31st European Dried Fruit Meeting

INC participated in the 31^st European Dried Fruit Meeting organized by the Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e.V., on 25 November 2016, in Hamburg, Germany.The meeting brought together more than 70 representatives of different nut and dried fruit organizations. The agenda covered a wide range of topics including a report of activities by FRUCOM, the advantages of arbitration, the impact of climate change on the global economy, the mineral oil and other hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) in foods, how to assess the effect of plant protection products, the dried fruit sector in Turkey and the easing of the embargo on Iran.Mr. Jens Borchert, member of the Board of the Dried Fruit Section of the Waren-Verein and Managing Director of Palm Nuts & More, opened the meeting, followed by a presentation by Ms. Anna Boulova, Secretary General of FRUCOM, who reported about topical issues for the dried fruit and nut industry at European level. Dr. Helena Melnikov, Managing Director of the Waren-Verein, gave a presentation about the advantages of arbitration and the experience of Waren-Verein in this topic.The impact of climate change on the global economy was addressed by Mr. Andreas Hänsler, Climate Service Center of Germany (GERICS). Definitions, contamination pathways and toxicology of the mineral oil and other hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) in foods were covered by Prof. Dr. Thomas Simat, Technische Univeristät of Dresden. Mr. Jochen Riehle, Eurofins Dr. Specht Laboratoriem GmbH, gave a presentation about how to assess the effects of plant protection products. Before the lunch break, Prof. Dr. Uygun Aksoy, Aegean Exporters Associations, talked about the Turkish dried fruit sector including production and exports as well as the chlorpyrifos and the sulphites issues.The second half of the conference consisted of the embargo on Iran by Mr. Michael Tockuss, German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg, and a final panel discussion.