The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) hosts the Global Food Safety and Technology Forum (GFSTF) on February 4-5, 2016 in Hong Kong to enhance synergy among all food safety stakeholders to embark on science-and-technology driven collaborative initiatives. GFSTF invigorates interactive and pragmatic exchanges among the industry, government and academia on how to enhance global readiness and technical competence in tackling food safety problems.
Co-organized with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Lund University, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and University of California, Davis (UC Davis), GFSTF 2016 aspires to address unmet food safety technology needs with cutting-edge academic innovations. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Special Representative for Antimicrobial Resistance and Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization, together with other distinguished speakers and panelists from supranational and governmental bodies, such as The United Nations, China National Center for Food Safety and Risk Assessment and the Centre for Food Safety of the Government of Hong Kong SAR share their institutional experience and forward-looking insights into tackling food safety issues from local, national and global perspectives.
Corporations in the food and beverage as well as catering related industries convene at GFSTF to look into the most staggering food safety challenges in the industry sharing session. The academic sharing session that followed engages research experts to explore how scientific and evidence-based innovations could help address the most imminent challenges faced by the industry. Topics including "Advancing Food Safety - Chemicals and Biological", "Food Fraud, Security and Catering", "Risk Assessment, Communications and Management" and "Technical Workshops and Demonstrations" from a technical perspective will be discussed in the breakout sessions to be held on February 5.
"The academia possesses technical expertise to effectively explore solutions with the industry. Without understanding what is required by the industry, it would be difficult for us to ensure what we develop could be of real application and value," Co-Chair of GFSTF 2016 Professor Wing-tak Wong says.
"We believe that through pragmatic communications and exchange, all stakeholders will be able to share and construct a roadmap towards safer foods for the community. After this forum, we will compile with the experts a food safety technology needs assessment report, which will hopefully shape food safety research and development in the upcoming 3 - 5 years. These will be ideas and innovations translated into real actions," Professor Terence Lok-ting Lau, Chair of the Organizing & Program Committee of the Forum and Convener of PolyU's Food Safety Consortium (FSC) says.
The main program on February 4 concluded with a letter of intent signing ceremony between PolyU and Lund University to foster collaborations in technology development in food safety and food security, with potential extension to including other partners from the European, Asian, and other networks.
Joined by over 40 speakers and over 250 attendees from worldwide, this first edition of GFSTF sees active participation from the government, industry and academia in the presence of Mrs. Cherry Tse, Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Prof. Sophia Chan, Under Secretary for Food and Health, and Dr. Constance Chan, Director of Health, The Government of the Hong Kong SAR, and representatives of consulate generals. The forum is poised to become a sustainable channel in fostering global food safety advancement.
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Press Contacts
Prof. Terence Lok-ting Lau
Director of Innovation and Technology Development, PolyU
Phone: (852) 3400 2805
Email: [email protected]
