Ainie Kuntom
Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysia
Keynote: J Food Microbiol Saf Hyg
The Malaysian oil palm industry is a highly regulated industry. More than 60 national laws and regulations govern the palm oil production. In addition, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) imposes licensing requirements to produce and trade palm products throughout the supply chain, from seed production through plantation, processing, until the palm products are exported to consuming countries. Palm oil is a popular and widely used food ingredient because of its versatility, trans-free, nutritious, readily available and competitive price. In Malaysia, palm oil as food ingredient is governed by the Food Act and Regulations. In addition, palm oil has to comply with the Codex Alimentarius Commission standards and food laws of the importing countries. The various food acts and regulation is adhered by the palm oil industry players in addressing the food safety requirements. Malaysia is also currently addressing the 3-MCPD esters and Glycidyl Ester (GE) contaminants in palm oil. Industrial research at palm oil mills and refineries are being conducted in collaboration with technology providers, seeking for suitable and feasible technology for adoption by the whole industry. It is crucial for producers to comply with all the national and international food safety regulations and requirements to sustain in global trade because palm oil is the most important agricultural commodity for Malaysia generating income to its people and nation.
Ainie Kuntom has graduated from the Institute of Technology Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia and obtained her PhD from the State University of Ghent, Belgium. She has served as a Lecturer at the University of Science Malaysia in Penang, and Principal Research Officer at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). She is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the MPOB. Her research interests are in food safety, palm oil quality, flavor chemistry, development of methods for analyses of pesticide residue, soap technology and standards development. She is also involved in the certification under ISO 9001, ISO17021 AND ISO17025. In addition, she is also actively involved in development of sustainability in particular for Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and the codes of practice for oil palm along the entire supply chain. She worked closely with the oil palm industry on the drafting of Malaysian standard and certification scheme for MSPO. She organized the pilot run of the standard and scheme in the industry followed by voluntary implementation of the MSPO certification scheme. In MPOB she is the coordinator of MSPO and has given numerous lectures of MSPO. She has assisted some of the premises to be certified under this scheme. She is now working closely with the smallholders to get them certified under MSPO certification. Currently the oil palm industry is facing issue on food safety related to the presence of 3-MCPD esters in refined palm oil. She is part of the 3-MCPD ester team in MPOB and assists the oil palm industry to reduce or eliminate both the 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters.
Email:ainie@mpob.gov.my
