Tunisia IRVT researchers' visit

Between the end of June and mid-July, 2012, a delegation from the Institut de la Recherche Vétérinaire de Tunisie (IRVT) attended the Institute for a theoretical and practical training period, conducted within the two-year OIE Twinning project on food safety (January 2011 - December 2012).

Doctors Zohuir Mallek and Hatem Ouled Ahmed arrived at the Institute on June the 28th   and followed a training programme on the Institute's Quality System. From July the 9^th to the 11^th, dr. Hatem Ouled attended the Food technologies and feed hygiene department.

On July the 5^th, IRVT doctors Aida Tlatli, Latifa Zoghlami Limam and Latifa Mahmoud Khanfir also arrived at the Institute. Doctor Tlatli, who mainly engages in Quality issues, staid until the 12^th of July, whereas the others left Teramo on the 19^th.

The Twinning project of the World Animal Health organisation (OIE), established in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Health, aims to enhance technical and scientific knowledge and expertise with regards to food safety to enable IRVT to become Reference Laboratory and, eventually, OIE Collaborating Centre for support to Laboratories in neighbouring countries. Another goal of this project is to accredit some of IRVT's research activities, such as those concerning marine biotoxins, Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin.