University of Pretoria
Postdoctoral fellow
GLOBALG.A.P. Young Academics Program Winner at the Plenary Session STAYING AHEAD OF FOOD SAFETY RISKS
Tuesday, 27 September, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Gape Jongman recently completed his doctoral degree in plant pathology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is a former lecturer at the University of Botswana, where he also studied for a master’s degree in applied microbiology. His doctoral research dealt with the impact of irrigation water and minimal processing on the microbial quality and safety of leafy green vegetables at formal (commercial farms) and informal (small-scale and homestead gardens) production systems. He identified potential sources of microbial contamination on leafy green vegetables and demonstrated that these environments act as reservoirs and carriers of clinically important human and opportunistic pathogens. Understanding the microbial quality of irrigation water and leafy greens may assist with the development of extended food safety protocols. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow coordinating a project to ensure food safety compliance in subtropical crops in South Africa.