Il Cluster GAIA
FederASMA e ALLERGIE Onlus
Italian Federation of Patients, is a non-profit organization that since 1994 groups together the main Italian Associations of patients that support the fight against asthma and allergic diseases, and with its many affiliated local associations is active with actions towards the protection of patients. Information, management and control of the disease are the three essential points for the protection of the patient with asthma and allergy; for this reason Federasma e Allergie Onlus is constantly engaged in promoting initiatives to encourage the institutions to achieve political, social and health decisions for the protection of patients suffering from these diseases.
ASSOCIAZIONE LIGURE ALLERGICI (ALA)
Founded in 2003, is a voluntary organization, registered in the express Registry of the Liguria Region. Not only members refer to the Association, but also thousands of patients who each year attend public facilities in Liguria, also whereas all those who are interested in solving the problems of daily life faced by people with allergies and / or their parents.
Associazione Italiana Celiachia
The Italian Celiac Association has always identified in the spreading of knowledge in regards to celiac disease and gluten-free food the tool to remove the difficulties that celiac patients encounter in their daily life.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale
The Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta provides products and services to protect the health of the public in food safety and health of the animals that produce them. The portal of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta called IZSAlimenTO provides all citizens with information regarding food safety, answers to questions about how to store food or what to do in case of doubt about the safety of a product and reveals some curiosities related to food and nutrition.
IRCCS SAN MARINO- UOC ALLERGOLOGIA
The Complex Operative Unit of Allergology along with the Ligurian Association of Allergic patients (ALA), have been the promoters of the actions in favour of patients with food allergies, and, believing in the fundamental role of school in creating culture in regards to new topics, began the collaboration with Marco Polo Institute and subsequently established GAIA.
Project referent: Dr. Paola Minale
Collaborator of the project: PhD student in Biology Dr. Claudia Arcuri
ACTIVITY: prevention, diagnosis and therapy management of patients with respiratory, skin, medications, food and insect bites (Hymenoptera) allergies.
Allergic diseases induced by various allergens are treated (by inhalation, food, drugs, additives, contact substances), in each mode of clinical presentation: respiratory allergies, urticaria-angioedema, atopic eczema and contact allergies, Hymenoptera puncture and anaphylaxis from any possible cause.
For the differential diagnosis and management of syndromes that require a multidisciplinary approach interdepartmental protocols exist.
With particular regard to allergies and food intolerances, there is a specific diagnostic iter which consists of allergy testing, a dietetic visit, a gastroenterology visit, study of intolerance to lactose and of intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome by targeted Breath tests, with subsequent targeted therapy and psychological support.
UNIVERSITA’ degli STUDI di GENOVA – LABORATORIO di EPIDEMIOLOGIA degli ALIMENTI
The “Food Epidemiology Laboratory” of the Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa has multiple formative, laboratory and research activities.
Education and training:
- As part of the degree courses of Biology, Medicine and Pharmacy
- As part of the Residency Programme in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine
- As part of the Master and master classes on Food Security
- As part of courses for other professionals
- It has been organizing, already for several years, an event within the GMA of FAO on issues of “Quality of Food, Nutrition and Health”
Laboratory:
- Evaluation of the quality and nutritional characteristics of food products.
- Assessment of food contamination, identification and quantification of micro-pollutants, allergens and emerging pathogens.
- Monitoring and analysis of antimicrobial resistance in the food chain.
- Development of biomolecular methods for the assessment of food contaminants.
- Microbiological and environmental mycological monitoring of food industries (surface, air and air conditioning system).
Research:
- Evaluation of nutrition in elderly
- Epidemiological studies on the prevalence of food allergies and intolerances
- Participation in DCA workgroups
- Hygiene problems in the industrial food chain and their effects on human health.
CAMERA DI COMMERCIO DI GENOVA
The Chamber of Commerce has developed a growing experience in the field of certification of quality products: beginning with DOC wines (Controlled Designation of Origin), following with DOP (Protected Designation of Origin), IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) and recognized MCG (Collective Marks Geographical).
The certification of products is carried out through documentary checks and inspections both on the land and the method of cultivation, checks on the maintenance of production within the manufacturing yields provided for corresponding specifications and control of products through chemical-physical and organoleptic tests.
Finally, for the quality products of the area of Genoa, the Chamber of Commerce established the geographical collective mark “Gusta Genova” for food products and the geographical collective mark “Genova Gourmet” for excellence in catering, now extended to become Liguria Gourmet. The restaurants participating in this quality mark have been involved as first in the training and education regarding the issue of allergies, intolerances and celiac disease, with the intent of creating a quality network also available through computer link for the Italian and foreign audience.
COMUNE DI GENOVA-ASL3
The Municipality of Genoa provides the whole Educational Integrated System with an operational tool as much complete and together agile as possible; it drafted the Guidelines of Catering which allow to implement shared procedures to administer medical diets, ensuring the safety of students attending school canteens. The usefulness and effectiveness of such a tool is measured in the daily reality of schools in a logic of constant monitoring and improvement, that only the continuous exchange between the involved parties can guarantee.
For the realization of these Guidelines the Authority has taken advantage of the collaboration of many professionals, setting up a Scientific Committee of Food & Beverage. In 2007 a “Memorandum of Understanding” was established, aimed at the health of the child with severe life-threatening allergies (anaphylaxis risk), which must be protected not only when eating a meal but throughout the entire period of his school day, and by the drafting of the Guidelines for the Administration of Lifesaving Drugs, also to ensure the possibility of administration of autoiniettabile adrenaline if needed.
ISTITUTO ALBERGHIERO “M.POLO”
The Institute Marco Polo is intertwined in the social fabric and in the territory of Genoa and Province. It collaborates with institutions, Universities, Scientific and Cultural Associations realizing, thanks to the the work of pupils and teachers, public events such as inaugurations, scientific conferences both external and internal to the Institute and gastronomic events. Task of the IPSOE “Marco Polo” is in fact to give a cultural base that gives students more chances and skills to be spent in the working environment, in addition to a solid professional school preparation. The school promotes itself, in its general and specific professional functions, through a series of integration activities in the territory including the collaboration with Unige, the Faculty of dietetics and the IZPL. With such activities it does not merely ‘provide services’, but assumes a proposing function towards the Institutions with whom it collaborates.
COOP LIGURIA
Coop is not a business like any other: it is a consumer organization created to meet the supply needs of families. With over 545,000 members, today represents the largest association actually present in the region and continues to strive to ensure Members and consumers with quality goods and services at the right price, to safeguard the purchasing power of households, but also to meet needs that have nothing to do with daily expenses, with the aim to fully enhance people’s lives.
SERENISSIMA RISTORAZIONE
Serenissima Ristorazione Group is today one of the most important Italian companies in the field of trade and public catering. Our staff is able to draw supplies of tailored services to offer customized solutions designed according to specific needs. This ability to adapt to the reality of the customer is accomplished by diversifying into complementary activities that, by having recourse to a single partner, enable a more slender administrative management.
CONFINDUSTRIA GENOVA
Confindustria was founded as Ligurian Industrial Consortium in 1901 and adhered to the Italian Confederation of Industry in 1910. It restores then as Industrial Association of the Province of Genoa in 1945. Today, Confindustria, with 1130 member companies for a total of sixtythousand employees, is among the top ten associations of the Confindustria system.
OTALL
The professional association of food technologists supervises the correct and ethical conduct of the activities of members in accordance with the code of ethics, it promotes and verifies their constant update, it brings together the professional skills of the members with the public and the private in order to encourage employment and enhancement, it relates to the Italian Universities, Ministries and other Public Institutions for the promotion and development of the food technologist professionals, also wheras culturally promotes and gives visibility to registered professionals.
ristoCLOUD is the first CLOUD platform to have obtained the product certification in accordance with EU Regulation 1169/2011, on the information to be provided to the final consumer, with respect to substances that can cause allergies and intolerances in the menu offered by Commercial and Collective Catering. RistoCLOUD is also obtaining an additional certification as IT support under the UNI 11584: 2015 for supplying information to design for public catering menus.
The European Food Information Council
The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) is a non-profit organisation which communicates science-based information on nutrition and health, food safety and quality, to help consumers to be better informed when choosing a well-balanced, safe and healthful diet. Information that EUFIC publishes has been subject to a review process by members of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB comprises a group of renowned experts from across Europe who advise EUFIC on its information and communication programmes, ensuring that all information is based on scientific evidence, relevance and is factually correct. EUFIC consults with other scientific experts for specific projects in areas such as consumer research and science communication. Given the broad range of subjects addressed in EUFIC’s popular newsletter, Food Today, a dedicatedEditorial Board for this publication provides additional insights and feedback.