Food Safety is one of the most important topics in Taiwan. The Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI) has organized the “2018 International Symposium on Food Safety Policy and Technology” to address food safety topic. The goal of this symposium is to use technology to address food safety concerns and to develop new technology-driven solutions for Taiwan and the rest of the world. We have invited many world-renowned researchers, scientists and government decision-makers from the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Vietnam to discuss and share upon this topic.

The topic on October 11th, 2018 focuses on the global view of establishing food safety network. Our speakers provided great insights on risk assessment, communication, management, and prevention. Dr. Toshiro Kawashima (Director General, Food Safety Commission Secretariat, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan) shared with us the recent activities of Food Safety Commission Japan, especially on the effective use of data and use of SNS for information dissemination. Dr. Ann Bostrom (Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy, University of Washington, United States) stated the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. Meanwhile, she described the way to enhance food safety policy through scientific evidence. It is important to form international cooperation, which will improve risk assessment and lower food safety risks. Dr. Reiner Wittkowski (Vice President, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)) has dedicated more than thirty years at the BfR. He used his experience to share with us the importance of the food supply chain, law, and risk assessment. In order to prevent flaws, Dr. Wittkowski mentioned the need of authenticity and traceability. Many countries have already established a specific department to deal with food safety issues. For example, the Collegial Bodies for Health Protection in Italy has set up a food safety risk assessment office dedicated to food safety crises.

 As for October 12th, 2018, the topic focuses on the global view of food safety science and technology. It is significant to encourage different departments to work across sectors when dealing with food safety issues. Dr. Koichi Takaki (Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Japan) introduced the development of compact pulsed power plasma devices for agriculture and food industry applications. Dr. Masatoshi Funabashi (Researcher, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., Japan) mentioned the challenge and achievement of Synecoculture. Our speakers have provided innovated technology ideas to encourage creativity among the young generation.       

The supply chain from farm to table has involved various risks, which result in different impact on the food safety system. Many governments are now aiming to establish a transparent, standardize, and systematic food product data collection system. In addition, globalization has made food safety management more challenging. This symposium has provided a knowledge sharing platform for policymakers, scientists, and researchers. We aim to create a knowledge sharing platform for food safety policy from different countries, and we hope to provide new technology strategies and resolutions for Taiwan.