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Prof Arno Hugo was recently elected as Vice-Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) for Food Science in the SACNASP.

Prof Arno Hugo from the Department of Animal Science at the University of the Free State (UFS) was recently elected as Vice-Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) for Food Science in the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

SACNASP, similar to other professional bodies, is the registration, regulatory and enabling body for natural science professionals. The Natural Scientific Professions Act, 2003 (Act 27 of 2003) mandates SACNASP to register practising natural scientists in one of various fields of practice. Food science is one of 26 fields of practice gazetted for natural science.

Acknowledged as experienced professional

As Vice-Chair of the PAC, Prof Hugo – who is familiar with the processes – is acknowledged as an experienced professional to evaluate applications in this field of practice, where candidates apply for professional registration in Food Science.

He explains that the Advisory Committee ensures that candidates have adequate and relevant training in the natural sciences and in the field of food science. “For registration as professional natural scientist in this specific field, the appropriately qualified candidates must also have one to three years of working experience in the food industry, depending on the level of their food science qualification,” he says. 

Prof Hugo is also involved in interviewing candidates who want to register as professional food scientists via the route of recognition of prior learning (RPL). “Candidates with relevant qualifications can also register as professional food scientists via RPL if they have 10 years of working experience in this field,” he states.

Furthermore, he also evaluates the qualifications and work experience of foreign nationals applying for critical skills visas to work as food scientists in South Africa, due to a shortage of food scientists in South Africa. 

Food safety – a basic human right

According to Prof Hugo, consumers should not have to hope and trust that their food is safe to consume.

Food safety is internationally regarded as a basic human right. Prof Hugo says people must have access to clean (meaning safe) food and water at all times. “When food processing and preservation activities are performed at commercial level, or food – including processed food – is traded to consumers who have no control over the process, the consumers should not only ‘trust’ that their food is safe to be consumed after processing. 

“There need to be processes in place to ensure that consumers are served safe food and water.”

He believes that in order to achieve this, only sufficiently trained and registered scientists should be responsible for ensuring that food safety and quality principles are always applied and adhered to during the manufacture of food products.

“Individuals who want to work in this space must therefore show training and competency to take responsibility for risks such as food spoilage or food poisoning. We all remember the 2018 outbreak of Listeria in the meat processing industry, which caused the death of 200 consumers,” he adds. 

Importance of quality education and lifelong learning skills

Prof Hugo is of the opinion that it is very important that education and lifelong learning skills, through continuing professional development (CPD), are of a high standard and are available to scientists who are contributing to the country's growth, as well as social and economic development.

“The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology consults a statutory body such as the SACNASP for input on the science professions. SACNASP is also mentioned in the White Paper on Science and Technology as the custodian of CPD, through which additional skills/re-skilling of scientists are conducted,” he explains.

He says some of the advantages of being registered as a professional natural scientist with SACNASP include that you are recognised as a professional; there is public confidence in you as a scientist, you are more marketable; and you adhere to a code of conduct (you are trusted for ethical values).

Regarding the work he is doing as the Vice-Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), Prof Hugo says: “I consider this voluntary work as a privilege and part of my community service to the industry that employs our students.”

News Archive

Memorial lecture: Language and language activism in a time of transformation.
2005-05-11

The Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS) will present the 24th DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture on Wednesday 18 May 2005 at 19:00 in the CR Swart Auditorium on campus.

 

The lecture will be delivered by Proof. Hennie van Coller and Jaap Steyn and the title is “Language and language activism in a time of transformation”.

 

Prof van Coller is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Afrikaans and Nederlands, German and French at UFS. Prof Van Coller has had more than 100 academic articles published in accredited journals and books; he has been author, co-author or editor of 17 books, and has delivered more than 50 lectures at conferences in South Africa and abroad. He has been awarded the Gustav Preller Prize by the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and the Elizabeth Eybers Prize.  Prof van Coller was recently elected as chairperson of the Akademie.

 

Prof Steyn has written numerous articles in academic journals, a collection of poems, and several prose works, including Tuiste in eie taal, a study in the politics of language, and biographies of NP van Wyk Louw, MER and PJ Cillié. His work has been widely acclaimed.  Among his many awards are the following from the SA Academy: the CJ Langenhoven Prize for linguistics, the Stals Prize for historiography, the NP van Wyk Louw medallion for a valuable contribution to a field of study; the Elisabeth Eybers Prize and the Eugène Marais Prize for a debut work (the volume of poems Die grammatika van liefhê).

 

Enquiries can be directed to Ms Joan Nel at (051) 401-9301.

 

Media release

 

Issued by:                     Lacea Loader

                                    Media Representative

                                    Tel:  (051) 401-2584

                                    Cell:  083 645 2454

                                    E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

 

11 May 2005

 

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