MoniQA (Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the total food supply chain, www.moniqa.org) is an EU-funded Network of Excellence (NoE), which involves experts from around the globe working for safer foods by harmonising worldwide food quality and safety monitoring and control strategies. MoniQA is coordinated by ICC – the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (www.icc.or.at) and concerns the safety and quality assessment of all foods and feeds including grains and crops, fruits and vegetables, meats, sea food and water.
From the very beginning MoniQA was designed as a project with a truly global reach, bringing together partners from East and West. The initial network of over 155 scientists from 20 countries has grown to over 500 experts from some 40 countries from 5 continents. The consortium provides reliable information, globally agreed standards and tools to ensure safe foods, to support regulatory bodies in drafting better future regulations, food manufacturers in achieving legal compliance and producing high quality foods, and finally avoiding remedial, legal or re-call costs, and improving the quality of life for consumers.
MoniQA focuses on validation of and setting performance criteria/requirements for methods used to analyse foods and food products for safety and quality. The main emphasis is on rapid methods and emerging new testing technologies, and their applicability and reliability in routine testing. The work involves validation studies, design and development of reference materials/testing materials, and validation guidelines, as well as socio-economic impact assessment of new and amended regulations, and thus contributing to better future regulations. Within MoniQA the cooperation between partners from the EU and China has focused on the following aspects:
1. MoniQA FST – Food Scientist Training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
MoniQA FSTs – Food Scientist Training Courses and CPD are part of a module based training programme developed by MoniQA for food scientists, analysts, QA managers, policy and decision makers. They are hosted by volunteering partners. MoniQA FSTs are targeted to specific stakeholder groups from food industry, SMEs – small and medium sized enterprises, food research and development centres, food control agencies and laboratories, and authorities and policy makers, consumer representatives and retailers, respectively. Recent examples of MoniQA FSTs organised in China include
- The training on “analytical methods for heavy metals in food” which took place in Chengdu from April 7-8, 2011 which brought together experts from the EU and China delivering presentations on the situation of heavy metal contamination in food, the limit standards for heavy metals in China and the EU, the existing analytical methods for heavy metal in food etc. Also included was a practical session. 30 participants joined in this event.
- During November 2010 experts from the MoniQA network provided a series of training courses in Chengdu. About 100 local, regional and international participants were informed about e-learning and its practical application as well as on applied rapid food testing methods and hygienic design, research management and science communication
- Another MoniQA FST focused on Food Safety and mycotoxins in Grain, Oil and Feed (Beijing, China). Starting with an introduction to EU food law and discussing current issues relating to food imports into the EU, the workshop also covered local (Asian) issues for mycotoxin detection and the socio-economic impact of mycotoxins in general. A practical part on rapid mycotoxin detection methods was also included.
- In 2008 a melamine and analysis workshop was held in Nanjing – see below
- During the duration of the project around 30 young food scientists from China were given the possibility to participate in training activities outside of China, including the three MoniQA International Conferences. Additionally, several Chinese students conducted work on their PH.Ds in the context of MoniQA activities
2. Consortium Meetings, High Level Summits and Stakeholder Events
The MoniQA FSTs are complemented by numerous national technology transfer and dissemination events involving international speakers from the MoniQA consortium, such as the Joint ESR-JAAS-CCOA Workshop “New ways to control pathogens in foods” – Collaboration between New Zealand and China which was held in Christchurch ( 8-11 November 2010) and the “Food Safety – Challenges and Opportunities Forum” (10-14th August 2010), held in Chengdu (CN), as well as the presentation of MoniQA at the 6th Food Science International Symposium in Beijing (CN, 5-7th August 2010). In addition, MoniQA’s Asian-Pacific Regional Conference brought together our Asian partners and Associate Partners (Beijing, 29th November 2010).
Earlier in 2010, Roland Poms, coordinator of MoniQA, highlighted key achievements in a seminar on ‘Research for Healthy Life’ (6th June 2010) organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health & Consumers (DG SANCO) at the World EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, China (thematic days from 4-6th June 2010).
In 2009 a Food Allergen Labeling Management and Detection Technology Workshop (Guangzhou, China) was held in Huatai Hotel by the Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Technology Centre (IQTC) from October 27-28. The workshop focused on the food allergen labeling management of the EU and CAC as well as relevant detection methods. Additionally, MoniQA was presented at the China International Food Safety & Quality Conference and Expo 2009 (Nov. 4-5, Beijing, China). Furthermore in September 2009 a Joint MoniQA-Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Expert Summit on Food Safety Analysis and Future Joint Research Projects (Beijing, China) took place at CAAS (Chinese Agricultural Academy of Sciences).
3 Initiating new research co-operations
The MoniQA project has established a scientific network and provides the necessary infrastructure to boost international research co-operations in the area of food quality and safety assessment. Within the consortium various partners have started setting up research proposals to be funded by national and/or international sources. MoniQA partners have responded to several calls for proposals for collaborative research projects and other EU funded projects within Framework Programme Seven (FP7). New bilateral research agreements were facilitated by MoniQA, which would not have been initiated and/or completed without the MoniQA network.
In particular the MoniQA partners CCOA (China) and ESR (New Zealand) signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding that signals a closer collaboration on food safety research and development with a focus on detecting food hazards in the food chain. The collaboration will initially focus on particular hazard areas such as mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are substances produced by moulds that contaminate agricultural produce such as grains and cereals either before harvest or under post-harvest conditions. Eating mycotoxin-contaminated produce is related to several acute and chronic diseases in humans as well as in animals. Mycotoxins are a focal point for the collaboration that will also encompass, in time, other food safety issues relevant to both nations. The globalisation of food makes it essential for countries to work together to protect public and economic health. It was through the MoniQA Network of Excellence that the first contacts and cooperation activities between ESR and CCOA were facilitated and the initial MoniQA driven MoU between ESR and CCOA is in the process of being extended to JAAS, and refined into concrete joint research activities. An additional memorandum between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and ICC/MoniQA was signed in 2010.
4 MoniQA and Melamine
Chinese melamine production started in 1958. Today, China is the largest melamine exporter, globally. In 2007, melamine was discovered in pet food imports from China. It caused the death of 16 pets, and the recall of 60 million pet food packages. The first baby affected by melamine was diagnosed in Nanjing in March 2008. In September 2008, the Sanlu Group admitted contamination of milk powder with melamine, in order to artificially boost its apparent protein content. In total, 54,000 Chinese babies were affected; 6,000 were seriously ill and four died. As a result of the crisis, consumption of milk in China dropped significantly, and farmers were forced to dispose of milk they could not sell and reduce cattle numbers through culling. Chinese authorities dispatched medical teams across the country and encouraged free screening of babies in local hospitals. New regulations and quality standards have also been implemented.
The melamine issue was discussed extensively during the MoniQA consortium meeting and the First MoniQA International Conference in Rome (Italy) in October 2008, with presentations on the current state-of-play by Xioafang Pei and Lishi Zhang from Sichuan University. Samuel Godefroy from Health Canada also spoke, outlining a regulator’s perspective and summarising the global response. Melamine was also one of the topics of a MoniQA Food Scientists’ Training workshop on ‘Food Safety and Risk Assessment’, which took place in Nanjing (China) in October 2008. This event brought together experts from European organisations (Institute of Food Research-UK, International Association for Cereal Science and Technology-Austria) as well as Asian institutions (Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection, the Quarantine Bureau of China and the Nanjing University of Finance and Economics). The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) was able to provide valuable input on the situation in New Zealand. As a result of these events, interviews with MoniQA experts were broadcast on Italian National TV (Rai 3) and a Chinese provincial television station. Addtionally, discussions between high level officials in Taipai and Roland Poms, the coordinator of MoniQA, took place.
Decision-support and information resources for melamine are available on the MoniQA website at www.moniqa.org/melamine. Information about melamine regulations as well as current validated methods can be accessed through the MoniQA database[1] with links to the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. MoniQA also provides links to scientific papers about melamine from EFSA, FDA and other organisations. MoniQA experts are collecting analytical methods for melamine, and analysing validation levels and requirements in addition to providing background information.
5. Conclusion and Outlook
Crisis situations – such as BSE and dioxin in Europe and melamine in China – have led to changes in food safety regimes in both the EU and China. While food safety standards in the EU are among the strictest in the world, no country or region is able to ensure food safety on its own, given the numerous trade links in the global market for food and feed. By furthering cooperation between 150 partners and associated partners around the globe, MoniQA plays its part in safeguarding the global food supply in general and increasing exchange of knowledge and experience between the EU and China in particular.
While EU funding for the network will terminate end of January 2012, a successor entity is being set up to ensure the sustainability of the project. This entity, referred to as “MoniQA Association” is registered as a non for profit association in Vienna and will continue selected activities – including the very successful EU-China cooperation - in order to build on key results achieved within the 5 years of the project.
Acknowledgements
The MoniQA Network of Excellence is funded by the European Commission (Contract N0. FOOD-CT-2006-36337) within the Sixth Framework Programme Topic T5.4.5.1: Quality and safety control strategies for food (NOE).
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