Food Security At The Forefront

The NTU Food Technology Center will research key issues in food security such as antimicrobial resistance in food microorganisms and the sustainability of food production.

AsianScientist (Nov. 14, 2016) – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is setting up a new research center to develop science-based solutions for food security challenges. Called the NTU Food Technology Center (NAFTEC), the research center will focus on key areas such as antimicrobial resistance in food microorganisms and the sustainability of food production systems.

NTU Provost Professor Freddy Boey announced the setting up of NAFTEC in his address at a four-day international conference organised by NTU, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

The food technology center, which is part of NTU’s College of Engineering, will have more than 20 full-time researchers and scientists working on present and future projects within its first year. It has started working with several Singapore agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the Agency for Science Technology and Research, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the Agri-Veterinary and Food Authority and the National Environment Agency.

Internationally, it has started collaborations with the WHO, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the United States Food and Drug Administration, the University of New South Wales, as well as universities in Europe and the US.

The new center has been designated Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Center for Sustainable Development in Agriculture & Fishery Sectors and will conduct research on sustainable solutions and scientific evaluations of food production systems in support of APEC’s 21 member countries.

NAFTEC builds on the university’s partnership with the Netherlands’ Wageningen University, a leading institution in food science and technology, to meet growing demand in the food industry for highly-trained expertise.

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Source: Nanyang Technological University; Photo: Shutterstock.
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