Join us ICoMST2022, Kobe Japan

Organizing Committee Chair, Dr. Sakata

To our dear friends in the ICoMST society, I should like to extend to all of you a most cordial welcome to the upcoming congress.

For your information and up-dating, I should like to enumerate and discuss in the following present-day activities of ICoMST in Japan. The 68th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology is scheduled to be held on August 22nd-25th, 2022 at the Kobe international convention facility here in Japan.

ICoMST is an international conference that was initially set up as a meeting for European Meat Research Workers in Helsinki in 1955. It has now taken on the forms of an annual world gathering of research personnel, engineers, academicians, scientists, policymakers and persons engaged in the meat industry from all over the world for discussions, opinion exchange on the latest research and developments in meat science and technology, thus providing an invaluable basis for arriving at solutions to various problems that may arise in the meat production industry.

It was in 1999 that Japan hosted the 45th ICoMST in Yokohama, the first in Asia. The highly favorable results of this congress have prompted to the undertaking of the upcoming 68th congress, some 23 years later.

During this time, the meat industry in Japan has undergone a number of important changes all serving for highly significant improvements. These changes were occasioned by factors such as reduction in birthrate, globalization and recent developments in computer science and IT. It was considered that, on this occasion, the purpose of ICoMST could be well served by adopting as the theme for this congress, “Meat for the Future”. It is thus with the utmost pleasure that invitations to this congress have been extended to each and every one of you who are so importantly engaged in meat science and technology worldwide.

You are the individuals who have conducted invaluable research in meat science and have contributed to the formulation of policies indispensable to the improvement of this industry. Your messages to all of us will thus be most highly informative.

On this and futures occasions, there will be ample opportunity for important opinion exchange, not only by seasoned scientists but even graduate students whose future achievement will doubtlessly prove most important to the meat industry. It will thus be an honor for us to host this upcoming congress, knowing that it will provide invaluable opportunity to become familiar with various present-day trends in meat science and that advanced technology will find a much broadened scope of application in meat and related industries.

The outbreak of the present COVID-19 pandemic has unavoidably placed time limitations on this future congress. Its highly adverse effects have become apparent on many different levels, to include national economics, a wide range of industries and research facilities. It is thus most sincerely hoped that in the years 2021, 2022, these dire situations will have been eliminated.

I speak for the whole of my country in extending to you a most cordial welcome to ICoMST2022. During your stay in Japan, you should avail yourself the opportunity to visit famous Japan scenic spots and enjoy outstanding cuisine. This congress will feature many outstanding speakers, panelists, consultation opinion exchange meetings as well as work shop sessions and demonstrations.

I am looking forward to seeing you in Kobe.

Ryoichi SAKATA,
Organizing Committee Chair of the ICoMST2022,
Chair, Japan Society for Meat Science and Technology,
Professor Emeritus, Azabu University