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Held in Krakow from 8–10 June 2010, the 2ndMoniQA International Conference was an inter‐ and cross‐disciplinary event, which formed a bridge between the daily concerns of citizens, economic considerations and food and nutrition science. In nine technical sessions the conference set out the state‐of‐the‐art concerning food safety standards, mycotoxins and phycotoxins, food allergens, chemical contaminants, microbiological contaminants, food additives, emerging technologies for food safety assessment and food authenticity.

Food scares lead to loss of consumer confidence and trust and to new challenges for industry and policy makers alike. Being able to react fast, efficiently and effectively in times of a (potential) food safety crisis is therefore very important. This article describes some key emerging food safety and quality topics that have been identified by the MoniQA emerging issues working group. These include the 2008 melamine crisis, the detection of dioxin in Irish pork, clenuterol and nanotechnology/nanofoods.

This paper is a report on the European Food Science Day (Brussels, 18 November 2009, organized by the CommNet network of food science communicators) and its outcomes. The article presents FP 7 as a key funding mechanism in European food and nutrition research and it puts research in this sector in a socio‐economic context. The article then reviews the specific activities of several EU‐funded projects in the field of risk, safety, and health, discussing key issues and research questions in these fields.

Introduction Monitoring and Quality Assurance (MoniQA) is a multidisciplinary network of experts aiming at harmonizing worldwide food quality, safety monitoring and control strategies, dealing with socio‐economic impact assessment and working for better regulations (Poms et al., 2009).

The MoniQA (‘Towards harmonization of analytical methods for monitoring food quality and safety in the food supply chain’) Network of Excellence aims to overcome fragmentation in European and worldwide food quality and safety research by integrating key organizations from all over the world. Among other activities, education and training are an integral part of the MoniQA. Imbedded in the ‘Spreading of excellence programme’, work package 9 –‘Joint education programmes and training tools' is responsible for establishing a joint training programme for food safety and quality within and beyond the network. In addition to the ongoing work developing the MoniQA joint training programme, MoniQA offers concrete training opportunities, so‐called ‘MoniQA Food Scientist Training’. MoniQA Food Scientist Training workshops deal with research management skills as well as imparting technical knowledge of relevance to food scientists around the globe. Training needs for different regions as well as needs for different target groups (scientists, industry personnel) are also considered, developing strong collaboration links between network partners and other related projects.

MoniQA (Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the total food supply chain) is an EU‐funded Network of Excellence that involves experts from around the globe collaborating to harmonize worldwide food quality and safety monitoring and control strategies. The initial network of over 155 scientists from 20 countries has grown to over 400 experts from over 35 countries from five continents in the first 18 months. MoniQA focuses on validation of and performance criteria/requirements for methods used to analyse foods and food products for safety and quality, with the main focus being on rapid methods and their applicability and reliability in routine testing. The work involves validation guidelines, validation studies, design and development of reference materials/testing materials and validation guidelines. MoniQA will play an important role in integrating European and worldwide food quality and safety research by creating a virtual laboratory for joint research, training, dissemination and mobility programmes. It will allow and actively promote sharing of data and knowledge, as well as of equipment, materials and personnel through creation of a global platform for food Q&S researchers. MoniQA will enable shared access to the world's best research facilities, technological platforms, databases, analytical tools and knowledge. MoniQA's harmonized food quality and safety control strategies will add value in the food chain and will improve consumer confidence worldwide. MoniQA's socio‐economic impact assessment will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of new food quality and safety regulations within the EU and worldwide.