In cooperation with the Continuing Education Unit, the Poison, Chemical and Biological Analysis Center at An-Najah organized a training course in the field of microbiological testing of food. The 30-hour course attracted 22 students from the Faculties of Science, Agriculture, Pharmacy and Engineering who were trained on conducting many microbiological tests on samples such as dates, milk, seeds and water.

The training also included the preparation of samples and standard solutions, in addition to training on the different types of bacteria such as the Aerobic bacteria, Anaerobic bacteria, Coliform bacteria, fecal coliform, fungi, and molds using the direct counting method and the Sequential Mitigation, the filter through negative pressure and the multiple-tube counting.

The students were also trained on checking the types of bacteria such as the Fecal Alstervtocox, Pseudomonas, and Salmonella, in addition to training on the biological analysis method to calculate the concentration of antibiotics found in food samples and further training on checking testing methods as well as the calibration of tools and equipments used.

The students were trained by Dr. Amjad Izz El-Dein, Director of the Poison, Chemical and Biological Analysis Center, Samah Abdel Haq, the Person in Charge of the Biological Analysis Laboratory, Engineer Ra’fat Kittaneh, Director of the Calibration Unit and Quality Supervisor at the Center, and Engineer Majd Al-Quqa, the Person in Charge of the Calibration Laboratory.

Other contributors to the course included Muhammad Abdel Qader, Lab Supervisor, Engineer Maysoon Al-Fares, Quality Supervisor at the Calibration Unit, Rami Baslat, the Person in Charge of the Polymers and Gases Test Lab, Tamara Reno, the Person in Charge of the Drugs Testing Lab, Asma’ Al-Asmar, the Person in Charge of the Chemical Materials Testing Lab, and Manal Hijazi, the Center’s Secretary.

Dr. Musaddaq Al-Masri, Director of the Continuing Education Unit at An-Najah, said that holding such courses contributes to the fulfillment of the University’s message to serve the students’ needs and provide the society with potentials and qualified staff that would contribute to the development of the different institutions in Palestine.

Dr. Izz El-Dein said the course was the first of its kind to be organized by the Center and its importance stems out form the fact that it seeks to train the staff on how to conduct microbiological tests of food according to international scientific standards. This would enable local food products to become more reliable and more able to meet the locals’ needs in terms of safety and health.