Food Safety and Uncommon Collaboration 2016 – A Year in Review Research in food safety science is critical to better manage known food safety threats, those that are emerging, and the unknown challenges we may face in the future. This isn’t just an issue for Mars, but people across the whole global food supply chain. Collaboration is critical if we are to share knowledge and raise global food safety standards which is why we have advocated for a new approach rooted in knowledge sharing and collaboration. The opening of our Mars Global Food Safety Center (GFSC) has been a critical step in the journey towards safe food. It’s hard to believe it’s just over a year since the GFSC opened but what a year it’s been thanks to the continued commitment and support from our dedicated teams, and most importantly, our many partners and collaborators, many of you reading this today. Since our GFSC opened in September 2015, we have recruited our full, on-site team of 30 associates, developed the five priority research programs and hosted more than 400 visitors. In addition, we have: Trained a total of 175 practitioners via five accredited face-to-face training courses including Best Process Control School, food fraud mitigation and the US Food Safety Modernization Act. Published four peer-reviewed publications in the areas of predictive toxicology, pathogen management and data integration and co-authored a book chapter with Dr. Amare Ayalew from Mars partner the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control (PACA) in a new book “Good Nutrition – Perspectives for the 21st Century”. This chapter highlight the critical role of food safety in ensuring food security. It also contains contributions from Ren Wang, Assistant Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organizations’s (FAO) Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, and Dr. Junshi Chen, Chief Adviser at the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA). Shared food safety knowledge and insights at several world-leading food safety events including Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) and International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), as well as with key food safety partners including the UN FAO, World Food Programme (WFP) and PACA as part of our joint work in a range of areas including mycotoxin management and food safety risk management. Hosted our first global food safety science symposium - “Uncommon Collaborations and the Future of Food Safety Science.” The three-day event brought together more than 60 global food safety experts from industry, NGOs, regulators and academia to discuss the future of food safety science and the critical role of collaboration in the drive towards safer food for the world. Launched two new regional and one global food safety collaboration with the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Over the coming year, we will focus on our research portfolio including pathogen management for food processing plants and pathogen detection and identification method evaluation, as well as targeted risk assessments to better understand the drivers behind pathogen contamination and what is needed to mitigate the risks. Together with you, partners and collaborators across the world we will continue to capture, generate and share food safety knowledge, and bring together regulators, academics and industry peers to encourage an open and collaborative approach to food safety. Many thanks to all of you for your support. We look forward to continued collaboration and success in the future as we work together towards our mutual goal of safer food for all. Dave Crean Vice President, Corporate Research and Development Mars, Incorporated Robert Baker Director, Mars Global Food Safety Center Mars, Incorporated
Advancing Global Food Safety: Knowledge Generation at the Mars GFSC Knowledge Generation at our GFSC aims to expand global knowledge in critical areas of food safety and raise the bar on food safety management across industry. Our center is equipped with advanced facilities and focused on partnering with universities and research institutions to address existing and new food safety threats. Following consultation with key stakeholders, we have identified five priority research areas for our center. Below are some key projects that have been defined in each area to tackle critical food safety issues through research and collaboration: Mycotoxin Management Managing the risks of mycotoxin contamination is one of the primary challenges across the food industry. To better determine the impact and address the issue, the GFSC is undertaking a series of research projects. These include evaluating non-fungal based methods of biocontrol, tools for the destruction and denaturatizaton of mycotoxins, improved detection methods, predicting the risk of aflatoxin contamination and determining the potential impact of the practice of re-using jute bags for maize storage. Raw Material Integrity Management Identifying food adulteration is becoming increasingly challenging. Using Near-infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopy, the GFSC aims to develop raw material fingerprinting methods and build a robust multi-variable model for food authentication. Other areas of research include the demonstration of raw material and factory microbiomes, foreign material detection technologies and food fraud prevention processes. Pathogen Management Preventing pathogen contamination in the food supply chain is critical because of the potential impact on human and pet health. As a first step, one of our projects is undertaking a farm-to-table quantitative risk analysis of Salmonella – in this instance looking at chocolate production. The assessment will focus on risk identification to allow for the development of standardized mitigation processes across the food industry. We are open to additional collaboration on this project. This would include data sharing to provide a broader perspective across the food industry. Other projects include: improvement of pathogen detection methods, application of applied statistics to optimize sampling, evaluation of current commercially- available Salmonella tests, and validation of a next- generation rapid Salmonella detection test. Applied and Operational Food Safety Management As a center we are also undertaking work to identify, monitor and mitigate drivers and root causes of potential food safety risks. One example, existing Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods used for peanut protein detection in raw and cooked food materials may not be comparable to other methodologies. The GFSC will perform an assessment of ELISA versus High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC- MS/MS) to better understand results accuracy and reliability. Other programs underway include: an investigation into allergen thresholds, and standardized validation processes for the control and mitigation of pathogen risks in a factory setting. Transforming Food Safety through Data Integration Part of this program focuses on the application of statistical and bioinformatics tools and approaches to assess large data sets for food safety indicators, trends or correlations. The expected outcome would be the development of food safety surveillance tools designed to provide real time assessments and alerts to highlight potential food safety risks before an actual incident occurs. The GFSC will host a workshop in 2017 to identify potential areas for better integrating and utilizing data to predict changing food safety risk levels. Another project in this program aims to develop methods for near real time in market syndromic surveillance in pets, focused on early detection of health issues potentially related to breakdowns in food safety. The GFSC will continue focusing on enabling science and technology that can be translated into more robust and cost effective food safety systems, driving continuous improvement throughout the whole industry’s supply networks.
NEWS UPDATES Mars Global Food Safety Center Calls for Continued Cooperation between Industry and Regulators in 2016 APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum On August 19th 2016, Mars GFSC participated in the 2016 APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum (FSCF) in Lima, Peru. Robert Baker, Director of the Global Food Safety Center, gave a presentation at a Partnership Training Institute Network (PTIN) workshop themed “Effective Industry and Regulator Cooperation: Better Food Safety Regulation through Increased Transparency and Public Consultation”. During the Forum Mr. Baker shared how Mars has leveraged the GFSC as a platform to engage with various parties in food safety, and called for participants to join Mars’ efforts in improving global food safety. Industry and regulators have the expertise, tools and capabilities to raise standards of food safety, and optimize the effectiveness of food safety efforts globally. Established by China and Australia in 2007, the FSCF helps APEC Member Economies to improve the technical competence of food safety management and detection practices throughout the food supply chain. Its PTIN has become one of the most important platforms in the Asia Pacific Region to address the need to engage the food industry and academic food safety experts with the regulators, to strengthen capacity building in food safety. The event provided a unique opportunity to advance collaborative efforts in food safety. Robert Baker speaking at APEC Mars Global Food Safety Center Highlights Next Generation Sequencing at 2016 Asia-Pacific International Food Safety Conference In October 2016, Dr. Jing Ren, the Global Head of Microbiological Food Safety Research of the GFSC, endorsed the application of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), on the opening day of the 2016 Asia-Pacific International Food Safety Conference (APIFC) and the Asian Conference on Food and Nutrition Safety (ACFNS), which were held jointly in Penang, Malaysia. APIFC and ACFNS are part of an important and unique regional conference series organized by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). Food safety professionals from government, industry and academia came together to discuss the latest food safety trends and issues, and explored sustainable solutions for addressing scientific and technical issues impacting the safety of the food supply chain across the Asia Pacific region. Dr. Ren’s presentation provided an overview of potential applications of NGS in food safety risk management, along with a framework through which risks could be proactively managed based on the application of NGS data and bioinformatics. The GFSC is working on a new approach to food safety risk management which identifies “sentinels” that highlight the presence of potential food safety hazards allowing for intervention before an actual incident occurs. Dr. Ren talking about Next Generation Sequencing Mars Global Food Safety Center Delivers Food Fraud Mitigation Training in China in Collaboration with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) From October 31 to November 1 the Global Food Safety Center team delivered a day-and-a-half-day training program themed “Mitigating the Risk of Food Fraud using the USP Food Fraud Guidance”, in collaboration with the U.S. Pharmacopeia. The program provided participants with training on the USP’s Food Fraud Mitigation Guidance, a framework for identifying highest-risk food ingredients in the supply chain using a vulnerability assessment and conducting impact assessments. Food fraud, also known as economically motivated adulteration, threatens the integrity and safety of the food supply and introduces significant public health risks. Therefore, the importance of systems designed to deal with food fraud prevention is growing. This initiative provides a communication platform for practitioners to strategically address the global challenge of food fraud and raise the bar of food safety management across the industry globally. Food Fraud training with US Pharmacopeia at GFSC The training was delivered by USP’s Senior Food Safety Consultant, Janet Balson, who has over 15 years’ experience in food ingredient manufacturing, quality, food safety and regulations. The training was open to 78 industry practitioners from government authorities, industry, academia and Mars. Food Safety Chapter in New Book: Good Nutrition: Perspectives for the 21st Century Providing the latest perspectives on the nutrition challenges that impact societies across the globe, a new book ‘Good Nutrition: Perspectives for the 21st Century’ was launched at the United Nations’ World Committee on Food Security (UN CFS) in October 2016. The book contains a chapter entitled ‘the Critical Role of Food Safety in Ensuring Food Security’ which was co-authored by Dave Crean, Vice President of Corporate Research and Development, Mars, Incorporated, and Amare Ayalew, Program Manager of PACA. PACA became a Mars food safety partner in 2015. As well as an in-depth look at food safety and a case study on aflatoxins in Africa, the chapter includes comments from Ren Wang, the Assistant Director-General of FAO's Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, and a contribution from Dr. Junshi Chen, the Chief Adviser, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), who spoke at our global food safety science symposium earlier this year. Exploring the critical role of food safety in food security A copy of the full, not-for-profit publication can be downloaded here: http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/452397 Mars has spoken at the UN Committee on World Food Security for the past three years to raise awareness of the role of food safety in ensuring access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food. In addition, the Mars GFSC continues to work with over many other partners including NGOs, universities, and international organizations.
玛氏全球食品安全中心简报 协作共进,提升全球食品安全水平 – 2016年回顾 地址: 中国,北京,怀柔经济开发区,东二路,玛氏全球食品安全中心 邮编:101400 协作共进,提升全球食品安全水平 – 2016年回顾 为了更好管理已知和潜在的食品安全威胁,积极应对未来面临的未知挑战,食品安全科学研究至关重要。这不仅仅是玛氏所肩负的责任,更是全球食品供应链的共同目标。合作对于知识分享和提高全球食品安全标准而言至关重要,因此我们倡导植根于知识分享和协作的新理念。 玛氏全球食品安全中心的成立是通向安全食品道路的关键一步。玛氏全球食品安全中心成立至今,在这一年多的时间里充满挑战的同时又收获满满。 这要感谢我们的专业团队,更重要是感谢我们的合作伙伴,感谢你们一直以来的支持。 自2015年9月全球食品安全中心成立至今,我们招募了30名全职员工的团队,确定了五个重点研究领域及相应的研究课题,接待了400多名参观者。 此外,我们还 通过5个公认的食品安全相关研讨班定制课程,培训了175名从业人员,这些课程包括低酸罐头及酸性食品热力杀菌培训班,减少食品欺诈培训班和美国食品安全现代化法案研讨班。 在预测毒理学,致病菌管理和数据整合领域,出版了四本经同行评审的出版物,并与来自玛氏合作伙伴之一的非洲黄曲霉毒素控制合作伙伴(PACA)的Amare Ayalew博士合作撰写了《Good Nutrition: Perspectives for the 21st Century》一书中的一章。这一章强调了食品安全在确保粮食安全方面的关键作用。联合国粮农组织农业及消费者保护部助理总干事王韧,中国国家食品安全风险评估中心首席顾问陈君石院士也对这一章做出贡献。 不仅在一些世界领先的食品安全活动上分享了食品安全的知识和见解,包括全球食品安全倡议(GFSI),国际食品保护协会(IAFP),食品安全与健康学院(IFSH)和国际生命科学学会(ILSI)。同时,也在包括真菌毒素管理和食品安全风险管理在内的一系列领域上与主要食品安全合作伙伴合作,包括联合国粮农组织,世界粮食计划署和非洲黄曲霉毒素控制合作伙伴。 主办了第一次全球食品安全科学主题研讨会—— ”食品安全科学未来蓝图与协作共进”。来自行业、非政府组织、政府监管机构和学术界的60多名全球食品安全专家参加了这一为期三天的活动,共同讨论食品安全科学的未来,以及协作在世界范围内推动更安全食品上的关键作用。 与美国食品零售商协会开展了两项区域范围内的和一项全球范围内的食品安全合作项目。 展望新的一年,我们将集中研究以下几方面:食品加工工厂的致病菌管理,病原体检测及鉴定方法评估,及有针对性的风险评估,以便更好地了解致病菌污染的驱动原因和降低风险所需要的因素。我们将继续与您、与来自世界各地的合作伙伴一起促进信息捕获、科学研究及知识分享,将携手政府监管部门、学术界和同行共同推动一种开放合作的方式,以提高全球食品安全管理水平。 由衷感谢大家的支持和帮助。我们期待未来继续合作,并取得更大的成功,共同努力让每一个家庭享有健康安全的食品。 柯大为 玛氏企业研发副总裁 玛氏公司 毕睿博 玛氏全球食品安全中心主任 玛氏公司
玛氏全球食品安全中心: 科学研究促进全球食品安全 真菌毒素管理 原材料鉴伪 致病菌管理 应用食品安全流程优化 数据整合推动食品安全 为了拓展全球知识在食品安全管理的应用,以提升行业食品安全管理水平,玛氏全球食品安全中心引进了一流的实验室科研设备,积极与高校及研究机构合作,研究已知及未知的食品安全威胁,探索新的应对方法。 通过与全球各利益相关方的沟通与协商,中心确定了以下五个重点研究领域及相应的优先课题。 真菌毒素管理 真菌毒素风险管理已成为食品行业的主要挑战之一。为了更好地评估和解决这个问题,玛氏全球食品安全中心正在进行一系列的研究项目。 这些包括基于非真菌的生物防治方法的评估、真菌毒素 的破坏和变性工具、改进的检测方法、预测黄曲霉毒素 污染的风险,以及确定重复利用麻袋来储存玉米的潜在 影响。 原材料鉴伪 食品掺假鉴定已经变得越来越充满挑战。玛氏全球食品 安全中心在近红外/傅里叶变换中红外/拉曼光谱 (NIR/FTIR/Raman)技术的基础上,开发采用原材料 指纹图谱建立多变量模型的方法进行食品认证。其他研 究领域包括明确原材料和工厂微生物基因组,异物检测 技术和食品欺诈预防过程。 致病菌管理 由于致病菌对人类和宠物健康存在着潜在影响,在食品 供应链中进行致病菌污染防治至关重要。该项目的第一 步便是对从农场到餐桌沙门氏菌的定量风险分析,例如 巧克力生产。评估重点将放在风险识别,制定出适用于 整个食品行业标准化的流程来减少风险。 全行业的合作与数据共享将为这一项目提供一个更广阔 视角,因此,我们欢迎其他业内人士参与这一项目。 其他项目包括:改进病原体检测方法,使用应用统计学 以优化抽样,评估当前市面上已推出的沙门氏菌测试, 以及验证下一代快速沙门氏菌检测方法。 应用食品安全流程优化 同时,玛氏全球食品安全中心开展工作以识别、监控和减轻潜在食品安全风险的根源。例如,现有的酶联免疫吸附测定方法(ELISA)在检测生熟食物材料中的花生蛋白时,效果可能不是很理想。玛氏全球食品安全中心将对比评估ELISA与高效液相色谱法(HPLC)和液质联用法(HPLC-MS/MS),以更好地确定检测的准确度。 其他正在开展的项目包括:过敏原阈值研究,以及工厂 环境中控制和降低病原体风险的标准化验证过程。 数据整合推动食品安全 该项目其中一部分将通过应用统计学和生物信息学工具 和方法,对食品安全指标、趋势和系数的相关大数据进 行整合与评估。项目希望能够开发出提供实时评估以及 事前潜在风险预警的食品安全监测工具。玛氏全球食品 安全中心将于2017年举办研讨会,以探讨如何更好地 通过整合数据和利用来预测食品安全风险水平变化。 该项目的另一部分旨在研究针对宠物市场症状的实时监 测方法,重点关注与食品安全事故有潜在关联的宠物健 康问题的早期预警。 玛氏全球食品安全中心将继续开展研究,将科学与技术 转化为可靠且成本效率高的食品安全与质量体系,促进 全产业供应网络的持续发展与进步。
近期 快讯 玛氏全球食品安全中心参加2016APEC会议呼吁促进食品行业与监管者有效合作 2016年8月19日, 玛氏全球食品安全中心(GFSC)主任毕睿博 (Robert Baker)出席了在秘鲁首都利马举行的亚太经合组织(APEC)食品安全合作论坛(FSCF),他在合作伙伴培训机构专题研讨会(PTIN)上就 “食品行业与监管者的有效合作:增加透明度与公众咨询而优化食品安全监管” 这一主题发表专题演讲。 在会上,毕睿博 (Robert Baker)主任对玛氏全球食品安全中心进行了介绍,并希望通过全球食品安全中心连接全球食品安全产业链中的各相关方,呼吁与会人员与玛氏一起携手致力于全球食品安全水平的提升。他强调食品行业与监管者所拥有的专业技术、方法和能力,能够帮助提高全球食品安全水平并推动食品安全的有效管理。 亚太经合组织食品安全合作论坛始于2007年,论坛旨在加强亚太地区食品安全交流合作,促进食品贸易健康发展,目前该论坛已经成为APEC成员经济体食品安全交流合作的最重要平台。合作伙伴培训机构专题研讨会(PTIN)则为全球食品行业、食品安全专家及监管者提供了专门的交流平台,加强了食品安全能力建设。此次活动为推动食品安全领域的全方位合作提供了宝贵机会与平台。 Robert Baker speaking at APEC 玛氏全球食品安全中心在2016亚太国际食品安全会议介绍新一代测序技术在食品行业领域的应用趋势 10月11日至13日,2016亚太国际食品安全会议暨亚洲食品与营养安全会议在马来西亚槟城召开。玛氏全球食品安全中心首席微生物研究科学家任婧在会议第一天发表演讲,就利用新一代测序技术(NGS)开展食品安全研究进行了阐述。 亚太国际食品安全会议暨亚洲食品与营养安全会议是国际食品保护协会(IAFP)和国际生命科学学会(ILSI)所组织的重要且独特的系列地区会议。会议聚集了来自政府、食品行业和学术界的食品安全专家,讨论最新食品安全趋势和事件,鼓励参与者去探索能解决影响亚太地区食品供应链安全的科学技术问题的可持续方法。 任婧的发言概述了新一代测序技术在食品安全风险管理中的应用可能性,并提供了在应用新一代测序数据和生物信息学的基础上主动进行风险管理的框架。玛氏全球食品安全中心正致力于研究一种食品安全风险管理新方法,该方法可以识别出凸显食品安全隐患存在的 “标记” ,从而使得事前干预得以实现并可有效实施。 Dr. Ren talking about Next Generation Sequencing 玛氏全球食品安全中心与UPS联合举办食品欺诈风险防控培训课程 2016年10月31日至11月1日,玛氏全球食品安全中心和美国药典委员会(USP)联合举办为期一天半的培训课程,主题为“运用USP《食品欺诈风险防控指南》降低食品欺诈风险”。USP《食品欺诈风险防控指南》提供了一个明确的框架,通过运用脆弱性评估和影响评估来识别供应链中的高风险食品原料。 食品欺诈,也称为经济利益驱动型掺假,对食品供应完整性产生食品安全威胁,也可以带来重大公众健康风险。因此,越来越多的预防食品欺诈相关制度出现在食品安全倡议要求当中。玛氏全球食品安全中心运用该课程为从业者提供了一个交流平台,讨论如何系统解决全球性的食品欺诈问题,以及从全球性和玛氏内部的角度如何提高食品安全管理的行业门槛。 此次课程由USP高级食品安全顾问Janet Balson授课,她拥有在食品原料的加工、质量、食品安全和监管方面超过15年的工作经验。来自政府监管机构、行业同行、学术界和玛氏内部的78位相关从业人员参加了该课程。 Food Fraud training with US Pharmacopeia at GFSC 《食品安全在粮食安全中的重要角色》- 新书Good Nutrition: Perspectives for the 21st Century 2016年10月,联合国世界粮食安全委员会发布了新书(《食品安全在粮食安全中的重要角色》Good Nutrition: Perspectives for the 21st Century),此书展现了全球在应对社会营养挑战方面的最新进展。 其中,“食品安全在粮食安全中的重要角色”一章由玛氏公司研发部全球副总裁柯大为先生(Dave Crean)以及非洲黄曲霉毒素控制合作伙伴(PACA)项目经理Amare Ayalew先生共同编著。PACA自2015年以来便一直在食品安全领域与玛氏共同合作。 本章对非洲地区的食品安全情况进行了深入分析,并对当地进行黄曲霉毒素案例研究。此外,本章还包含了联合国粮农组织农业及消费者保护部助理总干事王韧先生的评论,国家食品安全风险评估中心研究员、总顾问陈君石院士亦在本章中对中国的食品安全发展情况进行了介绍。 本书全文可在以下网址下载,不可作营利目的使用: http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/452397 过去几年,玛氏不断通过联合国世界粮食安全委员会的平台发声,呼吁公众提高对食品安全在保障粮食充足、安全与营养所扮演重要角色的认知。此外玛氏全球食品安全中心一直同60多家联合国机构、高等院校以及国际机构等共同合作,不断提高全球食品安全水平。 Exploring the critical role of food safety in food security