ICUMSA News n°68 – July 2011

Message from the President

 

ICUMSA 28th Session – Cambridge 2012

Arrangements for the next ICUMSA Session have started to be made.

It will take place at Downing College, Cambridge, England on 16th and 17th July 2012. Downing College is part of the University of Cambridge and can provide all the facilities required to stage a successful conference.

A Reception Evening will take place at Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences on 15th July at 19.30.

A visit to British Sugar’s Wissington Sugar Factory is planned for the 18th July for those that are interested in seeing this site.

Please remember that the 2012 Olympics will start at the end of July in London and therefore it is advisable to book flights as early as possible. The nearest international airport to Cambridge is London Stansted but it is also well connected to the other London airports via the rail network.

 

New Referee for General Subject 3 (Specialty Sugars)

I am pleased to inform everyone that Niels Kau Andersen has agreed to take up the position of Referee for GS3. Niels has been contributing to ICUMSA’s work for some time, latterly as Referee for S8/9, and also sits on the Steering Committee for the LGC/ICUMSA Proficiency Testing Scheme (SUPS).

I would like to wish Niels the very best of luck for his work with GS3 in the future.

 

Re-organisation of Scientific Subjects within ICUMSA

During the Executive Committee meeting at the last Session it was proposed that the time is now right to re-organise, and possibly rationalize, the Scientific Subjects within ICUMSA. Some of these are now dormant and so a review of this area is required. This does not apply to the GS Subjects.

I shall write to Referees and National Committees to seek their views in due course.

 

Next Meeting of European Microbiology Group – 20th July 2011

Dr Jacobs has organized the next meeting to take place at Klein Wanzleben.

The agenda will include the following topics:

 - Alicyclobacillus in refined sugar

- osmotolerant yeasts  

- statement concerning pathogenic bacteria – survey of the results of the last 5 to 10 years

- Legionella management in sugar factories

- natural toluene production in waste water lagoon sediment

- different methods for the determination of microbes (ICUMSA, ISBT)

 

 General Subject 2 Progress Update (Karen Pardoe)

Statistical analysis of the collaborative study for the determination of arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron and lead is continuing.  Current evaluation of the data suggests that limit of quantification for the individual analytes should be similar or lower to that reported for the collaborative study based on Draft Method 7 (reported in 2008).  Final results from the current study will be available to study participants in September.  A new method encompassing the analytes will be written following the release of the collaborative study results.

Other analytical activities on-going in GS2 are focused on turbidity and acid beverage floc (Recommendations listed in the 2010 Proceedings).  There is a need for participants for collaborative tests in both these areas as well as source material (floc positive beet and cane sugars).  The GS2 Referee encourages anyone willing to participate in either or both studies and any supply of source material that can be provided to contact her.

 

Geoff Parkin

President, ICUMSA