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DST TEC in association with Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER) organized a one-day workshop on the occasion of celebrating the World Safety Day 2025 on 10 June 2025 at 10.30 AM in the University auditorium, Paneer Campus. The theme for this year’s food safety day was Food Safety: Science in Action. Dr Anirban Chakraborty, Director, NUCSER, gave the welcome address and introduced the speakers of the workshop to the gathering.
Dr Iddya Karunasagar, Rtd FAO Senior Officer, Advisor-Research and Patents, Nitte (DU), spoke on the scientific basis for international food safety standards. He explained about the scientific risk assessment reports produced by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committees – Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA), Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). These risk assessments form the basis of science based food safety standards set by Codex Alimentarius Commission. He also explained about microbiological sampling plans and compliance testing.
Dr S B Barbuddhe, Director, ICAR- National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad, enlightened the gathering on the present contours and future scope for advancement in food safety. He highlighted the importance of Listeria monocytogens as a foodborne pathogen and about the repository and culture collection of foodborne pathogens being maintained at ICAR-NMRI. He also explained about problems of food authenticity and the technology for detecting any mislabeled food.
Dr Indrani Karunasagar, Director- DST TEC and Projects, Nitte (DU), addressed the attendees about the safety of water in food production and processing. She explained about the need for fit for purpose water to be made available to primary producers like agricultural fields, fishing boats and fish landing centers. She explained about harmful algal blooms and toxins produced by them that may impact food safety. Her presentation included concepts of food adulteration and food contamination, and ways to minimize or mitigate them.
Following the lectures by the experts, a quiz contest on the topics related to food safety was conducted by Dr Prithvisagar K.S., Project Associate, DST TEC, through the Mentimeter platform. The top 10 performers were awarded prizes for their achievements. About 110 participants, including industry representatives from CAMPCO, Kanara Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dakshin Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union, and students and staff from St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) and St Agnes College, Nitte Usha Institute of Nursing Science, K S Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte Institute of Professional Education, Nitte University Center for Science Education and Research, Nitte- GoK-COE AQUAMARIN, and attended the workshop.

Winners of the Quiz contest:
1. Mr Reddappa KN, Dakshina Kannada Co-Operative Milk Producers Union
2. Ms Dhanyashree Rai, NUCSER
3. Ms Saisree Iyer, NUCSER
4. Dr Akshatha K, NUCSER
5. Dr Nithin M S, Nitte- GoK-COE AQUAMARIN,
6. Ms Sneha Titus, St Aloysius (Deemed to be University)
7. Dr Krishna Kumar B, NUCSER
8. Ms Mahima, St Agnes College (Autonomous)
9. Ms Vanessa Fernandes, NUCSER
10. Mr Anil Kumar SN, Dakshina Kannada Co-Operative Milk Producers Union

News Date : 2025-06-24

Last updated 2025-06-24 05:23:27