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Emeritus Professor Kofi Aidoo gets prestigious UN/WHO appointment
• Emeritus Professor Kofi Aidoo
Emeritus Professor Kofi Aidoo has been appointed to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA).
The Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology at the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) at Glasgow Caledonian University, will remain on the expert committee of the United Nations in Rome until 2027.
The committee evaluates food additives, contaminants and naturally occurring toxins in food, and residues of veterinary drugs. The committee is made up of international experts from 29 countries, all members of the UN.
At Glasgow Caledonian, Professor Aidoo’s research interests include food safety – chemical, microbiological and physical contaminants – and the nutritional composition of foods.
He has had several research papers published and has contributed to books. He is the co-author of JECFA’s WHO Technical Report Series 1002 on Food Additives, 2017.
SHLS Dean Professor Anita Simmers said: “We are delighted with Professor Emeritus Kofi Aidoo’s prominent appointment. Kofi remains an internationally recognised authority in food bioscience and our staff and students continue to benefit greatly from his research and international networks. Congratulations Kofi, we are all very proud of you in the School!”
SHLS Associate Dean Research Professor Sharron Dolan added her congratulations and praised his “lifelong dedication” to food science.
She said: “Kofi joined GCU founding institution The Queen’s College in 1988, and was integral to establishing and leading Food Science at GCU until his retirement in 2016.
“He has educated and trained scores of GCU graduates, and continues to influence and inspire the next generation of food scientists in his emeritus position.
“It has been a privilege to work with Kofi over the years and I am absolutely delighted to hear of this appointment, a real testimony to his international standing and lifelong dedication to food science.”
Professor Aidoo said the new appointment meant a lot to him and it was “testimony to the research work I have done over the years in an environment conducive to research teaching”.
“By that, I mean GCU created a working environment which enable me to achieve my potential and for that I am grateful to the Head of Department Professor Sharron Dolan, who is now Associate Dean Research, the SHLS Dean Professor Anita Simmers, and the University community,” he said.
Speaking of his new role, Professor Aidoo added: “I hope to be able to contribute effectively to the scientific evaluation of food contaminants, particularly some of the lesser-known food contaminants, which adversely affect human as well as animal health.
“With my background in biochemistry and microbiology, I would be able to assist in the evaluation protocols which set maximum permissible levels of contaminants in foods by FAO/ WHO – standards that would then be adopted by member states of the United Nations.”
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
