Prof Dr Ida Idayu Muhamad from Food and Biomaterial Engineering Research Group (FoBERG) under the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering UTM, was invited to deliver her keynote speech at the Food Safety & Municipality Conference 2018 (FSMC 2018). The invitation was fully sponsored by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Water Resources, Oman. The conference was held at the Sheraton Grand Hall, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. The topic for her presentation entitled “Active-Smart Packaging with Antimicrobial and Spoilage Indicator for Managing Food Safety and Quality”.
The conference focused on food safety and quality system which is one of the main pillars of municipal work that aims to protect consumer health and public health. The system is currently facing a number of changes and challenges at the local, regional and international levels such as the emergence of modern technologies in the fields of food industry and preservation, commercial fraud, changing consumption patterns, increasing cases of food-borne and water-borne diseases as well as their impacts on the fields of tourism, trade, business, education and health. These challenges need to be addressed through human resources development, working under the authority control and providing them with the latest technologies and equipment to control hazard level in foods. Various modern media plays an important role in raising the awareness of the society on the significance of food safety and quality, and also in maintaining municipal achievements.
The conference was held from 9th -11th April 2018 as part of the Food Safety Week in the Sultanate and the Gulf Food Day activities. The conference covered two main themes: Food Safety and Municipal work. There were four themes in the Field of Food Safety:
1. Food Safety Strategies, and Safety and Quality of Foods in GCC Markets and their Health Implications,
2. Emerging Risks in Food Safety,
3. Media, Awareness, Food Security, Consumer Behavior and Food Safety,
4. Novel Technologies in Food Safety.
Also, the three themes under the Field of Municipality:
1. Modern Systems and Techniques in Municipal Services,
2. Partnership with the Private Sector in the Development of Municipal Works & Areas of Voluntary Work in Municipal Work,
3. Best Practices in Sustainable Urban Planning.
The FSMC 2018 addressed the latest developments in the two sectors, and share scientific and practical experiences with the participation of experts and specialists from different countries including Ireland, France, USA, Germany, Canada, Greece, Australia, United Kingdom, Iran, India, Pakistan and GCC countries.
