia and South America who will also be participating and are beneficiaries of the project.
The training is aimed at improving the expertise of analytical laboratory scientists towards the maintenance and troubleshooting of analytical instruments, which subsequently will improve accuracy of analytical results produced. The activity supports the broader goal of the INT5154 project which is building capacity in developing countries to enable them to generate and collect credible scientific data which can be used for influencing international standard setting bodies. Currently, developing countries face challenges of not having credible scientific data or no data at all to support some of their positions relating to setting limits in various food safety issues.
Sixteen scientists representing Angola, Botswana, Costa Rica, Chile, Cuba, Bolivia, Honduras, Indonesia, Sri-Lanka, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and Venezuela are expected to attend the event. Locally, there will be scientists participating from NMISA, DAFF and PPECB (Perishable Products Export Control Board).
It is envisaged that the platform afforded by the IAEA INT5154 project will be utilised to strengthen collaborations between local laboratories involved in food testing for monitoring controls, while also extending such collaborations with laboratories in neighbouring countries, Africa, Asia and South America.
For media enquires please contact:
Makenosi Maroo
Tel: 012 319 6787
Cell: 072 475 2956
Email: MakenosiM@daff.gov.za
