Development of technological tools to improve and reduce health risks for bivalve consumption in Angola | - CCMAR -

Development of technological tools to improve and reduce health risks for bivalve consumption in Angola

Short Title 
HealthyBi4Namibe
Coordination 
CCMAR
Budget CCMAR 
164316.09k€
Funding 
FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Partners 
Universidade do Namibe (UNIMBE)
Date 
01/2022 to 12/2024

Organiza

Main info

Marine bivalves are nutritious, inexpensive and sustainable protein sources for humans nonetheless their commercial production in Africa is relatively unexplored. Bivalves are widespread in marine coastal areas and provide important services to marine ecosystems but as filter-feeders may accumulate contaminants from the environment. When bivalves are eaten these contaminants can cause diseases that might be severe and ultimately lead to death in humans. Food-borne illness and death are common in Africa and prevention is of paramount importance. Bivalve mariculture contributes to improving food security and has a low environmental impact but in Africa, this activity is poorly explored due to lack of investment/knowledge and the available native specimens for consumption are obtained from the Ocean and adequate measures for safety and quality control are non-existent.

HealthyBi4Namibe aims to take a holistic approach to identify potential environmental threats (pathogens, toxic blooms, and environmental pollutants) on marine bivalves and characterize their impact on bivalve physiology and technologies to assess and ameliorate their risk for consumption in Namibe, Angola. The project aims to:

1) characterise the holobiont of mussels and oysters under climate change scenarios and

2) Identify bivalve biomarkers as indicators of quality and food safety monitoring.

It will deliver, 1) a survey of potential environmental threats for bivalve mariculture, 2) establish a framework for environmental monitoring to improve production security and 3) define standard operating procedures for depuration of bivalve production in Angola. At the core of HealthyBi4Namibe will be capacity building to ensure tools and expertise are developed and can secure the long-term legacy and impact of the project on bivalve production and food security monitoring. Through monitoring threats and opportunities, HealthyBi4Namibe will identify and create opportunities for the development of bivalve mariculture and by promoting capacity-building it will ultimately stimulate sustainable development of the local economy and employment contributing to increase the quality of life (QoL) in Angola.
 

 

Members

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Current
Name Position
Deborah Power Senior Researcher
Adelino Canário Senior Researcher
Rute Castelo Félix Postdoc
peng maoxiao PhD Student
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Deborah Power's picture
Name:
Deborah Power
Position:
Senior Researcher
Adelino Canário's picture
Name:
Adelino Canário
Position:
Senior Researcher
Rute Castelo Félix's picture
Name:
Rute Castelo Félix
Position:
Postdoc
peng maoxiao's picture
Name:
peng maoxiao
Position:
PhD Student
News
The ingestion of contaminated bivalves are a common public health problem in Africa. The new CCMAR project, HealthyBi4Namiby, wants to improve food safety and reduce health risks for the consumption of bivalves in Angola.
Our researchers Adelino Canário and João Cardoso flew to Namibe to study the threats and possible contaminations of shellfish.
Our researcher João Cardoso was invited to present at the UN the CCMAR project in partnership with the University of Namibe that aims to study the threats and possible contamination of bivalves in southern Angola.
João Cardoso, Adelino Canário and Inês Leal went to Namibe, in Angola, for the second sampling field trip of the project HeathyBi4Namibe.