Postgraduate diploma in food safety, animal and plant hygiene

(Way forward for quality and safety food supply)

Sri Lanka is committed to develop the economy through strengthening of its knowledge-economy, where a shift of manufacture from labour-intensive products to knowledge-based products are targeted. Knowledge economies are characterized by close links of the industry with science & technology, and research & development leading to export competitiveness.

There is a major gap between the university education and requirements of the food industry to meet the technological standards, and fast changing international regulations in the areas of food quality and safety. This knowledge gap among the technical officers in the food industry creates limitations in targeting the export market. The content of the Postgraduate Diploma is designed to fill this gap through a series of new subjects carrying modern concepts associated with assessing food quality and safety, and handling technical issues affecting expansion of markets, especially for the more vulnerable food products. It provides the knowhow required to handle effectively the quality and safety along the food chain, thus preventing contamination problems rather than end-product testing, which is not effective and costly.

Sri Lanka being an agricultural country, a major contribution for its economy has to arise through conversion of raw agricul- tural produce to end products of market demand. This needs a shift from export of raw materials or primary processed agricultural produce to end products of direct ready-to-use by the consumers. The Sri Lankan food industry, characterized by about 300 industries aiming export markets, need a knowledge-based human resource who could understand the quality and safety requirements of the of the importers in the developed world. The industry has to carry the capability in taking innovative approaches to meet the demands through focused management, innovative research and commitment.A knowledge economy must create new knowledge and disseminate it to accelerate the economic growth through applications of science.

The Postgraduate Diploma in food safety, animal and plant health takes a new approach, hitherto not addressed in Sri Lanka, to develop manpower, who understand science and technology along the food chain – from farm to fork- so that effective improvements could be brought in food processing to meet modern and ever changing concepts. They are essential fea-