The Project on the Role of Fish in Food and Nutrition Security in Developing Countries: Focus on Combating Micronutrient Deficiencies. IFReDI/ DoF, # 186 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: (855)-23-224710 Report on the Food and Nutritional Training Workshops in Cambodia Conducted by the Project on the Role of Fish in Food and Nutrition Security in Developing Countries, IFReDI/DoF, Cambodia in the Framework of the Capacity Building Training Programme with support from the Government of Denmark By Chhoun Chamnan and Buoy Roitana June 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS I- BACKGROUND 2 II- OVERAL OBJECTIVE 3 III- THE ACHIEVED TRAINING COURSES 3 1- The Training Course on "Nutrient Content in Fish and other Foods" 3 1-1 Objectives of the Training Course 3 1-2 Venue and Date 3 1-3 Participants 4 1-4 Training Agenda and Activities 4 1-4 Course Evaluation 6 2- The Training Course on "Food Consumption: Dietary Assessment Methods" 7 2-1 Objectives of the Training Course 7 2-2 Venue and Date 7 2-3 Participants 7 2-4 Training Agenda and Activities 7 2-5 Course Evaluation 9 IV. OUTCOME 9 V .CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9 VI. ANNEXES 10 1 I- BACKGROUND The project on "the role of fish in food and nutrition security in developing countries: focus on combating micronutrient deficiencies" was established since September, 2004. This project is a collaborative research and capacity building project which initially formulated by the Department of Human Nutrition, the Royal University of Agriculture and Veterinary of Denmark (KVL) in collaboration with the international partner institutions in Cambodia and Bangladesh. In Cambodia, the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute (IFReDI) has been selected to be a partner institution for implementing this project which being supported to integrate food and nutrition security aspects in their research agenda. According to the strategic plan resulted from the preparatory workshop held at IFReDI, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 9th – 10th September 2003 were identified the support to enhanced research capacity building need of IFReDI will be in the fields of: A) Human resource development B) Physical research capacity through the supply of minor equipment for field surveys and laboratory analyses C) Links to the international research environment and relevant networks The short-term trainings are a part of the activities plan of the project in the framework of a research and capacity building programme (Human Resource Development) which primarily aimed to enhance the capacity of the Cambodian fisheries staff to increase understanding of food and nutrition security in fisheries researches. As the proposed activities plan, there are three training courses will be provided in respond to the needs for the running project: 1- The training course on " Nutrient Contents in Fish and other Foods" 2- The training course on " Food Consumption: Dietary Assessment Methods" 3- The training supporting the socioeconomic valuation of fish resources in term of contribution to food security. The first short term training course "Nutrient Contents in Fish and other Foods" has been conducted in order to provide the principle knowledge on the introduction to food and nutrition in developing countries, methodologies of nutrient contents analyses, and practical application of laboratory experiments. The second training course on “Food Consumption: Dietary Assessment Methods” has also been conducted in order to provide the knowledge on the practical approach to food and nutrition security included survey methodologies, and particularly to plan and conduct food consumption surveys. The outcome of the trainings is expected to help developing the research protocol as well as implementing the project and also to enhance human resource development of the involved staff for working in the field researches in food and nutrition security. The participation of the training courses was from the staff of the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute (IFReDI), provincial fisheries officers from Battambong, Kampong Chhang, Prey Veng province, students from the Royal University of Agriculture, Chamkar Doung, and the resource persons from the Department of Food Science, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Arslev, Denmark. 2 II- OVERALL OBJECTIVE The overall objective of the training courses is to enhance human resource capacity of the Cambodian fisheries staff in order to work in the field of food and nutrition security. III- THE ACHIEVED TRAINING COURSES 1- The Training Course on "Nutrient Contents in Fish and other Foods" 1-1 Objectives of the Training Course Referring to the main task of research capacity building activities of the project is to provide short-term training courses in the field of food and nutrition security to the involved fisheries staff of IFReDI. Therefore, the training course on "nutrient contents in fish and other foods" was mainly focused on the following objectives: ¾ To introduce the knowledge on food and nutrition security in developing countries ¾ To strengthen human resource capacity of the Cambodian fisheries staff for working in the field of food and nutrition security, in particularly simple laboratory analyses and advanced field survey 1-2 Venue and Date The training course on “Nutrient Contents in Fish and other Foods” was organized by the Denmark-Cambodia collaborative project on “The Role of Fish in Food and Nutrition Security in Developing Countries: Focus in Combating Micronutrient Deficiencies” with financial support from the Government of Denmark. The training was held at the Inland Research and Development Institute (IFReDI), Department of Fisheries, Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 13 to 17 June 2005. 3 1-2 Participants The training course on "Nutrient Contents in Fish and other Foods" which was held on 13-17 June, 2005 at the inland fisheries research and development institute (IFReDI), Phnom Penh was officially opened by Director of IFReDI and was instructed by a resource person, Dr. Ulla Kidmose from the Department of Food Science, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Arslev, Denmark. There were totally 19 participants attended in this training course (Annex-1). The trainees were identified and selected according to their educational background and work experience. There were 8 trainees were identified and selected from different divisions of the inland fisheries research and development institute (IFReDI), and three were identified and selected from different provinces: one from the fisheries office of Kampong Chang province, one from the fisheries office of Prey Veng province, one from the fisheries office of Battambang province, and the other two trainees are students from the Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 1-4 Training Agenda and Activities In response to the objectives of the training course, the agenda has been conducted in two major activities as follows: A- Lectures The programme for the lectures have been prepared in relation to nutrient content in fish and other foods which covered from basic concept to nutritional techniques by focusing on the following major subjects: a- General Introduction of Food and nutrition security in developing countries: The history of nutritional status and its consequences happened to the poor population in many developing countries have been introduced. In relation to fishery statistics and overview of policy and plan for strengthening of fishery statistical system in Cambodia was also provided. The importance of nutrient analysis in foods has been briefly introduced in relation with basic concept of fisheries management and different models of fish stock assessment to understand linkages between data and information collection and management requirements were provided. c- Food Composition Data: The basic concepts of selection of nutrients/compounds in foods and the purposes of using and recommendations from food composition tables were introduced. The relationship of human requirement/recommendation, physiological studies, food composition data, food consumption data, and food analyses were also provided. d- Principle for conservation of samples to avoid chemical changes between sampling and analysis: Effect of processing and cooking on nutrients: Basic sampling and survey design including sampling techniques, materials and forms was provided. e- Sampling methods: Four methods of sampling using for nutrient composition databases were introduced. The detail explanation of sampling procedure of each method and the choice of selected methods for conducting researches were also added. 4 f- Choice of analytical methods and assuring the quality of analytical data: 3 methods were introduced to the course: the collaborative studies involving several laboratories adopted by international and organization or applicable to a worldwide range of food types and matrices. There are several validations of the chosen method such as reliability, applicability, specificity, accuracy, precision, detectability, sensitivity and robustness was also taken into consideration. g- Method for preparation of foods for analysis: How much? How? Were the questions for consideration? The selection of the sample as segregated lot or mixed lot? and how to make heterogeneous food sample into homogeneous food sample was the principle of this lecture. B- Practical Exercises a- Screening of Most Commonly Used Fish Species: The participants were divided into 3 groups, in order to discuss and make a tentative list of Cambodian fish species of the most