“Milk Workshop from Farm to Table” carried out by the Veterinary Research Group, which continues its studies within the Near East University DESAM Research Institute, was held with intense participation.
The workshop held at İrfan Günsel Congress Center was organized with the aim of raising quality and safety standards in the milk production process and creating solution suggestions to improve hygiene and health conditions in the process from farm to table. Throughout the workshop, topics such as “Milk Production Capacity in TRNC”, “The Role of the Farmer in the Milk Production Chain in TRNC”, “The Role of the Veterinary Office in Safe Milk Production in TRNC” and “PDO Milk Production and Market Offering in TRNC” were discussed.
All-day workshop brought together many milk producers, food safety experts and academics. The workshop was attended by officials from the Veterinary Department, Turkish Cypriot Dairy Industry Association, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry and KOOP Dairy. Also, many employees of Kyrenia Municipality, Gönyeli-Alayköy Municipality and Değirmenlik Municipality participated at the workshop. Opening speeches of the workshop were performed by Dean of Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof. Dr. Deniz Seyrek İntaş and Near East University DESAM Research Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cenk Serhan Özverel.
After the opening speeches, Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Deputy Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsfendiyar Darbaz made a presentation on “Hygienic Farm Practices in Safe Milk Production”; Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Head of Food Hygiene and Technology Department, Prof. Dr. Beyza Ulusoy spoke on “Public Health Hazards in Milk and Dairy Products”; Near East University Faculty of Health Sciences, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Hoca gave information on “The Importance of Milk in Human Nutrition”. Participants also made suggestions on increasing hygiene practices in milk production, tightening controls in the production process and implementing standards that will protect consumer health.
Prof. Dr. Deniz Seyrek İntaş: “Food education, in addition to contributing to the development of healthy nutrition and social intelligence and skills, is also of critical importance for the country’s economy and strategic food security.”
In her opening speech, Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Dean Prof. Dr. Deniz Seyrek İntaş pointed out that milk is a unique nutrient that is vital for balanced nutrition and human development. Prof. Dr. Deniz Seyrek İntaş said, “Milk is a nutrient that regulates body functions, ensures body development, plays a role in bone and dental health, and contains the most important elements of almost all our building blocks.” Prof. Dr. İntaş stated that the need for quality food also increases with the increasing population and mentioned that animal food production plays a major role in meeting this need.
Emphasizing the importance of food education in her speech, Prof. Dr. Seyrek İntaş touched upon the contribution of innovative dairy products produced at the Innovative Foods Production Center under the control of the Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to education. Prof. İntaş stated that food education and healthy nutrition contribute to the development of social intelligence and skills and that this is also critical for the country’s economy and strategic food security. Prof. Dr. Seyrek İntaş briefly stated the following in her speech: “The fact that our students participate in the production of dairy products in a modern production facility, under the supervision and guidance of their instructors, provides very important advantages for their education.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cenk Serhan Özverel: “I believe that our Farm to Table Dairy Workshop can shed light on the solution of the problems experienced and may be experienced in the sector.”
Near East University DESAM Research Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cenk Serhan Özverel started his speech by giving information about DESAM Research Institute. He stated that DESAM was initially established as a health sciences research center, started its activities as a research center in 2015, and developed and became an institute in 2020.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özverel said that 12 different research groups work within the DESAM Research Institute; “Within our institute, tesearchers from many different disciplines, such as healthcare professionals, researchers, veterinarians, dentists, basic science researchers, engineers, artificial intelligence experts and mathematicians, work together to achieve successful projects. “We contribute to the literature by producing more than 180 scientific publications every year,” he said.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özverel stated that they have made symposiums, courses and periodic conferences routine and that they aim to touch on social problems. Özverel added that DESAM Research Institute aims to create projects that will benefit society and Veterinary Research Group has an important place within the institute. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özverel said, “With this workshop, we will focus on all stages of milk production from farm to table with sector stakeholders, producers, academicians and sector officials. Thus, I believe that this workshop we organized can shed light on the solution of the problems that are and may be experienced in the sector.”
