The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is planning to formalize its relationship with the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) during the visit of EFSA’s Executive Director to China next month. EFSA will also take part in the “China International Food Safety & Quality Conference + Expo 2016” and co-chair one of its seminars on future priorities in food safety.
The seminar that will be organized by the European Commission and EFSA will outline future food safety challenges and their implications for international risk assessors and other stakeholders. EFSA will also give more insights into its work and provide its new guidelines on applications for novel and traditional foods.
Both sides are deepening their mutual relationship in the area of food security and to mark a milestone in the ties between EFSA and CFSA, EFSA’s Executive Director Bernhard Url and CFSA’s Acting Director General Mr Jiang Lu will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation during Mr Url’s visit to China in November. The agreement between both institutions aims to formulate a legal basis to facilitate cooperation programs in the areas of capacity building, exchange of knowledge and expertise, as well as stimulate harmonization and innovation in food safety risk assessment methods and approaches.
Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, is the condition in which all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In the upcoming decades, food security is expected to be negatively affected by the changing climate, environmental changes, growing global population and rising food prices.
