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Legislative coordination on food safety key to protecting public health
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Thursday, 15 June, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Rome
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Boosting legislative coordination on food safety is the key to protecting public health and ensuring sustainable development. This was stated by Italian and Chinese officials at a conference, which took place in Rome and was organised by Rome’s LUISS University in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy recently.
The event drew high-profile officials and experts to discuss the best ways to improve food safety, protect culinary excellence in both countries and fight counterfeit food.
“Both claiming a long cuisine history and seeing food traditions as a key part of their cultural heritage, Italy and China share the common goal to achieve greater legislative alignment to protect food excellences,” stated Paola Severino, rector, LUISS, said in her opening address.
“Agrifood quality is a form of protection of public interest, and providing a legislation that defends the agribusiness industry means keeping citizens safe,” she added.
Li Ruiyu, China’s ambassador to Italy, said, “Food quality and safety are growingly important for the Chinese people, and the authorities have focused on improving control over the entire production chain.”
In fact, China amended its legislation, and provided a new and stricter food safety law in 2015.
“Now, we can say China has one of the most severe laws in terms of food protection,” said Lu Jianping, dean, Beijing Normal University School of Law.
“It takes care of the whole (production) process, thus providing a total-control regime from the farm to the table,” he added.
“Considering the global economy, however, national efforts require coordination and integration,” stated the Chinese ambassador.
“As the life of people is improving globally, there is a greater need for food safety systems,” he added.
“Within the European Union (EU), for example, Italy has always played a leading role in this perspective,” Li said.
Officials stated, “Indeed, food quality and culinary traditions are core values for Italy, which would strongly need to further boost the fight against food fraud.”
The food and wine industry is Italy’s second largest manufacturing sector, which registered a turnout of about 135 billion Euro ($151 billion) in 2015.
“Counterfeiting Italian foods on international markets in the same year were estimated at over 60 billion Euro ($67 billion),” stated a research by Coldiretti, Italy’s largest farmer association.
Hence, Italy’s interest in coordinating different food legislations is high. Maurizio Martina, the country’s agriculture minister, said, “I do hope the partnership with China could effectively move further forward.”
“We need a mutual recognition of the (national) quality systems, and our agribusiness industries must be more and more sustainable at the environmental, economic and social levels,” he added.
(Source: Xinhua)
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