Welcome

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Organising Committee, we kindly invite you to participate in the 11th International Conference of Predictive Modelling in Food (ICPMF11) to be held in Braganza, Portugal, from the 17th to 20th September 2019. Since 1992, ten ICPMF editions have taken place, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, identification of research needs and novel approaches for the advancement of predictive modelling towards ensuring safety and quality of foods.

Braganza is a typically-Portuguese old town (Romanic origin dates back to the 10th century), located by the Natural Park of Montesinho – one of the wildest forest zones of Europe – and the Douro Valley – the third oldest protected wine region in the world; and surrounded by traditional villages of a distinctive rustic beauty. Braganza houses several traditional industries producing a myriad of local foods, such as cheese, fermented meats, wine, chestnuts and honey, which provide substantial economic sustainability to the region.

ICPMF11 will reunite food researchers, stakeholders, risk assessors and users of predictive models to present recent developments and trends in modelling approaches for food quality, safety and sustainability. We expect to gather a significant number of delegates from over the world to participate in a comprehensive scientific programme that will include keynote lectures, oral communications and posters, allocated in sessions focusing on the following themes:

  • Predictive modelling in food quality and safety
  • Predictive modelling in innovative food processing and preservation technologies
  • Predictive mycology
  • Advances in risk assessment methods and tools
  • Integration of omics techniques with predictive modelling and QMRA
  • Novel models of microbial dynamics and interactions in food
  • Individual cell and whole cell modelling
  • Integration of predictive modelling in simulation and optimisation of food processes
  • Application of predictive modelling in life cycle assessment
  • Advances in software and databases tools
  • Meta-analysis protocols and applications

Apart from those, ICPMF11 will feature a special session dedicated to “Innovative approaches for ensuring safety of traditional foods”. We, as food researchers based in a Mediterranean mountain region, are aware that the production of traditional foods plays a key role in the development of rural regions, since the agricultural commodities used as raw materials are generally produced locally, allowing and stimulating local commercialisation, thus contributing to a sustainable environment, employment of rural population, and preservation of local heritages. Hence, in this ICPMF Edition, we welcome submissions that contribute to the valorisation of traditional foods by guarantying homogeneous quality and safety through the application of up-to-date modelling research.

Besides that, one morning workshop and three afternoon tutorials will take place during the day before the scientific programme, that is, on the 17th September 2019. Abstracts, reviewed by the ICPMF11 Scientific Committee, will be published in an e-Book of Abstracts while peer-reviewed original research articles of the most relevant contributions are to be published in ICPMF11 Special Issues in the International Journal of Food Microbiology and Microbial Risk Analysis.

To stimulate the participation of postgraduate students and young researchers at the ICPMF11, two kinds of awards have been arranged: the Young Researcher Best Oral Presentation prizes, sponsored by Elsevier; and the Developing Scientist Best Poster prizes, sponsored by the International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene (ICFMH) of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS).

In addition to the scientific programme, ICPMF delegates will have an exceptional opportunity to appreciate the rich culture and traditions of Braganza, from gastronomy to music, by engaging in an attractive social programme that includes welcome reception, live music, tasting of regional food and gala dinner.

We look forward to meeting you in Braganza, a historical and charming town located in the Northeast of Portugal.

Best regards,

The ICPMF11 Chairs