Food Safety and Food Anthropology Research Division

Mr. Waktole Gobena Sima

With over a 10 years of intense exposure to research, healthcare, and food safety, Waktole is a dedicated professional with experience in designing, i [...]

Scope: is to conduct research on key challenges of food safety, and food Anthropology, providing support for food safety policy, and strategies implementations by providing evidence for decision on food safety regulations to reduce the burden of foodborne illness and reduce food adulterations.

     Objectives:

  • Monitor and evaluate the food safety status of the Country through survey and surveillance.
  • Conduct in depth study on genomics sequencing of foodborne Pathogens such as; Salmonella, shigella, E.coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, vibrio cholerae, etc.
  • Study the Good Hygienic Practice and Good Manufacturing Practice for food establishments, food processing, storage, and distribution on microbial safety and quality.
  • conduct investigating the microbial root causes during emergence outbreaks related to foodborne
  • Providing both theoretical and onsite practical upgrading trainings, for professionals in line with food microbiology and safety principles.
  • To conduct different research activities on probiotics, AMR, Aflatoxins from different food types and biological samples for in-depth risky analysis and evidence generation.
  • To collaborate with national and international stakeholders on national, continental and international multi-research activities; proposal development, research implementation.
  • To document and expand the best foods cultural practices by ethnicity and indigenous knowledge
  • To conduct research into traditional methods of food preservation to reduce food waste and extend the shelf life of foods.

To explore the role of beneficial microorganisms on cultural foods, such as probiotics, in enhancing the quality and safety of foods

  1. Serovars, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance profile of non-typhoidal Salmonella in the human-dairy interface in Northwest Ethiopia: A one health approach. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012646
  2. Physicochemical and microbiological quality of water in public outdoor swimming pools in South Nations Nationalities People Regional State, Southern Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study. https://journal.uog.edu.et/index.php/EJHBS/article/view/854
  3. Assessment of the Microbial load of Vegetables and Fruits in Ethiopia. https://doi.org/10.20372/ejphn.v7i1.246
  4. Molecular Epidemiology of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.11.23296874
  5. Genomic Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance of<i>Vibrio cholerae</i>Isolates from Africa: A PulseNet Africa Initiative Using Nanopore Sequencing to Enhance Genomic Surveillance. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.17.628868.