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doi:10.1094/CFW-53-1-0036 |
VIEW ARTICLE MoniQA—A New EU Project Working Toward the Harmonization of Analytical Methods for Monitoring Food Quality and Safety in the Food Supply Chain R. E. Poms (1), M. Gross (1), and B. Pöpping (2). (1) International Association for Cereal Science and Technology, Vienna, Austria. (2) Eurofins GmbH, Hamburg, Germany. Cereal Foods World 53(1):36-39. MoniQA (www.moniqa.org), Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the Food Supply Chain, is an EU-funded Network of Excellence (NoE) that works toward harmonization of analytical methods for monitoring food quality and safety in the food supply chain. The MoniQA NoE (Contract N0. FOOD-CT-2006-36337) is coordinated by the Vienna-based International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC) and is set to receive €12.3 million by the European Commission for its activities between 2007 and 2012 within the Sixth Framework Program Topic (FP 6) T5.4.5.1, Quality and Safety Control Strategies for Food. The MoniQA NoE seeks to establish sustainable integration of the leading research institutions, industrial partners, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working in complementary fields of food analysis to assure food quality and safety. MoniQA aims at overcoming European and worldwide fragmentation in food diagnostic research by integrating key organizations in a Network of Excellence. The benefits through dissemination and joint research will also be available to associated partners. The consortium seeks to establish mechanisms for coordinating, and, where possible, fully merging research activities, personnel, and infrastructure. The industry and SME sector will benefit through the application of harmonized protocols and mutually and globally accepted analytical methods fulfilling defined requirements. Finally the consumers and international trade will benefit through high quality and safe food that was tested by reliable and accepted methods. MONIQA will play an important role in integrating European and worldwide food quality and safety research by creating a virtual laboratory for joint research, training, dissemination, and mobility programs. It will allow and actively promote sharing of data and knowledge, as well as equipment, materials, and personnel through the creation of a global platform for food quality and safety researchers. Integrating activities will enable shared access to the world’s best research facilities, technological platforms, databases, analytical tools, and knowledge. The joint research program will allow high quality research directed toward the most pressing issues fulfilling both food quality and safety policies as well as citizens’ concerns. The network will develop common strategies for harmonizing and validating detection methods and technology strategies to set new standards in food quality and safety, beginning within the production and extending throughout the whole food supply chain.
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