Where is Food Safety going? China looks forward to big data

Original title: food safety looks forward to big data's support

Big data supports food safety

"in recent years, some cities in China have done food safety index research and released, and some experts and scholars have also discussed the food safety index model. However, generally speaking, the existing research on food safety index in China is still in the preliminary exploratory stage, which is relatively imperfect and lagging behind." Professor Wen Yuequn, executive deputy director of China Food Safety Index Research and Engineering Office, pointed out at the "2016 China Food Safety Social Co-governance and Food Safety big data Summit Forum" on May 21. The forum was co-sponsored by China Food newspaper and China Food Safety Index Research and Engineering Office.

Food safety index is a comprehensive evaluation index to evaluate the food safety status of a country or region, which can provide data support for objective evaluation of food safety status and early warning of food safety risks. It is understood that the food / food security index of 109 countries designed and released by the British Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by DuPont has been recognized by more and more countries and used in the global food safety regulatory assessment process. Wen Ququn told reporters that this index is different from the prevailing food safety in China, that is, food is non-toxic and harmless, meets the necessary nutritional requirements, and does not cause any acute, subacute or chronic harm to human health.

Wang Weiguo, director of the Food Safety and Rule of Law Research Center of the China Law Society, believes that the food safety index is a useful attempt for the co-governance of food safety society, and the research on China's food safety index through social institutions depends on the active attention and support of all parties. It is necessary to form a set of scientific and reasonable index system, advance in an orderly manner in accordance with the law, form big data's "products" with credibility, guidance and encouragement, and build a data think tank for social co-governance of food safety in China. to provide strong intellectual support for promoting the implementation of food safety strategy and promoting the construction of a healthy China.

Wen Ququn told reporters that at present, the selection of indicators related to food safety index research in China is not representative, and its results are difficult to apply to a variety of food categories, lack of universality. In addition, the formulation of indicators is relatively independent, lack of relevance, it is difficult to achieve a comprehensive analysis, so that the research results do not have comprehensive and systematic significance.

Secondly, the type / category of data sample collection can not cover all categories; the scope and quantity of data collection have not yet achieved large-scale / large-scale coverage in various regions of the country, and the data collection cycle is relatively short and lack of continuity. Therefore, the research results are difficult to reflect the changes and trends of food safety, and the data are relatively lack of validity, relevance, comprehensiveness and authority.

Thirdly, according to China's current food safety standards, there are crossover, complexity and contradictions, and there are differences in supervision intensity and methods between local and local, local and central governments, so data collection and analysis are lack of comparison and rationality.

At the same time, there are objective and subjective communication problems in food safety risk communication (mainly through the media), which leads to differences and trust crisis in people's understanding and understanding of food safety-related information.

Based on the above reasons, a perfect, scientific, authoritative and comprehensive Chinese food safety index suitable for China's national conditions should be established to accurately reflect the current situation and improving development of China's food safety. timely forecasting of the problems and risks in the field of food safety will undoubtedly help relevant government departments to strengthen the supervision of food safety. Help food production and management enterprises to pay more attention to food safety, but also help to enhance consumers' scientific awareness of food safety, and ultimately help to promote the realization of the goal of social co-governance of food safety.

The China Food Safety Index Research and Engineering Office (hereinafter referred to as the Office) has done a lot of work since its establishment more than two months ago. Wu Wu, deputy director of the Office, said at the forum that they have selected an information collection service provider in various prefecture-level cities across the country to assist the office in collecting food safety-related information; will select a testing institution in each province and city throughout the country as a partner; and will speed up the construction of a food safety expert database.

Wen Ququn pointed out that as a comprehensive evaluation index, the research of food safety index needs to rely on the massive collection, collation and comprehensive analysis and utilization of all kinds of data in the field of food safety. Only by using the data collection and analysis mode of the combination of big data and traditional data can we better study the food safety index. better help the government, enterprises and consumers to have a timely, profound and comprehensive insight into and understand the situation and risks of food safety, so as to effectively deal with food safety problems and achieve social co-governance of food safety.

Data is an important part and basis of food safety index research, and its sources will be divided into two major channels: various official data regularly released by relevant government regulatory departments, industry data and information data collection systems covering most parts of the country. "to this end, we hope to get the support and help of relevant government departments, experts and scholars from research institutions and people of insight who are concerned about food safety." Wen Qun said. (our reporter Li Chen)