Upping the ante in food safety

Hit by a spate of tainted food scandals on the mainland, ranging from toxic baby milk powder to the most recent rotten meat used at McDonald's and KFC, authorities from Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao have joined forces to mitigate the crisis. Zhou Mo gets into the nitty gritty of their actions.

Chen Xiaoling had a "bumper harvest" in June. The 23-year-old student from Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College (GFDVC) got three certificates within a month, thanks to innovative food safety cooperation among Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao.

"It's unimaginable that I could gain three qualifications in such a short period," she said, giggling, thrilled by the unexpected windfall descending upon her.

Chen, from Foshan's Daliang sub-district, majored in catering safety. She is one of the first 110 students of her department to have obtained the three food safety-related certificates, granted by the Guangdong Food and Drug Administration, the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council (VTC) and the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center (CPTTM).

Last November, the college signed an agreement with VTC and CPTTM to cooperate in training food safety professionals. After several rounds of discussions, the three made a breakthrough. In May this year, a cooperative training mode of "One Exam, Three Certificates" came into being.

Innovative step

Under the arrangement, attendees can get academic recognition from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao merely by passing one examination after the completion of the training. It is an innovative move made by the college to promote cooperative education and a demonstration of closer links between the mainland and the two special administrative regions.

The training comprises 40 class hours and comes in three parts. In the first 30 class hours, students are equipped with professional knowledge of food safety and relevant laws and regulations on the mainland, imperative for one who wants to embark on a career of food safety management. Another five class hours are devoted to courses on Hong Kong's food safety laws and regulations, which are taught by teachers from the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education. In the remaining five class hours, lecturers from the Food Safety Centre of Instituto para os Assuntos Civicos e Municipais (IACM) inform students on Macao's legal requirements in the field.

"Compared with those specialized courses students take during the semester, which cover food safety management, nutrition guidance, operation and management of catering enterprises, the training has a special focus on Hong Kong and Macao's food sampling procedures and their safety standards," Li Yinhua, director of teaching and research section at GFDVC's catering department, said.

"Students not only grasp knowledge of food safety laws and regulations on the mainland, but also get to know those in Hong Kong and Macao. In addition, they are awarded three certificates, which is multi-beneficial," said Yan Zhen, head of the vocational college, which currently has 12,463 students on the campus.

By raising vocational students' qualifications, the cooperative project contributes to enhancing their competitiveness in an increasingly fierce job market. "The training is quite useful. With three certificates in hand, I'm now able to create a more attractive CV," Chen said.

Chen started exploring the demanding field two years ago, when she was admitted to the vocational college after graduation from high school. Intoxicated by the process of savoring various kinds of food, Chen longed for a career in catering.

However, that was definitely not the key reason that led to her decision to study catering safety. In fact, social responsibility was something that drove her. Stunned and saddened by a spate of food safety scandals striking the mainland - toxic baby milk powder, gutter oil, tainted steamed buns and, most recently, rotten meat used by McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) - Chen hoped to do something to improve the situation.

"Food safety incidents emerge from time to time, which is worrisome. I hope I could make some contributions to society with my own effort, and becoming a food safety inspector is a tool," she said.

Having accomplished two years' academic pursuit, Chen has another year to complete in college, during which she will do an internship. She has joined Guangzhou Yinyuan Catering Service Co Ltd, a catering company focusing on operating school canteens. She works as a food safety inspector in a school canteen in Panyu district, checking on the quality of raw food supplied daily to the school. The company runs canteens in more than 20 schools, including three in Macao.

"By putting what I've learned in college and through the training into practice, I'm now able to offer fresh food to students and ensure their safety. That's encouraging and meaningful."

As a major food supplier of Hong Kong, Guangdong has more than 800 food bases, providing 70 percent of the mainland's total supply to the city, according to Xinhua News Agency. To ensure food safety, the Hong Kong government has imposed strict restrictions on imported food. For example, imports of wild animals requires prior permission from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and imports of meat and poultry is confined to sources recognized by the department.

As shocking tainted food scandals keep emerging, Hong Kong recently further tightened its food safety regulations. On Aug 1, the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation went into effect, aimed at enhancing regulatory control of pesticide residues in food to protect public health.

Setting standards

The regulation sets standards for primary agricultural and livestock products, such as vegetables, fruit and grain as well as processed food, including fruit juice, flour and cooking oil. Three hundred and sixty types of pesticides are covered and 7,083 standards are specified.

"Any person who imports, manufactures or sells any food not in compliance with the requirements of the regulation concerning pesticide residues commits an offense and is liable to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for six months," according to a press release posted on the Centre for Food Safety website on July 31.

The increasingly stringent food safety regulations in Hong Kong has put more and more pressure on mainland food safety inspectors who are required to have a clear understanding of the city's own rules in order to meet local requirements. In this sense, cooperative training is not only necessary, but also vital.

"Distinctions exist in food safety standards and penalties between Hong Kong and the mainland. Providing a clear knowledge of Hong Kong's local laws and regulations can help bridge the gap and enable food companies to meet the city's standards. That's the biggest value of the training," Chen explained.

That's really true. Jiang Weifeng, vice-president of Guangzhou Kwang Feng Industrial Co Ltd, a company that supplies poultry to the HKSAR, points out that although his company's management and inspection staff were aware of Hong Kong's food safety laws and regulations, the training was not systematic.

"Nurturing talents familiar with Hong Kong's food safety laws and regulations is helpful for ensuring the safety of food supplied to the city. Joint efforts by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will exert a positive effect on the guarantee of fresh and safe food," Jiang said.