On October 26-28, 2020, the 2020 AOAC China Analytical Science and Standards Conference was held in Shanghai. It is the first academic conference held by AOAC China Section since it was officially registered with the Chinese government. The conference was hosted by AOAC China Section and supported by China Certification and Accreditation Association (CCAA) and Qingdao Inspection, Testing and Certification Association. More than 300 elites in food testing

field attended the conference.

Focusing on progress in tracking and evaluation of national food safety standards, research on comparison and consistency evaluation of Chinese and foreign food testing standards, progress in AOAC/ISO/IDF standardization projects, certification, accreditation and food safety, testing technologies and regulations for special food (food for special medical purposes and for special dietary uses), and progress in food quality and safety testing technologies, the conference was a feast of food safety technologies and standards for participants.

The opening ceremony was held on October 27, which was chaired by Dr. Liang Chengzhu, Director of Technology Center of Qingdao Customs and President of AOAC China Section, and addressed by Mr. Zhu Guangpei, President of CCAA, on behalf of the host and supporters of the conference.

Photo of Dr. Liang Chengzhu presiding over the conference

Photo of CCAA President Mr. Zhu Guangpei addressing the conference

At the symposium on the morning of October 27, Mr. Zhang Xiaogang, President of SparkLink Alliance Council, former ISO President and former President of World Steel Association, gave a wonderful speech on the relationship between standards and food safety, in which he analyzed the opportunities and challenges facing standardization in China under new circumstances and noted that only through the execution of the “most rigorous” food safety standards can the best products be delivered.

Photo of Mr. Zhang Xiaogang giving a speech

Mr. David B. Schmid, Executive Director of AOAC International, reported on the progress in AOAC standards and the annual meeting of AOAC International in September, while expressing his expectations for cooperation and exchanges with related parties in China.

Screenshot of Mr. David B. Schmid delivering an online speech

Dr. Henry B. Chin, President of AOAC International, introduced the cooperation between AOAC and its sections, and spoke highly of the work of AOAC China Section over the years.

Screenshot of Dr. Henry B. Chin delivering an online speech

Mr. Liu Xiande, Deputy Director of Department of Accreditation, Inspection and Testing, State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), presented the reforms and development of qualification of inspection and testing agencies, expounded on the significance of such qualification to strengthening capacity building of China’s food testing agencies, establishing a sound quality and safety testing system for food and agricultural products, and creating a world-class platform. Under market leadership, the qualification of testing agencies in China is expected to take another stride forward.

Photo of Mr. Liu Xiande delivering a speech

Dr. John Szpylka, Chair of AOAC International’s Food Authenticity Methods (FAM) Program, delivered an academic report on the progress in evaluating non-targeted testing methods to screen for food fraud. Mr. Steve Holroyd, Chair of IDF/ISO Methods Standards Steering Group, elaborated the importance of unifying testing methods.

Screenshot of Dr. John Szpylka giving a speech online

In her video report, Ms. Li Yubing, Deputy Director of Standards Innovation Management Department, Standardization Administration of China, delved into the development trend of international standardization and China’s engagement in national standardization activities.

Screenshot of Ms. Li Yubing delivering a speech online

Mr. Fan Chunlin, Deputy Secretary General of SAMR Secretariat for Food Safety Sampling Inspection and Monitoring, introduced the system and status of food safety sampling inspection in China in terms of laws and regulations, regulatory system, orientation and priorities of sampling inspection, supervision, risk monitoring, sampling inspection quality management, development trends of sampling inspection results and problems, with reference to food monitoring in other countries and regions.

Photo of Mr. Fan Chunlin delivering a speech

Ms. Wang Hejia, Deputy Director of Safety Evaluation Office, China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, presented the updates in China’s standard for the maximum residue limit of veterinary drugs and the standardization of methods for detection of veterinary residues.

Photo of Ms. Wang Hejia delivering a speech

Commissioned by Mr. Fan Yongxiang, Director of the Research Center for Food Safety Standards, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), Dr. Wang Wei introduced the progress in the construction of a national food safety standard system.

Photo of Dr. Wang Wei giving a speech on behalf of Director Mr. Fan Yongxiang

Mr. Steve Holroyd, Chair of IDF/ISO Methods Standards Steering Group, introduced the importance of unified standards for dairy products testing.

Screenshot of Dr. Steve Holroyd giving a speech online

Dr. Darryl Sullivan, Chair of AOAC Stakeholder Program on Infant Formula and Adult Nutrition (AOAC SPIFAN), introduced the progress in AOAC SPIFAN.

Screenshot of Dr. Darryl Sullivan delivering a speech online

Dr. Mathieu Dubois from the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland introduced how to determine 2- and 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in infant and adult nutritional formula.

Screenshot of Dr. Mathieu Dubois delivering a speech online

Dr. Jan KuhlmannGC-MS from SGS Germany GmbH introduced how to determine 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and glycidol in foods by GC-MS.

Screenshot of Dr. Jan KuhlmannGC-MS delivering a speech online

Symposiums of the conference were co-chaired by Dr. Liang Chengzhu, and Dr. Wang Wei from the 4^th Standards Department, CFSA.

Influenced by COVID-19, the conference witnessed a combination of online and offline communication between Chinese and foreign experts. On the afternoon of October 27, representatives of unites responsible for formulating national food safety standards on Vitamins A, E and C and fatty acids, together with scientists in charge of ISO, AOAC and EN standards setting, exchanged their views on similarities and differences in standards and technical details that could be referenced. The Vitamin C WG meeting on the evening of October 27 was an essential part of the procedures of revision to Vitamin C standards in AOAC SPIFAN, in which Chinese and foreign experts discussed Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs) of AOAC SPIFAN.

Photo of representatives online and offline having a heated discussion

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Photo of experts online and offline having a roundtable discussion

The schedule of the 2-day conference included nine symposiums, including comparison between Chinese food testing standards and international standards, progress in tracking and evaluation of China’s food safety testing standards, progress in the research on AOAC and ISO/IDF standards setting, certification, accreditation and food safety, testing technologies and regulations for food for special medical purposes, progress in food quality and safety testing technologies, hotspots and solutions, where participants had extensive discussions.

The conference brought together nearly 300 representatives from domestic and international food standard systems, inspection & testing and supervision & administration agencies, and manufacturers, deepening the communication and cooperation between China’s food testing standards organizations and their international counterparts, and providing an international exchange platform for both Chinese and foreign scientists and researchers.