Public-Private Collaboration for Food Safety

300 Food Safety Specialists Gather in Beijing as New Law Comes Into Effect; 3 New Public-Private Partnerships Announced
 
BEIJING, 3 November 2015 – Today over 300 top food safety executives from China and the rest of the world are gathered in Beijing for the 4th annual GFSI Focus Day China. One month after China’s new food safety law has come into effect, delegates are attending this event to find out how they can leverage the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) to meet the challenge of food safety in food operations throughout China. This morning’s Opening Ceremony was also the stage for three major food safety announcements.
 


This year’s event is benefiting from significant support from relevant Chinese government bodies, with top-level officials from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) and the China Nutrition and Health Food Association (CNHFA) on the programme and participating in the Opening Ceremony.

Today’s event kicked off with three major announcements that testify to GFSI’s dedication to enhancing food safety in China. A new public-private partnership agreement was signed between GFSI and China’s CNCA to accelerate food safety development. The partnership pioneers a new assessment approach and aims to improve the general level of food safety in China thanks to China HACCP Technical Equivalence.

A second announcement unveiled a new partnership between GFSI and the CNHFA in order to take food safety to the next level in China. The agreement includes the local implementation of the GFSI global mission and a concrete cooperation plan towards a common goal. Finally, GFSI and UNIDO made a joint declaration, committing to scale up food safety capacity building in Asia and around the world.

Global Food Safety Vision – Making the Change

A packed programme is in store for delegates at this year’s Focus Day, with a running theme of innovation and “making the change” required to achieve the Global Food Safety Vision. An impressive speaker line-up will deal with topics such as omni-channel food safety, trust and third party certification, with a special focus on what the new Chinese food safety law will mean for food operations.

A Focus Day shines light on the full spectrum with shared experiences and case studies from those just getting started in food safety management all the way to world-renown experts and company heads. Four CEOs from leading food companies such as the COFCO Corporation and AEON China will share their insights on food safety co-governance and answer audience questions. Food safety experts from the GFSI Board of Directors, leading food retail and manufacturing companies, UNIDO and other institutions will also take the stage.

Taking Global to Local – GFSI Focus Days

One of the ways that GFSI rolls out its global mission locally is through regional Focus Days. This one-day event format is a unique opportunity for delegates to gain a better understanding of food safety advancement with GFSI and to benefit from networking and best-practice sharing with both global and local food companies.

As a key link in the global food safety chain, China is of critical importance to GFSI. This 2015 event follows on from the success of three consecutive annual Focus Days in China, where the work of GFSI is now more relevant than ever amidst current regulatory changes.

GFSI-CNCA Press Release GFSI-CNHFA Press Release GFSI-UNIDO Press Release

 

ABOUT THE GLOBAL FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is an industry-driven initiative providing thought leadership and guidance on food safety management systems necessary for safety along the supply chain. This work is accomplished through collaboration between the world’s leading food safety experts from retail, manufacturing and food service companies, as well as international organisations, governments, academia and service providers to the global food industry. They meet together at technical working group and stakeholder meetings, conferences and regional events to share knowledge and promote a harmonized approach to managing food safety across the industry.
www.mygfsi.com

ABOUT THE CONSUMER GOODS FORUM

GFSI is managed by The Consumer Goods Forum (the CGF), a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 2.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. www.theconsumergoodsforum.com

 

CONTACT

Yangying XU
Chief Representative, CGF China and Global Food Safety Initiative China
The Consumer Goods Forum
Email: [email protected]