09.01.10
Recognizing the importance of ensuring that quality food ingredients are made available to the public, the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety-Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (NINFS) and the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) signed an agreement detailing potential areas of collaboration. USP is a non-governmental scientific organization based in the U.S. that sets standards for the quality of medicines, dietary supplements and food ingredients. Standards published in USP’s Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) cover food ingredients including colorings, flavorings, nutrients, preservatives and processing aids. Potential areas of collaboration include: scientific staff exchange between USP and NINFS; translation of individual FCC ingredient standards into Chinese as a reference, as appropriate, in the development of Chinese food additive standards; advances in the development and validation of analytical procedures and technology as well as development of reference standards for the procedures in food additive/food ingredient specifications; joint or coordinated efforts to offer scientific training, conferences and workshops on topics of mutual interest; appointment of NINFS representatives to participate in USP’s Expert Committees and/or Expert Panels; development of standards, best practices and other approaches for improvements relating to packaging and nutrition.