Center takes high-tech approach to food safety
A food safety fast test laboratory at the center can test about 10 items such as pesticide and veterinary drug residues.
An intelligent remote real-time food safety monitoring system has gone into operation at the National Exhibition and Convention Center ahead of the China International Import Expo.
Based on technologies, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and big data, the platform has nine sections such as real-time supervision and control, intelligent alerts, data analysis and food tracking.
More than 80 catering service businesses in the center have been included in the platform.
Information covering their registration, historic supervision and management and kitchen waste oil can be checked on the platform with a simple click.
Inspectors can send food safety assessment results, food material information, on-the-spot safety inspections, and fast test results to the platform via a cellphone app in real time.
Surveillance cameras show real-time scenes captured at catering businesses on the platform, covering food processing in their kitchens and the hygiene of workers and facilities.
"They will capture food operation workers' failure of wearing masks or hats and rat movement at kitchens around the clock," said Shen Weitao, an inspector with the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation. "Once irregularities are detected, officials will inform involved businesses to rectify immediately."
Shen added: "The temperature at indoors food processing and cooking areas is strictly kept under 25 degrees Celsius, and an alarm will be triggered once an abnormal temperature is detected by the platform."
The system will also alert officials if people without health certificates enter kitchens, he said.
Inspectors work from 4am to 1am in shifts and there is a food safety guarantee team of 150 officials at the center, the administration said.
"There are people having meals very late such as the police because of their work, and we end work after all people finish meals at the center," Shen said.
"The supervision is intense and allround to ensure food safety," he added.
The platform is part of a food safety guarantee direction center at the expo venue. It was established in August.
The center also comprises a food safety fast test laboratory which covers about 10 testing items such as pesticide residue, veterinary drug residue and acute poisonous compounds.
For most items, results can be released within several minutes.
At present, 50 food samples are tested daily, mainly involving raw materials and pre-packaged food.
"Foods supplied to the center have already been tested before distribution, but sample checks will still be conducted at the laboratory to ensure that they are not tainted during delivery because of factors such as temperature change," Shen said.
The number of samples tested will be increased to 100 after the expo opens with testing frequency increased, said Qiu Congqian, an official with the administration's food operation department.
The number of food suppliers has been cut to 68 from last year's 103, and nine delivery companies have been selected in a bid to enhance management and reduce food transit and storage processes, the administration said.
Strict supervision and management of logistics, vehicle seals, food testing and transport routes has been worked out, with a food-tracing system established, it said.
Food items have been arriving at the venue since October 18, and nearly 400 officials in 12 districts covering 54 delivery spots have conducted inspections on 23 tons of food materials and fast tests on 265 batches of food as of Monday.
A food watchdog official monitors the intelligent remote real-time food safety monitoring system.
An intelligent remote real-time food safety monitoring system helps keep food irregularities at bay.
Officials check test results at the food safety fast test laboratory.
Officials check test results at the food safety fast test laboratory.
