Announcement: GHI Newsletter

      The latest Newsletter of the Global Harmonization Initiative (GHI) contains information muchofwhichisofpotentialinteresttoreadersofTrendsinFoodScience&Technology,and FoodControl.  Asmostreaderswillknow,GHIisaninitiativeoftheEuropeanFederationofFoodScience andTechnology(EFFoST),theEuropeansectionoftheInternationalUnionofFoodScience andTechnology(IUFoST)andtheInternationalDivisionoftheInstituteofFoodTechnologists (IFT), but is also supported by many other organisations involved in food science and technology.Itsultimategoalisconsensusonthescienceoffoodregulationsandlegislation toensuretheglobalavailabilityofsafeandwholesomefoodproductsforallconsumers.  Duetoreportsonavarietyofactivitiesandannouncementsaboutfutureevents,everyissue seems to be larger than the previous one. The current issue gives details about meetings whereGHIispresentingorengagedinWorkingGroupmeetings.TheseincludeNutraͲIndia (Bangalore,IndiaͲMarch),NEEFood2012(StPetersburg,RussiaͲApril)andtheforthcoming meetings, including CEFood2012 (Novi Sad, Serbia Ͳ May 2012), IFT’s Annual Meeting (Las Vegas,USAͲJune2012),IUFoSTWorldFoodCongress(FozdoIguaçu,Brazil–August2012), SOMEICCAS's National meeting (Mazatlán, Mexico Ͳ October), EHEDG World Congress on Hygienic Engineering & Design (Valencia, Spain – November 2012), the EFFoST Annual Conference(Montpellier,France–November2012).  Of particular interest is the Toxicity Course that GHI is organising in conjunction with the EFFoST Conference. This is a unique opportunity to learn in a few days about reliable and rapid genotoxicity testing without using animals. Usually such courses are very expensive, butinassociationwiththeconference,alimitednumberofparticipantswillhaveaccessat verylowcosts.  The issue discusses also the critical report ‘Food security, the moving borders of poverty, free markets and political interventions’ by Atef Idriss (GHI ambassador in Lebanon), John Lupien(FAOFoodandNutritionDivision)andseveralothercoͲauthors.Further,ithasshort articles on ‘Orange juice regulations’ (Larry Keener), ‘Chemicals and health’ (Jaap Hanekamp) and‘People,planet,prosperityandthefoodchain’(KatherineFlynn)and,finally,thereisashort reportontherecentGHIWorkingGroupMycotoxinmeeting.  GHI hopes that the Newsletter meets the expectations of readers, some of whom sent compliments like “… it contains more substance than most eͲNewsletter”, which we much appreciate–thankyou!  TheGHINewslettercanbedownloadedfromwww.globalharmonization.net/newsletter_issue_5