2nd Shenzhen Food Safety Risk Communication Forum

Codex Secretary and Codex Former Chairperson Join National and International Food Standards Experts to Highlight the Importance of Food Safety Risk Communication

2nd Shenzhen Food Safety Risk Communication Forum 2017

The Codex Secretary Mr Tom Heilandt and the Former Codex Chairperson Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet attended the 2nd Shenzhen Food Safety Risk Communication Forum, which took place in Shenzhen (China) on 24th and 25th October 2017. This high-level Forum brought together renowned national and international experts as well as 460 participants including government officials, industry representatives, consumer organisations and academia. Shenzhen Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted the Forum and it was organised by the Shenzhen Institute of Standards and Technology.

Mr Tom Heilandt, Codex Alimentarius Secretary

Mr Li Zhong, Deputy Director, Shenzhen FDA officiated at the opening ceremony, which was attended by Mr Chen Shaozhou, China FDA, Ms Wang Ling, Guangdong FDA and Mr Huang Min, Deputy Mayor of the People’s Government of Shenzhen Municipality. Participants were informed that ensuring food safety from primary production to consumption is a strategic objective of the Chinese Government as highlighted in the Healthy China 2030 Guidelines, which were unveiled in October 2016 by President Xi Jinping.

Panel discussion on “Internationalisation of food standards”

National and international food safety experts from France, New Zealand and the United States of America as well academicians from the Chinese Academy of Engineering gave very interesting and thought-provoking presentations under the general theme of “Standardisation promotes quality improvement of food safety”. They stressed the fact that food safety had to be pursued actively by relevant stakeholders in the food chain and that food business operators had the primary responsibility to ensure that the food that they produce is safe. Speakers from the private sector highlighted the importance of science and the application of food safety and quality standards to ensure the production of safe food to protect the health of consumers in China and in the rest of the world.

Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet, Former Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

The Former Codex Chairperson Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet highlighted the need to raise consumer awareness and knowledge about food safety. She called upon relevant stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of Codex standards along the entire food chain in order to prevent foodborne diseases and to ensure safe and nutritious food.

Mr Shaozhou, China FDA, Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet and Mrs Xiana Wang, Shenzhen FDA

The Shenzhen Municipality informed participants about its goal to become a National Food Safety Demonstration City thereby joining the four provinces and fifteen cities in China, which are already part of this initiative whose objective is to encourage local governments to enhance food safety governance in their regions. On 25.10.2017, an interdisciplinary Food Safety Risk Communication Committee was established with the objective to ensure coordinated and coherent food safety risk communication in Shenzhen.