Education and training were an integral part of the MoniQA Network of Excellence. Embedded in the "Spreading of excellence programme", Work Package 9 (Joint education programmes and training tools) was responsible for establishing a joint training programme for food safety and quality within and beyond the network. So-called `MoniQA Food Scientist Training' (MoniQA FST) was offered to provide technical knowledge on different levels and research management skills as well. Training needs for different regions as well as for different target groups (scientists, industry personnel, authorities) had to be considered as well as developing strong collaboration links between network partners and related projects. Beside face-to-face workshops e-learning modules have been developed and web seminars were organized. In order to achieve high quality training, a quality assurance concept has been implemented. It turned out that these types of training are of high value in terms of bringing together scientists from different regions and cultures of the globe, involving highly qualified trainers as basis for a sustainable network in the future.

The quality of baked products is the complex, multidimensional result of a recipe, and a controlled heating process to produce the desired final properties such as taste, colour, shape, structure and density. The process of baking a sponge cake in a convective oven at different air temperatures (160-180-220 °C) leading to the same loss of mass was considered in this study. A special mould was used which allowed unidirectional heat transfer in the batter. Instrumentation was developed specifically for online measurement of weight loss, height variation and transient temperature profile and pressure in the product. This method was based on measuring heat fluxes (commercial sensors) to account for differences in product expansion and colour. In addition, measurement of height with a camera was coupled to the product mass to calculate changes in density over time. Finally, combining this information with more traditional measurements gave a better understanding of heat and mass transfer phenomena occurring during baking.

The aim of this research was to study the sensorial acceptance of a fortified food containing different minerals (calcium, magnesium and iron) and to determine the actual quantities present (bioaccessibility) when extracted in maté. A sensorial analysis was performed to compare sensorial quality of fortified and non-fortified maté. Although panelists identified differences between the fortified and non-fortified maté, only 3% of them commented on an unpleasant flavor. Sequential extraction assays were performed simulating maté consumption under laboratory conditions. Profile concentration diminished sharply after the second extraction. Magnesium was found to be completely extracted in the first 500 mL. Calcium and Iron were extracted in a very low percentage (29% and 25%, respectively). The outlet rate of the minerals was fitted to two models, and a good fitness (p < 0:001) in all cases was obtained.