Codex discussing the future of food safety at Beijing CIFSQ Conference

The China International Food Safety & Quality (CIFSQ) Conference is currently underway in Beijing, China 30 to 31 October 2019. CIFSQ brings together 700 regulators, scientists, industry executives, and academics to share insights on food safety and protecting public health. The conference focuses on addressing critical food safety issues and seeks through dialogue and collaboration to identify advances in science, standards and the latest developments in innovative technologies that can serve governments and industry in safeguarding food.

Codex Secretary Tom Heilandt

Tom Heilandt, Codex Secretary spoke at the conference during a session on ‘Food Safety Capacity/Capability Building: Achieving the Required Scale and Competency through Public Private Partnerships’, describing the challenging work of Codex in developing a standard for follow-up formula.

“The CIFSQ is one of the biggest most diverse food safety conferences in the world. It allows me to discuss challenging topics in Codex with a broad audience, connect with colleagues, make new contacts and learn about the future of food safety”, he said.

Markus Lipp heads the Food Safety and Quality unit in FAO and is also attending CIFSQ. “"Food safety is on the international agenda everywhere. FAO and Codex participate at CIFSQ to share and learn”, he said.

Several other Codex delegates and experts - leaders in their fields - are present in Beijing. Fran Freeman is First Assistant Secretary, Exports Division, Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and also Chair of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS). “CIFSQ provides the opportunity to talk about how CCFICS is helping to provide real guidance to regulators”, she said.

Tom Heilandt (left) with Frank Yiannas, USFDA

Heilandt also had an opportunity to catch up with Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, U.S. Food & Drug Administration. "I recall Frank's words at our first #WorldFoodSafetyDay: 'when it comes to food safety, we all win or lose together' and they still resonate as we seek to tackle transboundary foodsafety issues together, "he said.

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The China International Food Safety & Quality (CIFSQ) Conference website