CRA-W – WALLOON AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE
Established in 1872, the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) is a leading scientific institution, under the Walloon Ministry of Agricultures. CRA-W employs some 450 people including 120 scientists (PhD and MSc holders in agricultural or chemistry). Its offices, laboratories, greenhouses, orchards and experimental plots occupy an area of about 300 ha. The expertise available at this multidisciplinary research institution covers the following areas: plant breeding, genetic engineering, plant genetic resources management, integrated plant protection, farming systems, agricultural engineering, agrometeorology, optimisation of agricultural food production and analysis and quality control of agro-food products. The Quality Department of Agricultural Products of the CRA-W has internationally renowned expertise in spectrometric analysis (primarily in the near infrared) applied to the qualitative management of agro-food products. As far as research is concerned, we have gone to great lengths to develop analytical techniques that will enable us to measure or assess the quality of agricultural products from various angles. The expertise obtained from this activity gives us the opportunity to offer services to industry as well as to society.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE
The development of analytical systems (spectroscopy or/and molecular biology based methods) to check the quality of agricultural products is a priority focus of research within the Quality Department of Agricultural Products of the CRA-W. Over the last 10 years CRA-W has gained expertise in development and validation of methods for the detection and identification of contaminants of animal origin in feed. CRA-W was c oordinator of the FP5 project STRATFEED “G6RD-2000-CT-00414” entitled “Strategies and methods to detect and quantify mammalian tissues in feedingstuffs” ( http://stratfeed.feedsafety.org/ ). CRA-W is now coordinator of FP6 project SAFEED-PAP “FOOD-CT-2006-036221” Detection of presence of species-specific processed animal proteins in animal feed. ( http://safeedpap.feedsafety.org/ ). CRA-W was also designated in 2006 Community Reference Laboratory for Animal Proteins in feedingstuffs ( http://www.crl.cra.wallonie.be/ ).
MAIN TASKS WITHIN CONffIDENCE
WP4a : Development of a near infrared imaging based analytical method for detection of ergot (claviceps purpurea) in cereals.
WP5 : Leader of the WP5 working group on Dissemination, Exploitation and Training with special responsibility for developing the CONffIDENCE website.
WP6 : Management: construction and maintenance of the CONffIDENCE intranet.
PROJECT TEAM
Contact :
Dr Vincent Baeten
CRA-W
Department Quality of Agricultural products
Chaussée de Namur, 24
B 5030 Gembloux
Tel : +32 (0)81 62 03 50
Fax : +32 (0)81 62 03 88
Email :
Web site : http://www.cra.wallonie.be
Staff :
Dr. Vincent Baeten :
Head of section of spectrometry at the Quality of Agricultural Product Department , Director of the Community Reference Laboratory for animal proteins in feedingstuffs, Coordinator of the SAFEED-PAP project.
CONffIDENCE: WP5 leader, development of the imaging method.
Dr. Pierre Dardenne :
Head of the Quality of Agricultural Product Department.
CONffIDENCE: Development of the imaging method.
Ir. Philippe Vermeulen :
Research Assistant, Webmaster for STRATFEED, TRACE and SAFEED-PAP project.
CONffIDENCE: Web-master for the CONffIDENCE project, development of the imaging method.