THE GSICA
GSICA is the acronym for the Italian Scientific Group of Food Packaging, a cultural association which collects researchers in the Food Packaging field, motivated by the wish to share their own experience
History
The GSICA was born in 1999 on initiative of some researchers of the department of Food Science and Technologies (diSTAM), University of Milan. The group, informally, dedicates special attention to the professional updating and to a fruitful relation with companies which produce or use packaging for foods.
The conferences organized independently or in conjunction with important events in the field, gained a large success, as to testify the strong need by the food packaging world to strengthen contacts.
In the spring 2004 GSICA becomes a formal association
This step was compulsory for a Group which gave proof of great skill. The Association rises from the intention to widen the range of its initiatives and to optimize resources, while the aims and the essence of the Group have always remained the same that justified its beginning: to create a useful and positive aggregation among those people committed to face scientific problems in the field of food packaging, to contribute to the progress of knowledge in this applied research area, to encourage the growth and diffusion of a scientific culture and, last but not least, to skilfully represent the Italian research in international contexts.
Over the last few years GSICA gained experience in planning and organising multidisciplinary event, broadened its number of affiliates and is now acting as one of the main association with regard to food science. With the aim of improving the quality of the services provided GSICA, as from June 2009, has registered its statute and obtained an IVA code.
The organization
The association is non-profit and operates for the only pursuit of cultural purposes, always bearing in mind the concept of “sustainable development”.
It is based on a democratic structure and gathers people who, in the most diverse cultural and productive environments, act for the growth and progress of a scientific culture of food packaging. The positions such as president, directive council and honorary members, are renewed every three years. President of the association is Prof. Luciano Piergiovanni, Professor at DeFENS, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences – University of Milan. To date he teaches at the University of Milan and at the University of Gastronomic Science of Pollenzo – Cuneo. The Directive Council is made up of 13 members, all committed in the food packaging sector either at a public or private level. The honorary members, to date, are 8 noteworthy people who have emerged for particular merits connected with the scopes of the association.
Mission
- To encourage the growth and diffusion of a food packaging scientific culture;
- To skilfully represent the Italian research in international contexts;
- To allow a fruitful exchange between public and private research;
- To create aggregation among whoever faces scientific problems in the field of food packaging;
- To contribute to the progress of knowledge in this specific area of applied research.