New Research Funding for Pacific Food Safety!
Congratulations to Dr. Edmond Fehoko, Human Nutrition and the team (Mr. Tuamelie Laimani, Queen Salote College Tonga, and Profs Miranda Mirosa and Phil Bremer, Food Science) for being awarded an Otago Global Health Institute (OGHI) Seed Grant for 2026!
Their project, Co-designing a Food Safety Culture Framework for Pacific Food Services: A case study in Tonga, is set to make a real impact on public health by blending global food safety science with Tongan cultural principles.
Foodborne illness is a significant but often under-recognised issue in the Pacific. Instead of relying solely on technical checklists, this research uses Talanoa (guided discussion) to understand how local values such as fatongia (duty/obligation) and faka’apa’apa (respect) drive food safety practices in school canteens and community settings.
This work serves as a foundational project for the University of Otago Food Safety Culture Lab, building a research pipeline that respects and embeds Pacific knowledge systems.
Well done to Edmond and the entire team on this achievement! 👏
A significant step for Pacific food safety research, this seed-funded project brings together global food safety science and Tongan cultural knowledge to support meaningful public health impact.
2026 | 03 | 18
Food Science · GlobalHealth · PacificResearch · FoodSafety · University of Otago · Tonga · Sustainability