International food scientists will descend on Aberdeen between 1–4 September for the 21st biennial Food Micro conference.
The event, which is being sponsored by the Food Standards Agency Scotland, will be themed around microbiological issues in the safety and quality of food.
Conference organisers expect Food Micro 2008 will draw over 700 delegates from around the world, with 15 plenary speakers and 211 presentations giving microbiologists an opportunity to find out the latest news and research from academia, industry and forge links with other scientists, and promote their own work in the field.
The event will be officially opened by Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal of the University of Aberdeen, and Pam Whittle, the Scottish Government's Director of Public Health and Wellbeing.
Four days of presentations will see a wide range of topics being covered, from the microbiology of ready-to-eat foods, to fish spoilage, to the safety and quality of ethnic and fermented foods.
The conference will also see comprehensive discussion of key pathogens such as salmonella, campylobacter, listeria, viruses and E. coli O157. The event, which takes place at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), will be closed with a speech from Dame Deirdre Hutton, chair of the Food Standards Agency.
Jacky Selway, Business Tourism Manager at Aberdeen Convention Bureau, says: "The choice of Aberdeen to host the Food Micro 2008 reflects the city's growing reputation as a world-class conference and events location.
Not only will delegates be able to take advantage of our fantastic conference facilities, but they will be given the chance to explore some of the wonderful attractions in the surrounding area too. Aberdeen and its surroundings are steeped in history and culture and we look forward to making this international event a great success."
The conference will give international scientists the chance to combine science and socialising in equal measure, with an exciting social programme.
The event will be launched with a 'Slow Food' buffet reception at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), where the opposite of 'fast food' - fresh local produce, cooked with care - will be served.
Plenty of activities are planned, and, in addition to touring some of the region's many food factories and distilleries, will include visits to Aberdeenshire's historic castles, hill-walking trips to Scolty Hill near Banchory, and even a round or two of golf and salmon fishing on the River Dee. The social events will culminate in a dinner dance at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen.
Iain Ogden, senior research fellow at the University of Aberdeen, is co-chairing Food Micro 2008 with his colleague Dr Norval Strachan. Mr Ogden acted as an ambassador for Aberdeen in inviting the conference to the city and is overseeing its smooth running.
Food Micro grew from smaller meetings of food experts which gradually came together into one, large event. The first event was held in Lille in 1954, and the conference has since become a biennial event. Previous conference themes have included dried foods and bottled non-alcoholic beverages.
For more information on Food Micro 2008, please visit www.foodmicro2008.org or call 01224 330487.
For more information about the Aberdeen Convention Bureau, telephone 01224 288815 or visit www.aberdeenconferences.com