The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is looking to identify experts on pre- and post-harvest control of non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter at all points along the poultry meat supply chain.
Experts and data are being sought for the upcoming Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA).
In addition, FAO and WHO are requesting governments, the industry, academia, consumer groups, laboratories and other interested organizations to submit any valuable data and information to support this work.
The purpose of the meetings is to collect, review and discuss relevant measures for controls of non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter from primary production to consumption of poultry meat.
The scope of the meetings shall include, but will not be limited to, aspects of primary production, processing, distribution, handling, preparation, retail and consumption of poultry meat. Emphasis will be placed on the identification and evaluation of solutions to reduce salmonellosis and/or campylobacteriosis associated with consumption of poultry meat, taking into consideration their effectiveness and practicalities.
The objectives of the meetings are to review publicly available literatures and guidelines from competent authorities and industry associations to assess the current state of the knowledge in controlling non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry meat, and to review mitigation and intervention measures being used at different points along the food chain and assess their effectiveness at reducing non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry meat.
All applicants should meet the following general criteria:
- Advanced University/College degree in food science, veterinary medicine, microbiology, food technology, epidemiology, public health, or related fields;
- Experience in food safety/risk assessment related to microbiological hazards in foods;
- At least five years of experience in relevant fields;
- Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, in particular, relevant publications within them most recent 10 years;
- Good knowledge of the English language, both written and oral; and
- Evidence of leadership or invited participation in national or international scientific bodies, committees, and other expert advisory bodies pertinent to the scope of this work.
Selection of experts
Applicants' curricula vitaes (CV) will be reviewed based on the criteria listed above by a selection panel consisting of three or more individuals appointed by FAO or WHO. In selecting experts, FAO and WHO will consider, in addition to scientific and technical excellence, diversity and complementarities of scientific backgrounds, and representation from geographic regions, including low- and middle-income countries, as well as gender. A small number of accomplished individuals will be notified and invited to participate in the expert meetings on the pre- and post-harvest control of non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry meat and may be added to the JEMRA roster of experts that is valid for future work until December 31, 2022. Selected experts may be required to assist in the preparation of background papers and report drafts (in English). Selection to participate in one of the meetings does not constitute an invitation to participate in all the meetings in this series. Unsuccessful candidates are not routinely notified.
Appointment of experts
Selected experts will be invited to contribute to the meetings only in their individual scientific capacity.
An expert will not represent the government of the country of which he or she is a citizen, or the institution with which he or she is associated. The experts designated will not receive any remuneration, however, where a physical expert meeting is held, travel costs and a subsistence allowance will be the exclusive responsibility of FAO and WHO.
Applications
Interested applicants should submit their CV. The CV should include a description of education, relevant work experience, evidence of national or international expertise on the topic, including a list of peer-reviewed publications relevant to the factors indicated above (please do not include reprints in your submission unless specifically requested at a later date). Applicants must have a good working knowledge of English as correspondence and meetings will be in English only.
Before participating in any related activity, all the selected experts will be required to declare any potential interests associated with the topic of the meeting. Experts will be asked to indicate, in writing, all interests (financial and intellectual) on their part or that of their spouse that may affect, or be perceived to affect, their scientific independence as experts, including one or more of the following conditions: employment (past or present) by any commercial enterprise or private or civil sector association; receipt of research or other study grants from such enterprises or associations; shareholdings in commercial enterprises active in fields related to food safety. Identification of an interest does not necessarily indicate a conflict nor automatically exclude an individual from participation. For example, as an expert, it is expected that many, if not all, will be employed in some capacity related to the subject matter.
These declarations must be completed and evaluated before a formal invitation will be issued. Declaration documents will be retained by the Joint Secretariat and a summary of declarations will be included in the report of the work. In addition, a confidentiality undertaking must also be completed prior to appointment to ensure proper handling of dossiers and proprietary information.
Deadline
Please submit nominations and CVs at your earliest convenience. Selection of participants will begin on June 1, 2022 and continue until suitable candidates are identified. Submissions can be sent to Kang Zhou at [email protected] or Haruka Igarashi at [email protected]
