By Nisa Khairina Amirudin
PUTRAJAYA, 28 August – More than 200 participants from various countries attended the International Food Research Conference (IFRC2019) here.
The conference was held from 27 to 29 August 2019 and was organised by the Faculty of Food Science and Technology (FSTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in association with the Malaysian Institute of Food Technology (MIFT), QSR Brands (M) Holdings Berhad, Malaysian Palm Oil Council, McDonald’s and Nestle.
With the theme “Food Research: Bridging the Gap, Transforming the Future”, IFRC2019 is a platform for knowledge sharing through presentations of research papers. It is also a space for scientific community, academicians and stakeholders to meet, exchange ideas and explore new frontiers in food research.
While officiating the conference, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Sim Tze Tzin, said that the collaboration between the academia and industry in organising the conference was a driving force in the advancement of food research in Malaysia.
According to the minister, he was confident that IFRC2019 would achieve its objectives, and at the same time, the participants would be able to gain knowledge.
"The conference is also the right platform for participants to share and exchange their views especially on food research," he said.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Idrus, on the other hand, said that UPM was the first university to offer a course in Food Science and Technology, and FSTM was given the responsibility to develop human capital heading towards food research and innovation.
He said that UPM will continue to enhance its efforts to ensure food security, especially through human resource development and technology transfer, and it will become an advisory institution on agriculture and food policy to increase the level of readiness in facing challenges in the agriculture sector.
IFRC2019 saw participation of researchers, academicians, scientists, university students, policy makers, the private sector and non-governmental organisations that meet the conference theme which is to bridge the research gap between academia and industry in facing current challenges in food research.
