ACCELERATING IMPACT FOR ENTREPRENEURS.

ACCELERATING IMPACT FOR ENTREPRENEURS. A newly released report by Emory University and TechnoServe shows that carefully designed accelerator programs can facilitate revenue growth. In recent years, entrepreneurship has become a key focus area for development. Although entrepreneurship and economic development were once considered and promoted separately, they are now seen as two sides of the same coin. Governments, nongovernmental organizations and private investors around the world are channeling their efforts into stimulating emerging-market entrepreneurship. more

Keeping food supply safer using computer software.

Keeping food supply safer using computer software.Food safety research usually involves analyzing live populations of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, but University of Georgia food scientist Henk den Bakker fights pathogens by developing computer software. Graphs are used to find genomic differences between strains of foodborne bacteria. By studying graphs of complete populations of a pathogen, we can look for genetic variation in genomes that help us to fingerprint bacterial strains. This makes it easier to find bacteria with a similar genomic fingerprint, for instance, bacteria involved in a disease outbreak. more

Food safety

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Not to be confused with Food security.

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Food safety
Terms
Foodborne illness Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) Hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls (HARPC) Critical control point
Critical factors
FAT TOM pH Water activity (aw)
Bacterial pathogens
Clostridium botulinum Escherichia coli Listeria Salmonella Vibrio cholerae Cronobacter spp
Viral pathogens
Enterovirus Hepatitis A Norovirus Rotavirus
Parasitic pathogens
Cryptosporidium Entamoeba histolytica Giardia Trichinella
v t e

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illnesses resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known as a food-borne disease outbreak.^[1] This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potential health hazards. In this way food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer. In considering industry to market practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering market to consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer.

Food can transmit pathogens which can result in the illness or death of the person or other animals. The main mediums are bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungus (which is Latin for mushroom). It can also serve as a growth and reproductive medium for pathogens. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries there are fewer standards and less enforcement of those standards. Another main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item in the spreading of diseases.^[2] In theory, food poisoning is 100% preventable. However this cannot be achieved due to the number of persons involved in the supply chain, as well as the fact that pathogens can be introduced into foods no matter how many precautions are taken. The five key principles of food hygiene, according to WHO, are:^[3]

1. Prevent contaminating food with pathogens spreading from people, pets, and pests.
2. Separate raw and cooked foods to prevent contaminating the cooked foods.
3. Cook foods for the appropriate length of time and at the appropriate temperature to kill pathogens.
4. Store food at the proper temperature.
5. Use safe water and safe raw materials.

Contents

• 1 Issues
• 2 Food contamination
  • 2.1 Physical contamination
  • 2.2 Chemical contamination
  • 2.3 Biological contamination
• 3 Safe Food Handling Procedures (From Market to Consumer)
• 4 ISO 22000
• 5 Incidence
• 6 Regulations by jurisdiction and agency
  • 6.1 WHO and FAO
  • 6.2 Australia
  • 6.3 China
  • 6.4 European Union
  • 6.5 France
  • 6.6 Germany

Economic importance of fungi in commercial agriculture.

Economic importance of fungi in commercial agriculture.Fungi are one of the most significant organisms in the environment. They are hidden from the naked eyes but their effects and impact are very evident and plenty. Learn more about fungi and the economic importance of fungi in commercial agriculture. The economic importance of fungi refers to both the advantages and disadvantages of fungi. Fungi are one of the most important microorganisms in our environment. The play a number of important roles in medicine and in commercial agriculture. The uses of fungi are numerous. They are used in production industries like bakeries and breweries, in food processing, in medicines, etc. . Some fungi found in the soil are beneficial in commercial agriculture because their activities help to maintain soil fertility. Saprophytic fungi in acidic soils with low bacterial activities cause decay and help decompose dead plants and their waste. They take up the complex organic compounds by secreting enzymes. These enzymes convert the complex organic compounds into simpler ones like ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, water, etc. Some of these simpler compounds are absorbed back into the soil to form humus. The rest into the air where they are used again by plants for synthesis. Most saprophytic fungi involved in decay maintain a constant cycle of carbon dioxide which is the very important for plant photosynthesis. Some fungi attach to the roots of some plants and help them in taking up nutrients from the soil. This is known as mycorrhizal association. These plants can only grow to satisfaction when mycelium of the fungal partner is present in the soil. Mycorrhiza present in the soil helps in the development of good soil structure. They join small soil particles together to form bigger ones. more

Cows offers clue that leads to an HIV vaccine.

Cows offers clue that leads to an HIV vaccine. "Cows have shown an 'insane' and 'mind-blowing' ability to tackle HIV which will help develop a vaccine, say US researchers," BBC News reports. The report is based on new research in cows that were immunized against HIV before having their immune response to HIV assessed. There's currently no vaccine for HIV because the virus mutates so easily. Scientists aim to develop a vaccine that is not only potent (produces a strong immune system response), but also causes the immune system to make "broadly neutralizing antibodies" (able to protect against many different strains of virus). The four cows in this study were immunized against HIV with a specially developed vaccine to test both strength and "breadth". Some cows developed a weak response with reasonable breadth (20% – or it helped protect against 1 in 5 strains tested in the lab) at 42 days. One cow in particular showed an impressive immune response to most of the lab strains of HIV ("96% breadth") 381 days after being vaccinated. This research, done in a small number of cows, may help scientists work out if immune proteins made in cows could potentially be used to protect humans against a range of HIV strains. more

Transforming Nigeria's Agricultural Value Chain.

Transforming Nigeria's Agricultural Value Chain. Agriculture was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of crude oil. From 1960 to 1969, the sector accounted for an average of 57.0% of GDP and generated 64.5% of export earnings. From 1970 to late 2000s, the sector’s contribution to GDP and export earnings steadily declined, because 

Nigeria focus shifted to petroleum exploration. Over the past five years, the sector has contributed an average of 23.5% to GDP and generated 5.1% of export earnings.

 The recent fall in crude oil prices has triggered conversations around the role of Agriculture in economic diversification.Our new report, Transforming Nigeria’s Agricultural Value Chain, argues that Nigeria’s agriculture sector requires massive investments to increase production and to create value addition across the most profitable segments of the value chain. In order to examine Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, the report focuses on Cocoa and Dairy as case studies. 

 It also suggests strategies for upgrading the production, processing, trade and marketing segments of the agricultural value chain. Download

Risk and spread of plant viruses.

Risk and spread of plant viruses. Plant viruses can cause many diseases in our crops. The effects of viruses can range from discolorations and deformities – which make products less valuable or worthless – to loss of the plant. But virus infection can also be symptom-free; in that case the host plant appears to be healthy. However, undetected infections can have serious consequences for the export of agricultural products, especially if the virus concerned has a quarantine status in other countries. Standard plant protection agents do not work against plant viruses; once plants are infected by a virus they can no longer be cured. Farmers and growers therefore do everything they can to keep their crops virus-free. They begin the crop with certified virus-free material (seeds, cuttings or other planting material). In addition, they take measures to minimise virus transmission to their crop and within their crop. To do this effectively, it is important to understand how viruses spread and move from one plant to another.see

30,000 farmers to be trained on agriculture technology.

30,000 farmers to be trained on agriculture technology.More than 30,000 farmers, including some from Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda, are expected to attend the 17th annual farmers' field day in Nyeri from next week. The two-day event will kick off on Friday and Saturday next week at Wambugu Farm Agricultural Training Centre. Nyeri Agriculture executive Robert Thuo said more than 130 exhibitors, mostly selling farm inputs, will showcase their work.more