Press conference: Food safety work during the Games

Related story: Olympic food proves safe

Date/Time: 10:00 a.m., Friday, August 22

Venue: Main Press Center (MPC)

Zhang Jinlin, the host of the press conference

Zhang Jinlin

Good morning, friends from the media. Welcome to today's press conference at MPC on food safety on Beijing Olympic Games. We invited Tang Yunhua, spokesperson of Food Safety Coordination at Beijing Food Safety Administration Office; Lu Yong, director of Beijing Food Safety Monitoring Center; Luo Yunbo, dean of College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, member of Beijing Olympics Food Safety Expert Committee, to give a brief introduction on food safety during the Olympics. First of all, I would like to give the floor to Ms. Tang Yunhua.

Tang Yunhua gives the speech at the press conference.

Tang Yunhua

Thank you, friends from the media. Up until today, the food safety control of the Olympics has been going very smoothly.

From August 7 to August 20, supervisors from the Olympic food safety guarantee team stationed in the Olympic Village, the Media Village, the MPC, the IBC and all the competition venues have monitored 389,176 shares of breakfast, 574,035 shares of lunch, 481,527 shares of dinner and 172,092 shares of evening snack for athletes, as well as officials and registered media reporters, totaling 1,616,830 shares, without a single food safety accident.

From August 7 to August 21, monitoring staff from the districts and counties stationed in Olympic competition venues, non-competition venues and training venues, Olympic Family hotels, hotels for honored guests, the optional hotels for athletes, the media hotels, and the Olympic food production enterprises and bases have delivered and received food raw materials for 4,864 batch times and 4,987 vehicle times without a single safety accident.

From February 2007, we have done numerous food checks of the suppliers of the food sponsors. A total of 16,610 samples have been checked with a qualification rate of 98.67%. For the not-up-to-standard food, we have sealed or destroyed all of them. As a result, the qualification rate of the food supply for the Olympics is 100%.

To ensure the health and food safety for athletes, the food safety authorities have conducted high frequency checking to ensure any substandard food to the scene or dinner tables of the Olympics athletes. From February 2007, we have conducted checks of 2,340 samples. And the total rate of standard satisfaction is 100%.

We have also conducted very straight monitoring system. We have utilized various means, including the mobile laps and the radio monitoring and GPS and other measures to conduct the total monitoring of the whole food chain supply so as to ensure the food safety of the Olympics.

We have paid special attention to 4 important links in this food supply chain. First of all, we have conducted a very strict control of the agri- produced basis and the supple. We have made sure that all the farms and the animal farms are following strict standards and have a strict control and ban of high toxins, high residue pesticide as well as animal feeds and animal drugs. We are able to conduct a full process tracing of animal products.

Secondly, in the production process we have done inspection batch by batch and had a very strict control of the exit of the food product.

Thirdly in the distribution and transport process, we have applied such high technology as GPS and the electronic labeling as well as temperature censoring so that we have a close monitoring of the opening and closing of the doors of vehicles. We tracked the routes of the vehicles as well as the temperature inside the vehicle to ensure safety of food in the process of transportation.

Fourthly, in the final catering link, we have also made sure that the food catering including the inside preparation is safe. We have done thorough training for the cooking staffs before they assume their posts. We have the menu filing, the raw material filing system as well as the sampling of prepared food. We have also conducted the hazard or risk analysis of all the caterers.

Now I will give you some technology highlights in the food safety guarantee for the Olympic Games.

First, we have drafted fifteen technical standards for the raising, farming, production, packaging, storage, transportation, labeling of food as well as processing and the production of food.

Secondly, we have published the national standards on the inspection methodology to detect three categories of banned or controlled substances in food production, including synthetic steroids.

Thirdly, we have used the mobile labs to conduct food safety inspection. The lab is as useful and as powerful as a fixed lab with its own water and electricity supply. It can conduct food inspection and can detect liquid air or other biology microbes' substances which can endanger the food safety. There are all types of stage of the art equipments outfitted to this mobile lab. With the mobile labs, we are able to conduct fast and correct inspection and monitoring of food supplied to the Olympic Village, venues, and other important venues as well.

With these measures, we have been able to enhance our response to emergency. In the meantime, in response to the possibility of human criminal act of toxic food, we have equipped ourselves with fast inspection box which can detect toxins more than 20 toxins as well as 40 dangerous substances.

In the meantime, we have also built up our food accident emergency response database in which we have included the chemical formula of biological chemical and radio active substances, as well as the case studies of similar incidences in the past. We have also included in this database response measure as well as medical relief measures in response to such accidents. For unknown contaminants, we have also been able to conduct analysis.

Sixthly, we have been able to achieve the whole process of monitoring and rinsing of Olympic food. We have been able to monitor the processes of food supply from its farm to production facility, the distribution as well as to the final service.

The control of the transport process is extremely stringent. We have outfitted a total of 218 Olympic food transport vehicles with the GPS system to conduct real-time monitoring as well as real time temperature monitoring.

Finally, we have established early on with our food expert committee which is composed of experts in the biological food and in the chemical substances and other areas who can advise on all food related matters. In meantime, a number of measures have also been taken to ensure food safety for the general public during the Olympic Games as well.

That is what we all do. Thank you.

Zhang Jinlin

Now the floor is open for the questions. Please identify yourselves and your organizations before raising your question.

Beijing Radio Station

It seems that we have done a very good job in the ensuring food safety during the Olympic Games and we have a very sound complete system in place. However, I am wondering how we can continue and sustain this system after the Olympic Games in order to enhance food safety to the general public.

Tang Yunhua

Thank you for your question. I'd like to make some clarification first. Olympic food security is not merely for these special customers such as the athletes, officials and media friends, but also more for the general public, for the overall level of the Beijing's food safety. And we realized that only when we can improve the food safety of the general public of the whole city can we be possibly provide food safety guarantee for the Olympics. As a result, we have taken numerous measures to ensure food safety during the Olympics. And a lot of measures have been gradually introduced to ensure the general public of food safety. I believe in the long term, Beijing as well and the tourists in Beijing will benefit from these measures. For example, the food whole process monitoring and tracing mechanism has been proven very effective during the Olympic Games. And we will continue this system and practice after the Olympic Games. Also, these measures are not only applied for food supply, but also to control all food supply for the Beijing market, particularly for the animal based food.

Secondly, about 3 years ago, we introduced an action plan to ensure the Olympic food safety. In the past three years between 2005 and 2008, we have full filled all the requirements in this action plan. After the Games are over, we will build upon the past experiences during the Olympic Games to further improve the monitoring network and accountability system, inspection system and credit system for our food safety. Also, continued attention will be paid to the food production, processing, distribution and consumption in Beijing. On January 1, the Beijing Municipality promulgated the Beijing food safety regulation, which is the first food safety byelaw in the country. After the Olympic Games, this regulation will continue to play an important role in the food safety in Beijing to ensure all parties involved enjoy the benefit of safe and quality of food. During and before the Games, we have conducted inspection, particularly in the busy areas of Beijing, areas close to the venues and hotels, rural areas, rural-urban areas and attractions. I believe that such measures and the responses will show their effect continuously after the Games.