The Food Value Chain Training Course in Partnership with Visayas State University under HRD Project Phase 4, have successfully conducted from May 27 to May 31, 2024, in Leyte, Philippines. The Program was organised by HRD Project Phase 4 in collaboration with the Department of Food Science and Technology of Visayas State University and Japan Food Journal, attended by 80 participants, which consisted of 26 academicians, 5 Local Government Unit officials, 1 staff from the private sector, and 48 students from Visayas State University, and other neighboring universities in the Philippines. A total of 8 relevant experts from Japanese companies share their expertise based on their broad knowledge and experience on the topic of the Food Value Chain.
The programme provided not only lectures but also workshops and a field visit to the farm as well as the Food-Processing Company in Leyte to build a comprehensive understanding of participants on the given topic related to the Food Value Chain as well as discussed the relevant topic related to Food Value Chain improvement and development which consists of the basic concept of the food value chain including relevant stages along the Food Value Chain which consist of Methods for improving the added value of agricultural products and foods, food packaging technologies, food loss-food waste, and the environmental issues including the achievement of the SDGs, freezing and chilling technology, restaurant industry chain store management, meat processing in the restaurant industry, traceability and food safety in Japanese Companies, food service industry, as well as agricultural finance
The FA Training Course in collaboration with NUL was successfully conducted from June 26 to June 30, 2023. This comprehensive program seamlessly blended online and on-site, hosted by the Department of Rural Economics and Food Technology within the Faculty of Agriculture at NUL. A diverse cohort of 39 participants actively engaged in the course, comprising 8 academic staff members, 22 students, 1 representative from a private company, and 8 professionals from the public sector.
The program featured a distinguished panel of 10 expert lecturers renowned for their proficiency in food analysis, hailing from esteemed institutions in Japan and Singapore. These experts shared invaluable practical insights drawn from their extensive experiences in the field of food analysis. The topics covered during the course encompassed cutting-edge areas such as Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS), JAS Testing Methods, Standardization in Food Industries, the Development of Functional Agricultural Products, and the Application of Functional Food Labeling Systems in Japan. Additionally, the curriculum delved into fundamental aspects, including Basic Understanding and Key Points of ISO/IEC17025, the significance of β-cryptoxanthin as a functional component for human health, and a hands-on training session with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
During the hands-on training segment, participants were organized into small groups to engage in the JAS Testing method. This practical session allowed participants to acquire hands-on experience in detecting β-cryptoxanthin in mandarin oranges, covering every step from pretreatment/sample preparation to HPLC data analysis. Participants also received comprehensive training on the proper handling of various apparatus and reagents involved in the process, ensuring a thorough and consistent understanding of the procedures.
The 3rd Food Analysis Training Course in Partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Cambodia under the HRD Project – Phase 3 was successfully organized from 9 to 11 August 2023. The program was implemented fully on-site, and hosted by the Department of Extension for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, MAFF Cambodia. The program was joined by 25 participants which consisted of 18 university staff and students, 6 government staff, and 1 from the private sector. 3 lecturers with noted expertise in food analysis from the well-known Japanese and Singaporean private sectors were invited and shared their practical knowledge based on their broad experiences in the field of food analysis.
The curriculum for the hands-on training consisted of hands-on training preparation (Day 1) and practical High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) training with the installed analytical equipment (Day 2 – 3). During the training, the participants were divided into small groups to learn and try the method of how to detect Ornithine in Shimeji mushrooms from the pretreatment/sample preparation to HPLC data analysis in a consistent way, as well as how to handle each apparatus and reagent properly.
The FSM Training Course with IADP Medan was successfully organized on 13 September 2023. The program was conducted onsite with some participants joined online and hosted by IADP Medan. A total of 116 participants joined the program with 40 participants onsite and 76 participants attending through the Zoom platform, including students, university staff, government agencies, agricultural cooperatives, and employees from the private sector. Among the participants, 22 representatives were from SMEs who are actively involved in food processing in Medan, Binjai, and Deli Serdang districts. 4 lecturers with noted expertise on food safety from Japanese companies and private sectors located in Indonesia were invited and shared their knowledge and practical skills related to HACCP and global food safety standards, including JFS Standards.
The curriculum was arranged based on consultation between IADP Medan, MAFF Japan, and the Project. It was comprised of essential knowledge on food safety such as global food safety standards, the concept of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Food Defense, etc. This knowledge is essential for the people who will be involved in the food industry.
The FSM Training Course with YAU was successfully organized from 21 to 23 August 2023. The program was hosted by the Department of Food Science and Technology of YAU and conducted virtually through the Zoom platform. The program was attended by 51 students and 1 university staff of YAU.
The curriculum was arranged based on consultation between YAU, a lecturer from Kagoshima University, and the Project. It was comprised of essential knowledge on food safety, which consists of the concept of the Japan Food Safety Standard (JFS) including Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Hygiene Practice (GHP), Food Safety Management (FSM) system, and audit skills. Additionally, interactive sessions were included to learn how to make HACCP Plans including hazard analysis, critical control point decisions, critical limit establishment, etc. A case study was also included to learn how to audit food factories by themselves. After individual thinking, the lecturer provided sample answers.
The FSM Training Course with UPM was successfully organized from 31 July, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10 August 2023. The program was implemented in a hybrid scheme and hosted by the Department of Food Service and Management of UPM. In this program, the Project collaborated with Kagoshima University, a recognized certification body by the Japan Food Safety Management Association (JFSM), to conduct an intensive training course for JFSM certification. This course consisted of 2 consecutive trainings, namely Food Safety training and Audit training, which were delivered by 2 lecturers from Kagoshima University and Mae Fah Luang University. At the end of each training, tests, and retests (for those who failed the test) were conducted to measure and evaluate their comprehension and understanding.
Upon exam scoring, participants who demonstrated adequate knowledge with a score of 70% or above were eligible to receive certificates issued by Kagoshima University. The program was joined by government workers and academic staff of UPM. The curriculum was arranged following JFSM guidelines which were comprised of essential knowledge on food safety, which consists of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), JFS (Japan Food Safety Standard), Food Safety Management (FSM) system and auditing skills.
Additionally, group work was included in the curriculum to deepen participants’ learning in creating a HACCP plan and audit factories. Upon exam, 19 out of 20 participants obtained qualification as a JFS-A/B standard auditor after getting certificates of both Food Safety training and Audit training.
The FSM Training Course with NUL was successfully organized from 21-23 June, 18, 20 July, 7-8, 19, 21 September 2023. The program was implemented onsite and hosted by the Department of Rural Economics and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture of NUL. In this program, the Project collaborated with ECORE Co., Ltd., a recognized certification body by the Japan Food Safety Management Association (JFSM), to conduct an intensive training course for JFSM certification. This course consisted of 2 consecutive trainings, namely Food Safety training and Audit training. At the end of each training, tests, and retests (for those who failed the test) were conducted to measure and evaluate their comprehension and understanding.
Upon exam scoring, participants who demonstrated adequate knowledge with a score of 70% or above were eligible to receive certificates issued by ECORE Co., Ltd. The program was joined by university staff and students of NUL. The curriculum was arranged following JFSM guidelines which were comprised of essential knowledge on food safety, which consists of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), JFS (Japan Food Safety Standard), Food Safety Management (FSM) system and auditing skills.
Additionally, group work was included in the curriculum to deepen participants’ learning in creating a HACCP plan and audit factories. Upon exam, 8 out of 20 participants obtained qualification as a JFS-A/B standard auditor after getting certificates of both Food Safety training and Audit training.
The FSM Training Course with VNUA was successfully organized from 7-9, 27, 29 June, 27-28 July, and 15, 17 August 2023. The program was implemented online and hosted by the Faculty of Food Science and Technology of VNUA. In this program, the Project collaborated with ECORE Co., Ltd., a recognized certification body by the Japan Food Safety Management Association (JFSM), to conduct an intensive training course for JFSM certification. This course consisted of 2 consecutive trainings, namely Food Safety training and Audit training. At the end of each training, tests, and retests (for those who failed the test) were conducted to measure and evaluate their comprehension and understanding.
Upon exam scoring, participants who demonstrated adequate knowledge with a score of 70% or above were eligible to receive certificates issued by ECORE Co., Ltd. The program was joined by employees of private sector, academia, agricultural cooperatives, and government officials. The curriculum was arranged following JFSM guidelines which were comprised of essential knowledge on food safety, which consists of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), JFS (Japan Food Safety Standard), Food Safety Management (FSM) system and auditing skills.
Additionally, group work was included in the curriculum to deepen participants’ learning in creating a HACCP plan and audit factories. Upon exam, 15 out of 19 participants obtained qualification as a JFS-A/B standard auditor after getting certificates of both Food Safety training and Audit training.
The FSM Training Course with KU was successfully organized from 15-19, 22, and 25 May 2023. The program was implemented onsite and hosted by the Department of Food Science and Technology of KU. In this program, the Project collaborated with Kagoshima University, a recognized certification body by the Japan Food Safety Management Association (JFSM), to conduct an intensive training course for JFSM certification. This course consisted of 2 consecutive trainings, namely Food Safety training and Audit training, which was delivered by 2 lecturers from Kagoshima University and Mae Fah Luang University of Thailand. At the end of each training, tests, and retests (for those who failed the test) were conducted to measure and evaluate their comprehension and understanding.
Upon exam scoring, participants who demonstrated adequate knowledge were eligible to receive certificates issued by Kagoshima University. The program was joined by private sector and students and academic staff of KU. The curriculum was arranged following JFSM guidelines which were comprised of essential knowledge on food safety, which consists of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), JFS (Japan Food Safety Standard), Food Safety Management (FSM) system and auditing skills.
Additionally, group work was included in the curriculum to deepen participants’ learning in creating a HACCP plan and audit factories. Upon exam, 17 out of 19 participants obtained qualification as a JFS-A/B standard auditor after getting certificates of both Food Safety training and Audit training.
The 3rd Talk-Show in Partnership with IPB University under HRD Project – Phase 3 was successfully organized on 26 September 2023. The activity was conducted at the Campus of School Business of IPB University, attended by 134 participants which consist of students and farmers as well as students and lecturers from IPB University. The topic was focused on Smart Technology and Sustainable Agriculture, emphasizing three discussion points; (1) the transformation of food systems in Asia-Monsoon region through accelerating application of agricultural technologies (2) Promoting modernization and digitalization for the business model of millennial farmers, and (3) Lesson learned of Japan Advance technology in Agriculture Sector from Japan ASEAN Collaboration Project. Dr. Yasuro Funaki from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science (JIRCAS) was invited to share his expertise on the discussion point (1). Mr. Sandi Octa Susila, the CEO of Mitra Tani Parahyangan and Leader of Millenial Farmers of Indonesia, shares his practical know-how on point number (2). Point (3) was elaborated by Ms. Melody Nurramdhani Laksani as Japan ASEAN Goodwill Ambassador on Food and Agriculture.
