Round Table Discussion at the Academy about Risk Assessment Problems

       On November 16, 2018, a Round Table dedicated to the problems of food safety and risk management was organized by Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The Round Table discussions were held with active participation of  Dr. Andreas, Professor of  Consumer Health Safety and Risk Assessment, University of Leipzig; President of German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Dr. Magnus Jager, Executive Director of the same Institute.

         The Institute works on the problems of health safety problems; it carries out independent scientific studies, assessments of risk related to food and animal forage, chemical substances and other consumer products.

       Being a leading Institute in Germany, it defines the standards of food safety and consumer health protection.  Based on the results of the scientific studies conducted by the institute, the producers and researchers can make scientifically proved decisions.

      The mission of the Institute is to make the world more secure by offering healthy food to population. Its 750 personnel work in nine departments of the Federal Institute. 

                 In the work of Round Table the academicians, professors and administration took part. The meeting was opened by Academician Givi Japaridze,Vice President of the Academy. He spoke about the importance of food safety in Georgia which should be further developed in close cooperation with the leading centers of Europe sharing their experience and considering the world achievements in the area. In the fast developing world, emergence of new risk factors is eternal and health protection by offering to population safe and nutritious food is becoming more complicated and demands a great deal of responsibility from government and research institutions.      

German Federal Institute carries out many activities, namely, it establishes close cooperation with Georgian researchers, provides training of the specialists working in the field, and enhances the opportunity of applying the latest scientific achievements being successfully implemented in food safety system on a national level. 

As it was mentioned in the speech of Acad. G. Japaridze, food safety and risk assessment is one of the major directions of the Academy and it is important to set close cooperation with one of the leading institutes in world to share the new technologies and approaches in this area.  

       The Academy is actively involved in the processes with regards to assessment of food safety, elimination of threats, scientific discussions of the problem, or drafting the new regulations on a state level.

        The speeches were delivered by Academician Zurab Tskitishvili, Secretary of Food Safety and Food Technology Scientific Department who informed the participants about the activities of the Department and emphasized the importance of cooperation in this area, and by Dr. Andreas, President of German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, who spoke about the achievements Germany has achieved in risk assessment and risk prevention. At the end he wished success to Georgian Colleagues and expressed his wish to continue fruitful cooperation with Georgian counterpart. In the Round Table discussion Georgian academicians Archil Vashakidze, Aleksandre Didebulidze, Professors Anzor Meskhishvili and Ketevan Dadiani took part.

     The Meeting was closed by Academician Givi Japaridze.