China to safeguard food safety with DuPont system

The Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China has announced that they would be using DuPont's BAX system as an official method to detect pathogens in food exports and imports following a series of food safety fiascos.

China will use DuPont's Bax System to detect Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, campylobacter jejuni and E.sakazakii in food. The development will boost Chinese food safety while also improving foreign confidence in its meat sector.

Efficiency is critical for the monitoring of food exports and imports, said Qin Zhenkui, president of the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ), AQSIQ.

Qin said polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology provides the speed, sensitivity and accuracy in routine food testing that allows the agency to make faster release decisions with a high degree of confidence.

The Beijing Municipal Centre for Food Safety Monitoring (BFSM), also a Chinese food safety watchdog, is already using the BAX system to provide technical support for food safety management of the Beijing Municipal government and for the Beijing Olympics 2008.