By Breeze Wang
On June 25, AmCham China and the CCFDIE (China Center for Food and Drug International Exchange) jointly held the Food Safety Risk Communication Seminar at the Beijing Capital Hotel, the first event following the establishment of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) cooperation program. The event drew over 100 participants from Chinese and American government bureaus, academies, industries, and media.
During the four hour seminar, speakers illustrated their different insights and perspectives on the event’s focus of risk communication. Following a brief welcoming speech by Xue Bin, Deputy Director General of the CCFDIE, AmCham China President Mark Duval (pictured) introduced the program’s background and expressed the chamber’s expectations on food safety in the future. Patrick Bowen, Assistant Country Director at the US Food and Drug Administration’s China office gave an in-depth analysis of the FDA’s response to the multi-state outbreak of a food-borne disease in 2014.
Other notable speakers included industry experts and academics such as Mme. Meng Suhe, President of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), Luo Yunbo, Dean of College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agriculture University (CAU), Zhong Kai, Deputy Director of Risk Communication Department from China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), and Jiang Xinjie from Southern Weekly. Zhang Xudong, Deputy Director General of the China Center of Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) moderated the event.
In his closing remarks, Deputy Director General Chen Shaozhou of Food Safety Supervision III called for joint cooperation from all circles. Not only did all seven members of the CFDA cooperation program take part in the meeting, each delegation sent representatives to share their respective experiences. Closing sentiments echoed hopes that governments, working together with stakeholders, make further progress in building up a better food safety environment in China as a whole.