Following the Prime Minister’s overseas visit to Beijing last week, China sees Britain as an important ally in its call for more open global markets, even understanding the challenges of operating in China, and both countries are referring to this watershed moment as a “golden era” in relations. Leading the way is Fera Science, who has begun delivering a key part of the EU China Safe project, an initiative focused on reducing food fraud and increasing food safety through improving food legislation, food inspection and increasing access to information across both continents.
Fera will be delivering the work package ‘Confidence building and trade facilitation’ and will be working alongside key players in the food industry, research organisations and Governments across two of the world’s largest trading areas. Fera’s work package will encompass delivering a state-of–the-art virtual laboratory which will create a unique space to share and demonstrate best practice. The use of innovative technologies like this virtual laboratory will result in improved detection of adulteration of food products as well as increased traceability and transparency of global supply chains.
Fera is also reporting on past case studies, documenting previous food incidents with lessons learned to enhance the way future food fraud incidents are tackled and also help generate shared methodologies on food contact materials, aiding the improvement of overall global standards within Chinese laboratories.
Susan McDonald, project lead, Fera said: “Fighting food fraud in 2017 and beyond will be no easy task. Food fraud can be distinguished into many types and forms, so along with a clear classification of types of fraud we also need a hierarchy of these. Only then can we start mapping types and levels of fraud to food industries and start having an idea on how big an issue fraud is in each food sector."
“With this huge challenge on the horizon, we are excited to be playing a key role in the EU-China-Safe project which will provide a set of methods, instruments and tools to detect and manage fraud as well as an objective and rigorous process to detect and control levels of fraud.”
Delivering an Effective, Resilient and Sustainable EU-China Food Safety Partnership has now commenced. Click on the link below to find out more:
