China Orders Closure of Live Poultry Markets Due to H7N9

GFSF applauds China's rapid intervention to close live poultry markets which are now beset with the H7N9 strain of avian flu.

The USDA Economists Group Features GFSF

The Free Rider

THE USDA ECONOMISTS GROUP

WASHINGTON, DC

http://www.usdaeconomists.org

VOL. 23, NO. 1 JANUARY 2017

 

MEMBER NEWS

In January, the Global Food Safety Forum, the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and Vietnamese organizations signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in food safety. In April, Rick Gilmore, founder and CEO of Global Food Safety Forum, will visit Vietnam on an exploratory mission to gauge the needs of relevant parties in business and government. Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/350006/vn-usa-team-up-for-food-safety.html#VdPYZvhQkxBc8JZq.99

GFSF is a not-for-profit organization, founded and managed worldwide by GIC Group, with a diverse but interrelated industry membership: producers, processors, merchandisers/ shippers/ distributors, and retailers.

FIA Cites GFSF Vietnam MOU

Published in FIA Daily News Bulletin

Vietnam and US team up for food safety

Source: Vietnam News

• The High Quality Vietnam Products Business Association, the American Chamber (AmCham) of Commerce in Vietnam and the Washington-based Global Food Safety Forum (GFSF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday for co-operation in food safety.
• Herb Cochran, AmCham Executive Director, called food safety an issue of concern for both the Vietnam and the U.S. He said, “The first objective of the MoU is to help Vietnamese companies join global food supply chains under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) International Food Safety Capacity Building Plan.”
• Dr Rick Gilmore, founder and CEO of GFSF, said, “Our co-operation under the MoU will help both Vietnam and the U.S. Government and business implement Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and TFA (World Trade Organisation’s [WTO] Trade Facilitation Agreement). Ratification is an important legal step. Equally important is that businesses and government co-operate to understand and meet the food safety requirements.”

Viet Nam News Reports on GFSF

http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/350006/vn-usa-team-up-for-food-safety.html
Viet Nam News - Economy - January 20, 2017
VN, USA team up for food safety

The High Quality Viet Nam Products Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam on January 18 sign a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in food safety.

GFSF is excited to announce completed signing of MOU with AmCham in Vietnam and High Quality Vietnam Products Business Association for co-operation on food safety.

http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/350006/vn-usa-team-up-for-food-safety.html#AQ0IB2K2WIMuJLXR.97

European and US governments lobby hard against China’s new mandatory health label on all food imports. Gilmore, Chairman of GFSF, noted "we're monitoring the health certification requirement and offering to assist in reaching an acceptable compromise" for all concerned.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-food-trade-idUSKBN13Y09R

GFSF Interview with CFDA, US Chief

GFSF Interview with CFDA, US Chief

国际食品安全协会采访中国国家食品药品监督管理总局美国地区负责人

Dr. Xinyu Weng, CFDA Division Director for International Cooperation and current First Secretary of the Embassy of China in the US, addressed the complex challenges of food safety regulation and surveillance in China in the first official published interview in the US.  GFSF (Global Food Safety Forum: www.globalfoodsafetyforum.org) is a non-profit public-private food safety platform with offices in China.

温新宇博士是中国国家食品药品监督管理总局国际合作司部门主管，也是中国驻美国大使馆秘书长。此次采访是温新宇主任就中国的食品安全监管问题所接受的首次公开采访。采访机构为国际食品安全协会（www.globalfoodsafetyforum.org），该协会是一个非盈利性质的公私合作的食品安全交流平台，其在中国设有办事处。

In a conversation with Rick Gilmore, Chairman of GFSF, published in the GFSF special issue of FOCUS, Dr. Weng highlighted key problem areas that CFDA is addressing.  The melamine scandal figured high on his list.  He described new registration requirements for domestic and imported infant formula powdered milk.  There are now stiffer penalties, HACCP processing standards, and batch testing for compliance with new and improved national standards.

此次访谈的采访者瑞克· 吉尔默是国际食品安全协会的主席，此次访谈内容将发表于国际食品安全协会的专栏“聚焦”上。此次访谈中，温新宇主任着重介绍了药监局接下来所要解决的核心问题。他特别强调了三聚氰胺事件对于食品安全管理的影响。作为应对措施，药监局颁布了更严厉的惩罚，更严格的检查程序，更高的食品标准来确保企业遵守新出台的全国食品安全标准。

Dr. Weng indicated that one of CFDA’s biggest challenges is the surveillance and regulation of on-line food providers which is a high growth industry in China as well as the US.  Among the difficulties CFDA faces are “fictitious and cross-regional characteristics in online food transactions,” determining “evidentiary based findings” and protecting consumers “rights.”  Consistent with food tracing standards and transparency requirements on behalf of consumers, providers now must have food distribution licenses, approval of telecommunication authorities, file information with local food and drug authorities, and publish the information on their websites. 

温新宇主任指出，国家药监局所面临的最大挑战之一是对网络食品交易卖家的监管。网络食品提供者数量无论是在中国还是美国都高速增长。网络食品交易具有虚拟性，跨区域性等特点，给药监局收集信息和保护消费者权益造成了困难。除了要符合食物追溯标准和信息透明化要求外，网络食品提供者还要申请食品分销许可，获取电信部门的认可，在当地药监局备份在案，并在企业官网上披露相关信息。

In response to Rick Gilmore’s question about the biggest challenges facing CFDA at the moment, Dr. Weng singled out “microbial contamination, food pesticides, and environmental pollution.”  In addition, he mentioned the need to raise agricultural production standards, to “improve” food safety standards, and the need to address the lack of uniformity in “regulatory resources and capacity” in the provinces.

瑞克· 吉尔默先生询问了当前国家药监局所面临的挑战。温主任指出，微生物污染，食品农药残留，环境污染都是目前药监局所面临的巨大挑战。他还指出，药监局需进一步提高农产品生产标准，提升食物安全标准。目前，不同省份之间在食物安全监管资源与能力上尚存在差异。

Dr. Weng’s final comments embraced the importance of international collaboration in improving and strengthening global food safety standards through greater cooperation in information sharing on food safety risks as well as in regulatory initiatives. 

温主任最后强调了国际合作对于全球食品安全标准提升的重要性。他认为，国家间继续就食品安全风险交流信息，就管理模式交流经验，有助于全球在食品安全问题上更进一步。