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Food Safety

Global Food Safety and the Role of IUFoST

Global Food Safety took centre stage at the International Forum on Food Safety from 20-23 April 2015 in Beijing, China. This highly anticipated meeting was held jointly by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) and the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). It brought together over 500 attendees, including representatives from six Chinese ministries, for presentations by more than 40 international experts on the theme Building a Safe and Healthy Food Industry Chain.

Food Safety Affects Everyone

Food Safety affects everyone, in every country, politically, economically and socially. That is why it could be considered the biggest global issue facing us at the present time. Dramatic changes and major steps have taken place in China within the last 10 years in response to food safety issues facing its population and its external markets.

International Developments in Food Safety Management and Progress in China

Go to the supermarket today and you can buy most foods at any time of the year, sourced from anywhere in the world. Most modern consumers assume that their food is of a high quality, available and affordable, with little thought given about what it takes to get the food from farms, via preparation facilities, to their plates in a safe and sound condition.

Food Safety is Not a Chinese Problem: The EU has had its problems too

Food safety is a global issue and no country can be complacent or arrogant and consider that food safety violations only happen in other jurisdictions. Chinese citizens are very familiar with the melamine crisis in Chinese Infant formula but China is not alone in having major problems. In the European Union (EU) there have been a series of food contamination issues that undermined consumer confidence.

Food Safety in China – Challenges and the Future

The Chinese food industry is large and has experienced significant growth domestically and globally. Over the past 15 years this writer has visited numerous companies, universities, government agencies, supermarkets and local shops to gain an appreciation for the kinds of products available, observing production and gaining an appreciation for the complexities of the industry. Meetings with executives of companies with serious food safety issues have provided an additional perspective on what is happening in the industry and how these executives respond to these problems. As already mentioned, the sheer size of the industry and its growth presents its own set of problems. What is surprising is that this growth has occurred with minimal technological input.

How Safe is the Food Safety Chain With Many Weak Links In It?

The most important industry in today’s economy is no doubt agri-economy with the broader perspective of good agricultural practices, good harvesting practices, good transport practices and also good manufacturing practices, and looking at the quality of the food chain, food safety becomes a very vital part of it. However the importance of policy guidelines and innovative technologies shall keep revisiting us from time to time, along with safety guidelines for food globally. It becomes impossible for the consumer to demand 100% food safety, as the growing environment also need to be kept clean to avoid nasty bacterial, fungal and other contaminants. This conflict has to be resolved.

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IUFoST Scientific Information Bulletin (SIB)

 

FOOD FRAUD PREVENTION

John Spink, PhD
Summary
Food Fraud – and the focus on prevention – is an important and evolving food industry focus. Even though the vast majority of these incidents do not have a health hazard in some ways they are more dangerous because the substances and actions are unknown and untraceable.  The types of food fraud stretch the traditional role of food science and technology to include criminology, supply chain traceability and other control systems. The food authenticity and integrity testing will be the most complex actions and their value should be assessed in terms of the contribution to prevention. This Scientific Information Bulletin (SIB) presents an introduction, review of incidents, the fundamentals of prevention which then provide insight on the optimal role of Food Science and Technology.
See IUFoST SIBS below for the complete Food Fraud Prevention Scientific Information Bulletin.

 

2017

 

 

 

Congratulations Prof. Dr. Purwiyatno Hariyadi

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Puwiyatno Hariyadi who has been elected to the position of Vice-Chair of the  CODEX Alimentarius Commission.

Dr. Hariyadi is a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST) and Senior scientist, SEAFAST Center; Professor, Dept. Food Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia.

World Congress

 

Mumbai, India

 

October 23-27, 2018

 

Register at www.iufost2018.com