Partners and contacts

Our partners

IFREMER
IFREMER is a public organization entirely devoted to oceanography, fisheries and marine culture management, and the coastal environment.
In marine environment and consumer health safety work, studies made on chemical and microbiological contaminants provide the basis for information and tools needed to evaluate the risks
of human exposure. In particular, the Ifremer programmes “Coastal environment, consumer health and safety” (ECOSS) and “Quality of products and processes” (QUALIPRO) cover the following relevant areas :

Chemical contamination and health safety

Microbiological contamination

Phycotoxin contamination

Emerging health risks

Real-time alert systems

The integrated Mediterranean project – MEDICIS

Stocking and decontamination processes for bivalves

As these programmes only cover certain aspects of risk assessment process (determination of contaminant levels and peak periods of exposure) there is a great need for outside partnership. Such partnership is well established with French and foreign scientists (particularly through European Union grants like SEAFOOD PLUS, BIOTOX, SHELLFISH) and French public agencies (DPMA, DGAL), and other organisations that specialize in risk assessment (AFSSA, AFSSE, InVS, CSHPF, INERIS) as well as shellfish industry partners (CNC). Additionally, cooperative research programmes and know-how transfer are well established with non-EU countries and organisations. This is the case with USA and NOAA framework projects as well as other programs involving Australia and Museum research bodies.

AFSSA
Afssa is an independent public organisation contributing, through monitoring, alerts, research and research instigation, to the protection and improvement of public health, animal health and welfare, and the health of plant life and the environment.
Their activities are organised into eight operational units:
1/ Assessment of nutritional and health risks and, where relevant, benefits for:
Human nutrition and health based on food of animal origin and those relating to the use of agronomic inputs (includes water-related risks).
Animal heath
Plant-life health, relating to the use of agronomic inputs
The environment (and ecosystems) where they are or may be related to the use of agronomic inputs or veterinary medicinal products
Animal welfare.
2/ Recommendation or proposal of measures intended to maintain public health, animal health and welfare, the health of plant-life and the environment.
3/ Benchmarking activities for the Agency's laboratories
4/ Knowledge improvement through research and study programmes using the Agency's own resources and those of other public or private bodies, and by coordinating France's European and international scientific cooperation
5/ Monitoring and surveillance
6/ Training and information for those involved in food healthsafety in France and abroad
7/ Representing France on the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) advisory forum and coordination of French organisations operating within the EFSA's jurisdiction (network members as provided for under article 36 of regulation 178/2002)
8/ MA (Marketing Authorizations) in the field of veterinary medicinal products



FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat world
hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, the FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and discuss policy. The FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition to modernize and improve their agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices to ensure good nutrition for all. Since the FAO was founded in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry.

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Consumer Health Directorate

The role of Consumer Health Directorate is to help improve the health, safety and confidence of Europe's citizens. Over the years, the European Union has established EU laws on the safety of food and other products, on consumer rights and on public health protection. The Consumer Health Directorate has the task of keeping these laws up to date. It is the national, regional or even local governments in EU countries who actually apply EU health and consumer protection laws. It is their job to make sure that traders, manufacturers and food producers in their country observe the rules. Nonetheless, another responsibility of the Consumer Health Directorate is to ensure that this really happens and that the rules are being applied correctly in all EU countries.

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
France is Europe’s top shellfish producer. Industrial activities in this field rely on traditional shellfish farming (Pacific oyster, European flat oyster, blue mussel, and, to a lesser extent, Manilla clam). This activity is restricted to certain coastal intertidal areas that are national public property which producers have been given the right to farm. Overall production was estimated at 180,000 t in 2001, of which 108,000 t and 70,000 t were Pacific oysters and blue mussels, respectively.


Ministry of Research, Nantes University, GEPEA
The “Process engineering for Environment and Food” laboratory (GEPEA) was created in 2000. This Research and Technology group brings together the Process Engineering teams of Nantes University, the “Ecole des Mines” and the teams at ENITIAA, and involves about 160 scientists. GEPEA is a joint research Unit of the CNRS (UMR CNRS 6144) created in January 2002. The objective of GEPEA is to develop process engineering in the fields of food research, environment and marine resource preservation. This ‘Marine Research Unit’ is organized into several subject areas: marine bioprocess and separation, environmental engineering, flow and transfer phenomena, cooling and thermomechanical process, and product and energy engineering.

Ministry of Health, Youth and Sport, National Institute for Sanitary Monitoring (InVS)
The “Institut de veille Sanitaire” (InVS) is a public technical agency created in 1999 to reinforce public Health and epidemiological surveying in France. It focuses on epidemiological monitoring and risk assessment, and contributes to the training of public health officers and to the interface between research and field epidemiology. Current areas of activity include : infectious diseases (AIDS, viral hepatitis, preventive vaccination diseases, food-borne diseases, zoonotic diseases CJD, etc.), environmental health (risks related to air pollution, exposure to chemicals, ionizing radiation, water pollution,, pesticides (biomonitoring), climate, etc.), occupational risks (health risks related to asbestos exposure, etc.), and chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and nutritional health problems, etc.). InVS is participating in several EU programs as well as in information and communication systems.
The Institute is also involved in public health actions (support for investigations on outbreaks, monitoring networks,) with its European counterparts (CDSC, RIVM, Robert Koch Institute, Istituto di Sanita, Instituto Carlos III), the European Commission, the World Health Organization (expertise and support programs in developing countries) and bilateral agreements with other countries (USA, Canada, Southern Pacific, Mediterranean countries).

The Adour-Garonne Water Agency

The Adour-Garonne Water Agency fosters cooperation and initiatives for conservation and improved water resource management in the Adour, Garonne, Dordogne and Charente river basins. As a public company under administrative supervision of the Department of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable development, and Planning, this agency implements political decisions about water in cooperation with the basin committee. 

The Loire-Bretagne Water Agency

The Loire-Bretagne Water Agency collect taxes calculated from the amount of water used and the amount of waste discharged.  The water agency then uses these contributions to support activities of common interest that aim to improve aquatic area conservation and Loire-Bretagne water resource management. Financial support and royalties are defined within the framework of a pluriannual programme approved by the board of directors and the basin committee. All categories of water end-users are represented on these committees. 

The Seine and Normandy Water Agency

Since 1968, the Seine and Normandy Water Agency has worked to supply technical and financial help to all those contributing to water resource improvement. This water agency is organized into six sub-regional direction groups and carries out its activities using a joint water policy, coordinated at the scale of the basins.

Léon de Bruxelles
The famous restaurant chain, Léon de Bruxelles, have made the classic dish of Mussels and French Fries their specialty. Starting in Belgium (Brussels) ‘Léon de Bruxelles’ restaurants spread rapidly across the EU, particularly in France. The French ‘Léon de Bruxelles’ group is proud to support this
conference on shellfish hygiene and also wish to contribute all information necessary about food safety standards in the company, from mussel harvesting to the consumer’s plate !

Applied Biosystems
Applied Biosystems is the leading supplier of life science technologies. We develop, market and support systems consisting of instruments, reagents and software that are used in basic life science research, pharmaceutical research and development, biomedical and clinical research, forensics and food testing.
Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX is dedicated to the development of advanced mass spectrometry technology, that has been widely accepted as a flexible, efficient and cost effective analytical research tool.
Our innovative mass spectrometry systems are complemented by new LC technology, novel reagents, and powerful software that provide ideal solutions for protein biomarker discovery, identification, and validation. Advanced automated workflows provide accurate relative and absolute quantification of low-level proteins.
Applied Biosystems delivers complete, proven LIMS solutions that help analytical, R&D, and production laboratories increase productivity, improve efficiency and reduce costs. Applied Biosystems also provides the highest level of excellence in professional services, whether you require full project management or expert resources as part of your own management team.

CNC (Comité national de la Conchyliculture)
The CNC (National Shellfish-farming Committee) and its Regional offices (SRC) play a large part in the structuring and regulation of all sectors of shellfish-farming activity, from rearing, through processing, to sale. Its remit extends to all measures likeky to improve conditions of production, distribution and sale of shellfish : management and diversification of farming, coastal protection and water quality, health and safety and animal health standards, scientific and technical research, produce promotion and inter-professional information, not to mention other roles unconnected with quality measures.

CEERAM

CEERAM (European Centre for Expertise and Research on microbial agents) aims to develop new bioanalytical tools and to detect and identify microbial agents (viruses, parasites, bacteria and moulds). The main objective is to protect man and animals against the spread of epidemics caused by these agents. Another role of CEERAM is to inform and educate individuals, local communities and industry about biological risks and precautions to prevent microorganisms from spreading.

PONAN

The City of Nantes has one of the foremost national centres for interdisciplinary research on food and nutrition, the Nantes Centre for Food and Nutrition (PONAN). PONAN is a cluster of higher education and research institutions covering 5 research themes: food quality, food process engineering, food safety, human nutrition and the economics, management and legislation of the food industry.

CNPMEM

The National Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture (CNPMEM) is the national board in charge of sea fisheries and aquaculture in France. The committee is made up of a balance of representatives from fisheries, marine cultures and all related activities from production to processing. The CNPMEM organisation has strong relationships with authorities and the local government representatives. It aims to promote sustainable exploitation of marine resources and the value of the work done by men and women engaged in this industry. The missions of the CNPMEM include the supervision of sea fisheries, management of collective services and an active contribution to the related French and European regulations.

Pays de Loire Regional Council

The Pays de Loire Regional Council oversees 5 subdivisions (counties) of the Pays de Loire Region: the ‘Loire Atlantique’, ‘Maine et Loire’ ‘Mayenne’, ‘Sarthe’, and ‘Vendée’ départments.

General Council of Loire Atlantique

The General Council of Loire Atlantique is the local government assembly for the French Department of Loire Atlantique, a decentralized locally-governed community. Its headquarters are located in Nantes.

Nantes Métropole is an urban community situated in the Loire Atlantique départment (county) and the Pays de Loire region. With an inner city population of around 500 000 inhabitants, Nantes is the biggest city in the French ‘Grand Ouest’ area and is in sixth position for France as a whole. Nantes is a member of the Eurocities network and became chair of the ‘Culture Forum’ in January 2009.

LABERCA

LABERCA is the French Reference laboratory for the detection of trace elements in food, especially dioxin, PCB and PAH. Located in the Pays de Loire Region, LABERCA is attached to Nantes Veterinary School and is deeply involved in the chemical safety aspects of seafood and shellfish, among other food products.

Contacts

For questions on scientific content (abstracts, presentations, session topics, etc) contact the conference secretary :
icmss09@ifremer.fr
Tel : +33 (0)2 40 37 41 92
Fax : +33 (0)2 40 37 40 73

For practical details concerning social events, conference gala dinner, excursions, the special program for accompanying persons and meals contact the organisers ‘Gens d’evènement’ :
icmss09@gensdevenement.com
Tel : +33 (0)2 28 24 88 34
Fax : +33 (0)2 28 24 88 32

For questions concerning conditions of your arrival, registration and accommodation contact the Cité Internationale des Congrès :
registration@congres-nantes.fr
Fax : +33 (0)2 51 88 20 43

Glossary

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