SOUTH AFRICA – Analytical scientists working throughout the African continent will now be included in AOAC Africa’s purview following considerable consultation with its 300+ members and ultimate approval from AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Formerly known as the AOAC Sub-Saharan Africa Section and focused, as the name suggested, on scientists in the nations south of the Sahara. Building trust in analytical results, the…
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IITA, National Root Crops Research Institute release new high-yield, disease-resistant yam varieties
AFRICA – The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-CGIAR in partnership with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) has released three novel yam cultivars that are resistant to the yam mosaic virus and anthracnose, two of the most fatal yam diseases in Africa. The three new cultivars, UMUDr35-Delight, UMUDr33-Blessing, and UMUDr34-Sunshine, also possess outstanding qualities, including high yield, high…
READ MORECABI aids Inter-African Phytosanitary Council of the African Union in implementing Africa’s Plant Health Strategy
AFRICA – The Inter-African Phytosanitary Council of the African Union (AU-IAPSC) and CABI’s regional center for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, are collaborating to implement the Plant Health Strategy for Africa, which will address insufficient and implement better sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures in the continent. Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the ultimate aim is to create…
READ MORENew Dairy Manufacturing Africa event to connect dairy industry in Africa and globally
KENYA – FW Africa, the publishers of leading magazines and organisers of several successful events in Africa’s food industry has announced a new event that will change the game in the dairy industry in Africa. The Dairy Manufacturing Africa Summit & Expo, which is planned for September 21-22, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring together the key stakeholders from the…
READ MOREEarly maturing maize cultivars to aid Africa in achieving food security
AFRICA – Researchers from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria have discovered maize cultivars that offer a promising strategy to attain food security and safety of maize in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). According to IITA, nearly 30% of the calories consumed by more than 300 million people in SSA come from maize, and this…
READ MOREConnoisseurs estimate prevalence of foodborne disease load in African countries
AFRICA – Eleven experts from Ethiopia, 12 in Burkina Faso and nine in Rwanda have participated in a study assessing the role of certain food types in causing illness from different pathogens in the three African countries. Findings, published in the journal Neglected Tropical Diseases, will help support three projects aiming to improve food safety in these African countries. As…
READ MORELack of oversight impedes food fraud regulation in Sub-Saharan Africa
AFRICA – A study titled, “Food fraud amid COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: A challenge of the present”, has intimated that lack of oversight and a wide range of informal markets have made it challenging to regulate food fraud in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study led by Dr Helen Onyeaka, Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, states that the disruption caused…
READ MORESADCAS inaugural CEO Maureen Mutasa retires
AFRICA – Mrs. Maureen Mutasa has recently stepped down from her position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS), culminating her 14 years of service. Present in 14 countries throughout Southern Africa, SADCAS guarantees the technical proficiency of service providers supplying calibration, testing, medical laboratory, and inspection and certification services. Through this function,…
READ MOREAOAC Africa Section bags “Global Section of the Year” award
AFRICA – AOAC Sub-Saharan Africa has been named “Global Section of the Year”, standing out among AOAC INTERNATIONAL’S 19 regional sections around the world. The AOAC INTERNATIONAL Section of the Year Award recognizes the role AOAC Sections play in advancing analytical excellence in the areas of food safety, food integrity, and public health. Building trust in analytical results, the AOAC…
READ MOREScientists discover gene resistant to cassava mosaic disease
AFRICA – Scientists have discovered a gene resistant to the cassava mosaic disease, giving prospect to the development of disease-resistant cassava varieties hence boosting food security. In Sub-Saharan Africa, cassava is susceptible to a broad range of diseases of which cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is the most severe and widespread. CMD is caused by a group of viruses called geminiviruses.…
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