A China-UK workshop on food safety, jointly sponsored by the China Biotechnology Development Center and the British Biotechnology Council, was recently held in Beijing. The event has also won the support of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the UK Embassy in Beijing. Eight UK scientists shared with their Chinese counterparts the latest findings.

A scientist from the Microbiology Lab, a part of the UK Food Institute, shared with the participants a DNA based fast screening technique to detect food-borne toxic bacteria. Another scientist from the same Institute presented state-of-the-art technology to predict the activities of food-borne bacteria under different surroundings. He also introduced the ComBase, an international information sharing program, to Chinese audiences. The program offers assistance to food safety experts all over the world, in an attempt to improve food processing activities, and fend off possible health problems. Other experts made presentations on interesting topics, including a full genome of food-borne toxicant bacteria, and genome based food safety technology. Chinese scientists talked about issues of vaccine development and viruses screening. Both parties also discussed cooperation perspectives in the field.