12 years of positive innovation with scientific voice to lead food safety science popularization into a new era

Reporter Wang Wei

How to use scientific truth to resolve the public's doubts about food safety and nutrition and health, and at the same time guide the public to transform science popularization from "literacy" to "leading" in the new era? On January 6, the "2022 Food Safety and Health Hot Topics Scientific Interpretation Media Communication Conference" was held in Beijing, guided by the China Association for Science and Technology and hosted by the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology
.
The 9 hot spots on food safety and health released at the meeting reflect the main concerns of public opinion in 2022
.
The event aims to promote the cooperation of scientific and technological circles, industry, media and other forces, continue to strengthen the popularization of public science on food safety and nutrition and health, and promote social co-governance
.

At the meeting, academicians and experts and scholars from the food industry, such as Chen Junshi, Sun Baoguo, Zhu Beiwei, Chen Jian, and Shan Yang, gave authoritative scientific interpretations
of hot topics such as prepared dishes, food additives, and "tukeng sauerkraut".
Leading guests of China Association for Science and Technology, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Health Commission and other relevant departments attended the event
.
By the end of the event, the cumulative number of views on the whole network and all media had reached 2.
103 million
.

Since 2012, the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology has continued to invite authoritative experts in the scientific and technological field to concentrate on the interpretation of annual food safety and health hot spots, and use scientific truth to resolve public doubts
.
After 12 years of continuous polishing, this activity has formed a brand effect in the domestic food industry, continuously transmitted the positive energy of food safety, and effectively promoted the transformation of China's food safety situation from passive crisis response to active risk prevention
.

During the meeting, Pang Xiaodong, Deputy Director of the Science Popularization Department of the China Association for Science and Technology, and Chen Zheng, Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, jointly released the "2022 Food Safety and Health Myth List"
.
This is the fourth consecutive year of activities carried out by the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology and the Science and Technology Association Science Debunking Platform of the China Association for Science and Technology, which has played an important supporting role
in Qinglang cyberspace.

Social co-governance helps the public popularize science on food safety and achieve stability and long-term

Hao Minghong, second-level inspector of the Food Safety Sampling and Monitoring Department of the State Administration for Market Regulation, said in his speech that the State Administration for Market Regulation resolutely implements the "four strictest" requirements, deploys and carries out special actions for food safety "guarding the bottom line, detecting hidden dangers and ensuring safety" nationwide, establishes and improves the hierarchical and hierarchical precise prevention and control, and the terminal effect working mechanism at the end of the force, and makes every effort to ensure the "safety on the tip of the tongue"
of the people.
In the first three quarters of 2022, the national market supervision department completed 4.
56 million batches of food safety supervision and sampling, and detected more than 120,000 batches of unqualified samples, with a supervision and sampling failure rate of 2.
71
%.
The sampling results show that the overall situation of food safety in China continues to remain stable and improving
.
In recent years, market supervision departments at all levels have innovated working methods and methods, and gradually formed a three-dimensional matrix
of food safety risk early warning and communication.
First, steadily promote the exchange
of regular risk early warnings.
The second is to continuously expand the channels
of early warning exchange.
The third is to explore the establishment of an early warning exchange system
.
Fourth, it is necessary to carry out in depth the practical activities
of "I do practical things for the masses.
" Guided more than 1,600 "you point me to check" activities in various places, so that consumers can truly feel that food safety is around
.
Hao Minghong said that the society has continued to take the "scientific interpretation of food safety and health hot spots" as an opportunity for 12 years, adhering to the original intention of "highlighting key points, consolidating the foundation, innovative exploration, and bold practice", and deeply promoting China's food safety and health science popularization work
.
It is hoped that the event will continue to spread the positive energy
of food safety.

Li Tairan, second-level inspector of the Department of Food Safety Standards and Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Health Commission, said in his speech that the National Health Commission has always actively implemented the requirements of the "most rigorous standards", adhered to the bottom line of safety, and safeguarded public health
.
The first is to build the most rigorous food safety standard system
.
Up to now, a relatively complete national food safety standard system has been established, and 1478 standards have been released, covering more than 340 kinds of all food categories, including more than 20,000 indicators
.
The second is to build an accurate, efficient, scientific and authoritative monitoring and evaluation system
.
Three databases and two monitoring networks have been established, and a "risk map"
of priority food contamination and foodborne diseases has been drawn.
The third is to strive to let the people eat nutritious and healthy
.
Actively promote activities
such as the National Nutrition Program and the Healthy China Reasonable Diet Initiative.
Li Tairan stressed that China has entered a new stage of high-quality development, and the health system will be problem- and demand-oriented, strengthen bottom-line thinking, focus on risk prevention, make up for shortcomings, plug loopholes, strengths and weaknesses, build the "most rigorous" food safety standard system in an all-round way, and continue to carry out more extensive and easy-to-understand risk communication and science popularization and education activities
.
The public science popularization of food safety has a long way to go, and it still requires the continuous attention and joint efforts
of all parties.

Five Major Characteristics In-depth analysis of the characteristics of public opinion in the three years of the epidemic

At the meeting, Shao Wei, executive vice president of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, analyzed the overall situation of food safety and health in 2022 with the theme of "Recognizing the Situation, Responding to the Situation, and Innovating the Bureau
".
Shao Wei said that the epidemic that has lasted for three years has had a profound impact on all fields around the world, focusing on the field of food safety and health, and the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology has made a preliminary analysis
of 28 hot spots interpreted in the past three years.
These hot spots came from the nomination, screening and expert review of the society and more than ten mainstream media, and finally selected the top hot spots for interpretation according to the number of votes, which basically reflected the main concerns of public opinion and presented five major public opinion characteristics
.
First, the epidemic has forced industrial innovation and upgrading
.
In the context of the epidemic, although the overall living environment of the industry is not optimistic, the speed and magnitude of industrial innovation are also unprecedented
.
New consumer demand, new technical support, and new business environment have emerged as the times require, and more than 20% of the hot spots in the past three years have focused on "new demand, new technology, and new business format"
.
Second, the epidemic has profoundly affected the innovation direction of
food technology and industry.
In the past three years, 14% of the hot spots have focused on the epidemic, from the relationship between the epidemic and food safety, the impact on the industrial chain (mainly cold chain), to people's attention to immunity under the epidemic, and the demand for healthy diet in the new stage of epidemic prevention and control, which has profoundly affected the innovation direction
of food technology and industry.
Third, national strategies, policies and regulations are conducive to the development of
the food industry.
In the past three years, 18% of the hot spots have focused on national strategies, relevant policies and regulatory standards
.
Including the establishment of the national food security strategy, the proposal of the concept of big food, the release of a new national standard for infant food, the introduction of new regulations for import and export food and the introduction of the "package restriction order"
.
The continuous favorable national strategy and related policy standards promote the high-quality development
of the food industry.
The fourth is to focus on the main risks
of food safety.
In the past three years, 25% of the hot spots have focused on the main risks of food safety, mainly including three aspects: microbial-related risks, of which foodborne diseases are the mainstay; potential risks in the industry chain; Easily overlooked safety risks, such as food allergies
.
Fifth, there is a big gap
between the public's cognitive level and scientific truth.
In the past three years, 21% of the hot spots are still related to the level of public scientific cognition, which is reflected in three aspects, namely: food additives, which have continued to be popular for more than ten years; lack of basic scientific knowledge related to food safety; Ambiguity
in perception of labels, identification, etc.

Five points of prediction put forward the focus of food safety and health in the new era

Based on the analysis of hot spots in the past three years, the organizer put forward five predictions for future food safety and health concerns
.
First, the problem of food safety will exist
for a long time.
From the perspective of the categories of unqualified items detected, the more prominent stubborn problems in the past two years are: excessive residues of agricultural and veterinary drugs, microbial contamination, and the use of food additives
beyond the range and limit.
This kind of problem is difficult to effectively solve in the short term, and it will also seriously affect consumers' confidence in food safety, and it is still necessary to continue to improve the level of
food safety.
Second, the traditional food industry still has potential safety hazards
in the process of modernization.
Many traditional food industries have made important contributions to satisfying the deliciousness on the tip of people's tongues, but the production methods of traditional foods are not as good as possible, and manual production and modern production are required
.
It is suggested that traditional food enterprises should sort out the safety issues in the industrial chain, and use modern science and technology to realize the leap
from craftsmanship to technology, from experience to science, from manual operation to intelligent control.
Third, the Internet and capital urge the iterative update of the industry, and food safety hazards are easy to be ignored
.
Driven by new sales models such as live streaming, Internet celebrity foods have emerged one after another, but while the market is hot, it has also brought many food safety risks
.
Enterprises should strengthen the whole process control of "OEM factories", beware of "hollowing out" of food safety, and strengthen scientific and technological support to consolidate the scientific foundation
of food safety.
Fourth, the use of scientific and technological means of food fraud urgently needs attention
.
With the extension of the global food supply chain and the acceleration of scientific and technological innovation, new formats, new foods and new business models have emerged one after another, resulting in widespread food adulteration and fraud worldwide
.
Food adulteration and counterfeiting methods using scientific and technological means are more hidden and complex, covering raw materials, processes, origins, product labels and other links, which urgently need to attract attention and be prepared
to deal with them from the scientific and technological side.
Fifth, public science popularization needs to change
from "literacy" to "leading".
Only when you have the ability to identify rumors can you truly not believe in rumors and spread rumors
.
From the combing and analysis of 28 hot spots in the past three years, we can clearly see that the premise of the prevention and control of public opinion risks is to solidly and effectively promote "public science popularization in peacetime", gather "third-party forces" to clarify scientific issues in the industry, and continue to emit scientific voices
in a moisturizing and silent way.

Expert interpretation Let's talk about hot topics in food safety and health in 2022

Hot Topic 1: Pre-made dishes - cold thinking under the feverish pursuit of capital

Interpretation expert: Zhu Beiwei, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, vice chairman of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, director of the National Marine Food Engineering Technology Research Center of Dalian Polytechnic University

Prepared dishes have become a popular food category among consumers, promoting the transformation
of consumption mode from "vegetable basket" to "vegetable plate".
There are still problems such as security risks and supply chain construction in the prepared vegetable industry, and it is urgent to achieve innovative breakthroughs
by consolidating the scientific foundation.
The prepared vegetable industry should increase policy support, rely on scientific and technological innovation, and create a dual-oriented development model
of "delicious + healthy" prepared dishes.
The industry must be down-to-earth and cultivate internal strength in order to achieve stability and long-term
development.

Hot topic two: "Hextech" - food additives have been demonized again

Interpretation expert: Sun Baoguo, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, chairman of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, president of Beijing Technology and Business University

Food additives are not equal to illegal additives, there is no modern food industry without food additives, and the reasonable and legal use of food additives will not affect
human health.
It is recommended to strengthen network supervision and create a clean and healthy network environment
.
Food enterprises should start from themselves and consolidate the scientific and technological connotation
of product safety and health.
All parties should continue to strengthen popular science publicity, guide consumers to scientifically and rationally recognize food additives, and do not believe in rumors or spread rumors
.

Hot Spot 3: "Sauerkraut in the pit" - there can be no "pit" in the safety of the industrial chain

Interpretation expert: Shan Yang Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Standing Director of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, President of the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences

The processing of sauerkraut not only has a huge market demand, but also an important way for
farmers in poor areas to increase income.
The industry needs to change and improve, and establish a strict and traceable safety system from the source; Guide sauerkraut production and operation enterprises to accelerate the use of modern science and technology to transform and upgrade traditional industries; Accelerate the construction of the standard system to escort the development of the industry
.
The main body responsible for food safety will be implemented to the enterprise, and the defense line of risk prevention in the industrial chain will be moved to the front end
.
Let there be no more "pits"
in food safety.

Hot Spot 4: Gold and silver foil powder - food "gold and silver plating" is not desirable

Interpretation expert: Chen Junshi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, general counsel of the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment

Foods containing gold and silver foil powder generally do not cause harm to consumer health, but at the same time they are not beneficial
to human health.
Gold and silver foil powder is not a food additive allowed in China, nor is it a food raw material
.
Food producers and traders shall not produce, trade or import food
containing gold and silver foil powder.
Consumers should also establish a rational consumption concept and refuse to consume food
containing gold and silver foil powder.

Hot Spot 5: Big Food View - an important support for future food development

Interpretation expert: Chen Jian Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, Director of the Academic Committee of Jiangnan University

The concept of big food is an important content and objective requirement for promoting agricultural modernization, which is conducive to the all-round and multi-channel development of food resources and consolidates and improves China's sustainable food supply system
.
The concept of big food conforms to the changes in the food consumption structure of the people, and the fundamental way out for the implementation of the concept of big food lies in science and technology
.
The food industry should strengthen the research and development of key common technological innovations, plan the safety risk management of future foods, strengthen the scientific interpretation of the big food concept, and promote the innovative practice
of the big food concept in the food industry.

Hot Six: Ice Cream Does Not Melt – Is It a "Spell" Cast or Is It Misunderstood?

Interpretation expert: Fan Daming, Vice Chairman of the Frozen and Refrigerated Food Branch of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, Dean of the Institute of Science and Technology of Jiangnan University

Ice cream is one of the frozen drinks commonly consumed by consumers in summer, and to judge the melting speed of ice cream, it is necessary to consider multiple factors
such as temperature and total solids content of ice cream.
Carrageenan, sodium alginate, guar gum, locust bean gum, etc.
are allowed to be used in national food safety standards, and can be used
in ice cream in appropriate amounts according to production needs.
Enterprises need to consciously fulfill the main responsibility of food safety, and all parties should strengthen the popularization
of ice cream.
Consumers should pay attention to the outer packaging and storage temperature when purchasing ice cream, and should pay attention to the consumption time and amount
when eating.

Hot Topic 7: Soy sauce "double standard" - is there really a national difference in food?

Interpretation expert: Li Ning, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, Director of the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

The focus of standard management in different countries is different, and hyping up "double standards" is neither reasonable nor meaningful
.
The framework, formulation principles and control objects of China's national food safety standards are basically consistent with the international community, and various standards are determined according to China's national conditions, which can effectively ensure China's food safety
.
Products manufactured according to standards, with or without food additives, are safe
.
All parties should work together to strengthen popular science, help consumers rationally view differences in food consumption, and improve their ability
to read rumors and prevent deception.

Hot Spot 8: Did you eat (Yang)? ——Healthy diet in the new stage of epidemic prevention and control

Interpretation expert: Ding Gangqiang, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, Director of the Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Fighting the coronavirus pandemic is a major challenge
now and for some time to come.
Advocating a balanced diet and reasonable combination is an important factor
in building human immunity.
Taking consumers' health needs as their own responsibility and guided by national policies, the food industry should provide foods rich in nutrients, deliciousness and diversified choices, and use functional substances and raw materials with natural and healthy characteristics to create new health foods that meet the needs of different consumer groups
.

Hot Spot Nine: "Package Restriction Order" Landed - Food Excessive Packaging Has a "Tightening Curse"

Interpretation expert: Luo Yunbo, honorary vice president of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, director of the Special Food Research Center of China Agricultural University

The revision and implementation of regulations and standards will help reduce the burden on consumers, guide green production, and achieve effective supervision
by government departments.
Production enterprises should raise awareness, take the initiative, fulfill their social responsibilities, implement the standards, use standards and meet the standards as soon as possible, and supply higher quality, greener environmental protection and low-carbon products
to the market.

Preliminary review: Li Song Responsible editor: Zhang Jiazhen Review: Peng Zonglu