Title: External Quality Assessment Scheme in Food Microbiology in Palestine

Abstract:

Microbiological testing of food is important for ensuring its quality and safety. Thus, it is a basic tools to assess the effectiveness of risk management programs for ensuring food safety and quality which necessitate the presence of Quality Assessment programs. Therefore, the Center for Quality in Medical Laboratories (CQML), Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Al Quds University, organized the external quality assessment schemes (EQA) in Water and Food Microbiology in support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Palestine Accreditation Unit (PALAC). The CQML is a Proficiency Testing (PT) provider in the Medical Laboratory field since 1995. The EQA scheme for food microbiology started in 2019. The EQA schemes is available to all food microbiology laboratories, providing schemes in water and drinks, meat and poultry, dairy products, fish and sea food, and salads. The participation is currently free of charge, but mandatory for accredited labs and voluntary for the others. Methods: There are 6 accredited food testing labs, and 2 labs belonging to food industry factories enrolled in the schemes. All the control materials used are prepared in house, offering freeze dried mixtures of organisms as simulated foods and water samples. The microorganisms used for spiking are American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) certified organisms. The control material are proven stable, homogeneous, prepared and tested by qualified microbiologists, interpretation of test results is presented in reports.

Biography:

Yumna Shehadeh is the Director, Center for Quality in Medical Laboratories she has published more than 25 papers in reputed journals and has been serving lecturer in Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Professions, Al-Quds University, Abudis, Jerusalem -Palestine, Health Complex, level -1