Criticism of the Former Board from Sema Kopal: Response to Those Who Said Nothing Would Come of the Chamber of Food Engineers

The TMMOB Chamber of Food Engineers Kocaeli Branch held the first day of its first ordinary general assembly following its establishment process at the Chamber of Architects Kocaeli Branch Historical Building. Many important figures attended the meeting, which had a very high turnout, including Uğur Topuz, General Center Board Chair of the Chamber of Food Engineers, TMMOB İKK Provincial Secretary Mehmet Ali Elma, and Kocaeli Bar Association President Caner Karakadılar. Additionally, Cuma Özdemir, President of the Kocaeli Chamber of Environmental Engineers, and Mehmet Bostancı, President of the Veterinary Medical Association, were present in the hall to support the general assembly. Recording its place in history as a critical step towards clarifying the future vision of the branch, this first general assembly holds great importance for the professional organization of food engineers. Branch President Sema Kopal, who made the opening speech of the meeting, detailed what they aim to achieve for their colleagues in the new term.

The elections, which are the second and most important day of the general assembly, will be held on Sunday, July 5, between 09:00 and 17:00 at the same address. In these elections, the goal is to determine 7 principal and 7 alternate board members, while a total of 720 members have the right to vote. This election, which will take place in a democratic race, will shape the entire management cadre of the branch for the new term. In the elections where a high turnout from the members is expected, new names will be elected to duty for the professional organization to gain an active and dynamic structure. This process, which the candidates and members await with excitement, holds historical importance for the community of food engineers in Kocaeli.

In her speech, Branch President Sema Kopal leveled harsh criticisms against the past period, accusing the former board of taking the easy way out. Stating that the previous board had no events or professional activities, Kopal emphasized that they achieved success despite those who said, "Nothing would come of the Chamber of Food Engineers." Expressing that the Kocaeli representation was transformed into a branch with the support of the members as a result of dedicated work, she thanked everyone who supported this process. This success revealed how strong the trust in the professional organization and colleagues is. Along with the new board, it is aimed to carry this success to much further levels and to increase the effectiveness of the chamber.

Stating that during the representation period they carried out workplace visits to identify the problems of their colleagues on-site and organized various trainings during this process, Kopal noted that. Saying that their efforts to contribute to the professional development of their colleagues will continue uninterrupted in the new term, she invited all food engineers to the chamber. Emphasizing that one of the biggest problems of food engineers is unemployment, Kopal drew attention to the concrete steps to be taken to solve this problem. Emphasizing that much more food engineers need to be employed in the public and private sectors, she stated that protecting the economic and personal rights of colleagues will be among their priorities. These employment-oriented policies, which will be shaped according to the demands and needs of the members, aim to increase the prestige of the profession in society.

Uğur Topuz, General Center Board Chair of the Chamber of Food Engineers, shared striking statistics regarding food safety and audit processes across Turkey in his speech. Stating that there are 850 thousand food businesses in Turkey, but there are only 8 thousand 500 food control officers to audit these businesses, he expressed. Emphasizing that because only about 2 thousand 200 of these officers are food engineers, the audit capacity remains highly inadequate and some businesses cannot be audited twice a year, he stated. Noting that this picture is the clearest proof that the employment of food engineers needs to be increased urgently, Topuz added that they will continue their struggle to protect the rights of their colleagues. He gave the message that it is essential for food engineers to take a more active role in the field to protect public health and improve food quality.