Photo: Colourbox.dk

New partnership aims to advance global food safety

Food, fish and agriculture Food safety

The National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark has joined forces with Lund University, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and University of Bologna in a partnership that aims to advance global food safety. The partners will gather the expertise and resources of the four universities in order to tackle imminent food safety challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, food authenticity and safe food packaging.

Lund University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark and University of Bologna jointly announce the addition of the National Food Institute and University of Bologna as new partners in the establishment of a Joint Centre of Excellence in Food Safety. The four parties will achieve greater synergy in advancing global food safety with this exciting alliance.

The Joint Centre was conceived by Lund University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University in February 2016.

In September 2016 representatives of the four universities met to kick-start this exciting platform, which will gather the expertise and resources of the four universities in fostering industry-academic-government collaborations towards safer food.

Antimicrobial resistance, food authenticity and safe food packaging are among the imminent food safety challenges, which the collaborating universities will tackle through world-class innovative science and technology that can be translated into applications aimed at enhancing food safety. Exchanges between academics and students as well as expansion of partnerships with other stakeholders are also on the radar.

Global conference on food safety

The joint centre partners have also agreed to follow up on the success of the first Global Food Safety and Technology Conference, which was held in February 2016. The second conference will be named GoFood. It will be organized by Lund University and the National Food Institute, and co-organized by Hong Kong Polytechnic University and University of Bologna in late May, 2017. The conference aims to enhance food safety enabled by new scientific advancements and technologies.

All collaborating parties share the same vision and commitment in addressing the most imminent global food safety challenges. Setting up the joint centre is a key milestone in the Europe-Hong Kong collaboration in food safety.