DTU and the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will strengthen knowledge exchange between Denmark and China in the field of food safety. The National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark will head up the partnership in Denmark. HRH Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark witnessed the signing ceremony, which was held on 25 April during the state visit to Beijing.
On 25 April, a new memorandum of understanding between DTU and the CFSA was signed by Martin P. Bendsøe, senior vice president and dean at DTU, at a ceremony in Beijing witnessed by HRH Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark.
The agreement will establish a platform for research collaboration between Denmark and China. The intention is for the National Food Institute and CFSA to exchange experience and to work together in the fields of risk assessment, monitoring of risks and risk communication, as well as in the area of nutritional studies and evaluations. The organizations will, for example, set up shared research programmes, exchange research results and provide supplementary education courses within relevant fields.
Partnership benefits China and Denmark
According to Jørgen Schlundt, director of the National Food Institute, the agreement benefits both China and Denmark:
“Our Chinese partners stand to gain from the National Food Institute's experience regarding risk assessment of foods and nutritional studies, while we have the opportunity to forge strong links in the Chinese research environment.”
At the same time, the agreement can be viewed as recognition of how highly Danish food safety, research and risk assessments in the field are regarded.
“The agreement demonstrates that the National Food Institute’s research-based risk assessments are held in high esteem at international level. This also applies to the farm-to-fork approach, combined with a clear separation of risk assessment and risk management in Denmark, where a good working relationship between authorities, researchers and the industry has made it possible to limit a variety of food safety issues in Denmark, including salmonella and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in Danish foods,” adds Jørgen Schlundt.
The state visit to China is focused on promoting Danish-Chinese collaboration in a wide range of areas including those of foods and food safety.