Leaders Gather in Shanghai to Attend a Communication and Exchange Meeting on Testing Standards at Home and Abroad
A communication and exchange meeting on China’s testing methods and international testing standards was held at Holiday Inn in Pudong district, Shanghai on May 13, 2019, with a view to further share latest food safety testing technologies and standards at home and abroad, learn about the progress of the AOAC/ISO/IDF standard project, and facilitate the communication and cooperation between China’s food safety testing methods and international standards.
A communication and exchange meeting on China’s testing methods and international testing standards
The meeting was chaired by Zhou Qi, Vice-Chairman of China Inspection and Testing Society (CITS). Present at the meeting were 17 Chinese representatives, including Liang Gang, Deputy Head of the Department of Food Safety Sampling Inspection Supervision at State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), as well as 7 foreign representatives, including AOAC President David B. Schmidt. Chinese and foreign guests delivered brief reports, and discussed issues such as a comparative study of Chinese and international standards and cooperation plans, cooperation plans on proficiency testing at home and abroad, etc.
At the meeting, Liang Gang introduced the situation of China’s food sampling inspection and work plans, and the scope, formulation and issuance of food safety supplementary inspection methods and fast testing methods. He also stated that China will make plans on food safety at strategic levels, and further strengthen its supervision on food safety, so as to ensure food safety of the public. Xiao Jing, Director of Division IV of Food Safety Standards at China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), introduced the sorting and integration of national food safety testing standards in China as well as the standard tracking assessment work that is underway. Currently, the tracking assessment is mainly targeting some physiochemical and microbiological standards, and has reorganized the situation of standard deficiencies, so as to improve the operability and practicability of standards, further improve the standard system of inspection methods, and enhance its scientific nature and integrity. This work has provided the food safety standard system with constructive suggestions and vigorous technical support. Over the next three to five years, we will offer support for the establishment, research and planning of standards on the basis of the tracking assessment result this time. Wang Xiaoyan, Chief of the Food Division at the Department of Standard Technology Management of SAMR, introduced the progress of the formulation of national standards in China, and mainly talked about the management of national standards as well as the situation of standardization in the food area. She also shared China's progress in the work of international standardization. Regarding the formulation and revision of the standard for veterinary drug residues, Hao Lihua, Associate Research Fellow of the Division of Standards at China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, introduced the construction status of the standard for veterinary drug residues from the perspective of composition & management and current situation. The veterinary drug residue standard system consists of the maximum residue limit and the standard for testing methods. The maximum residue limit standard will be issued as a national food safety standard (GB2764) for the first time with many updates in limit values and target animal species, following four announcements by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs previously. In terms of the testing method standard, the “high throughput method plus confirmatory method” will become a trend of the testing standard for veterinary drug residues.
Dr. Liang Chengzhu, Director of Qingdao Customs Technical Center and President of AOAC China Section
Liang Gang, Deputy Head of the Department of Food Safety Sampling Inspection Supervision at SAMR
Xiao Jing, Director of Division IV of Food Safety Standards at CFSA
David B. Schmidt, President of AOAC
Erik Konings, Chairman of AOAC SPSFAM program and AOAC/ISO/IDF representative
At the high-level forum, foreign experts also actively took part in the discussion and exchange. Erik Konings shared the cooperation among ISO, IDF and AOAC, who have jointly issued 10 testing methods formulated by international experts. The cooperation among ISO, IDF and AOAC can avoid the repetitive work, make global standards more harmonized, facilitate the trade and better serve consumers. Schmidt pointed out that AOAC’s official method system is the core part of AOAC. This year, AOAC issued 21 new methods, and the process of those new official methods is transparent. To formulate new methods, AOAC needs to first understand concrete requirements, specify the specific scope according to relevant indicators, and solicit methods worldwide. AOAC hopes to receive more and more methods from China in the future.
At the meeting, Chinese and foreign guests also conducted sufficient discussions on two topics, namely a comparative study of Chinese and foreign testing standards and proficiency testing programs at home and abroad. Regarding the formulation and comparative study of standards, the Chinese side and AOAC share the common goal, and hope to carry out pragmatic cooperation based on standards of common concern and urgently needed by the market. In terms of proficiency testing cooperation plans, both sides exchanged opinions on the current situation and cooperation of the proficiency testing at home and abroad. Besides, representatives and the audience also made speeches enthusiastically, showing how they value the dialogue and cooperation on domestic and foreign testing standards.
Through the discussion and exchange for three hours, both sides have conducted the sufficient communication, and reached cooperation intentions in the field of cooperation on domestic and foreign testing standards and comparative study, as well as cooperation on the proficiency testing work at home and abroad. Both parties will strive for further practical cooperation on more specific matters under the guidance and supervision of CFSA, Standardization Administration of China and other departments.
