At the Autonomous University of Chiriqui in Panama (UNACHI), the Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences hosted a full day’s World Food Safety Day conference for their Masters’ Program in Chemical Sciences (which has an emphasis on food safety). The conference on “Chemical Residues in Food and their Impact on Food Safety” took place on 7 June and included an international line up of expert speakers.

The conference was opened by the dean of the Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences, who reflected on the importance of World Food Safety Day.

Thereafter, experts from Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina presented a range of topics, from the ‘challenges and opportunities for transformation of food systems’ from Dr Alejandra Díaz, a representative of the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), to ‘some toxicity tests on food and medicines’ from Dr Cynthia Ordaz Pichardo in Mexico and ‘how to assure food safety in a world with pesticides and mycotoxins’ from Dr Ionara Pizutti in Brazil.

Other topics were ‘contaminants in the clean chain: evaluation of risk factors’ from Dr Daniela Costamagna in Argentina and ‘local crops as an alternative for sustainable food systems’ by Dr Tania Chacón from Costa Rica.

There was also discussion on the fundamentals of training people to specialize in these areas, which was led by course leader Dr Ariadna Batista.