China-ASEAN forum eyes opportunities in nutrition

The 2nd China-ASEAN Cooperation Forum on Food Safety Nutrition and Health held in Fangchenggang, Guangxi, China, allowed participants to discuss and share their experiences on food safety standards and nutrition policies in order to help implement RCEP and promote the "Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone" as a platform for food safety and nutrition innovation, and to tap food as medicine, new food ingredients and traditional specialties in different countries.

According to Liu Jinfeng, Director General of the Department of Food Safety Standards, Risk Surveillance and Assessment of the National Health Commission of China, the country has been building a food safety and nutrition innovation platform in Fangchenggang for SCO and ASEAN member states, to make it an international exchange platform that integrates the industry, universities and research institutes as well as application and marketing.

Mayor Huang Jiang said that Fangchenggang, located at the forefront of China-ASEAN open cooperation, is ready to work together with Chinese and foreign organizations to build big platforms for cooperation and exchanges, big health and food industries, and big think tanks for cooperation and innovation. For example, it will accelerate the construction of a food safety and nutrition inspection and testing center, a food safety and nutrition technology innovation and research centre, an international (ASEAN) food safety research centre, and a food safety and nutrition innovation technology incubation centre; a specialty food industry cluster innovation and development centre, and a food safety and nutrition health education base. All these will provide solid support for clustering development of food, nutrition and health industries in new food ingredients, food and medicine substances, and local specialty food products. (By Lei Qijun)