GS1 HK Launches Trusted FoodNet to Promote Information Visibility

HONG KONG SAR - MediaOutReach - 15 January 2021 - The 6^thFood Safety Forum organised by GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) concluded its online liveprogramme today. Themed "The Power for Food Safety", the Forum aimed to exploreways to capitalise on innovation and technology and strengthen food safety. Dr Chui Tak-yi, Under Secretary forFood and Health, was invited as the Guest of Honour, whereas Hon PeterShiu Ka-fai, Legislative Councilor and Deputy Chairman of Panel on Food Safetyand Environmental Hygiene also participated as Award Presenter. Executives from Nestlé HK, HKTVmall, Ting HsinInternational Group (Master Kong/康師傅), Sun Fat Heung (Top Soya/壹品豆品), and GlobalFood Safety Initiative (GFSI) shared their wisdom and opinion on the latesttrends, new technological advancement and future development in food safetymanagement.

(Left, from left to right) Jessie Cheng, Director of Corporate Communications of HKTV Mall; May Chung, Chairperson of Hong Kong Food and Beverage Industry Advisory Board of GS1 HK, and General Manager of Nestlé Hong Kong Ltd.; Anna Lin, Chief Executive of GS1 HK; Jeff Law, Managing Director of Sun Fat Heung Food Products Ltd.

(Right, from top to bottom) Dr Chui Tak-yi, Under Secretary for Food and Health; Hon Peter Shiu Ka-fai, Legislative Councilor and Deputy Chairman of Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene; Dr Jason Liu, Food Safety & Care Office VP of Ting Hsin International Group & GFSI China Steering Committee Vice-chair.

The continuous spread of COVID-19 hastriggered grave concerns on food safety, as Mainland China found positivecoronavirus results on the frozen food and packaging imports in multipleoccasions. In Hong Kong, the Centre of Food Safety had reported negativeresults on more than 1,000 food import samples by the end of 2020, localregulations also require food importers and distributors to maintain records ofthe movements of food to facilitate track-and-trace.

Delivering an opening address online, the Under Secretary for Foodand Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, said, "In a globalised economy with the foodchain getting increasingly complex, similar to many other places, Hong Kongattaches great importance to food traceability. Legislation, technology,innovation and big data analysis provide immense possibilities for us toenhance our food monitoring capability and traceability, leading to safe foodon the table. Staying ahead of the curve will be imperative to the food industry,especially when we anticipate more digital and traceable food system. (For the fullopening speech please visit: https://youtu.be/7m2494GPm10)

As online shopping prevails, consumers' demand for more transparentand reliable food information soars. To foster open information sharing amongthe F&B community, GS1 HK introduced Trusted FoodNet, an online platform wherefood suppliers' and restaurants' quality and safety certifications can beuploaded and displayed, for business buyers and consumers to access theinformation anywhere, anytime. More than 150 food products with differentcertificates are available on the platform so far, please visit https://trustedfoodnet.gs1hk.org/ to know more. 

Ms May Chung, Chairperson of Hong Kong Food and Beverage IndustryAdvisory Board of GS1 HK, and General Manager of Nestlé Hong Kong Ltd commendedthe effort, "With growing emphasis on food safety, we have been working closelywith the F&B industry, leveraging innovation, technology and globalstandards to ensure food safety and build consumer trust. The 'Trusted FoodNet'initiative by GS1 HK has our full support, which I believe will enhance the transparencyof our trade. I hope industry peers will join the platform to increase trust amongstakeholders, and raise the bar for food safety together."

Co-located with the Forum, the "Quality Food Traceability Scheme" awardpresentation ceremony was organised to mark the achievement of 20 food-related companieswhich demonstrated outstanding performance in food traceability. Hon Peter ShiuKa-fai, Legislative Councilor and Deputy Chairman of Panel on Food Safety andEnvironmental Hygiene, attended the ceremony to present the awards. Pleaserefer to the recognised companies list here: https://www.gs1hk.org/quality-food-scheme.

Ms Jessie Cheng, Director of Corporate Communications of HKTV Mall;Dr Jason Liu, Food Safety & Care Office VP of Ting Hsin International Group& GFSI China Steering Committee Vice-chair; Mr Jeff Law, Managing Director ofSun Fat Heung Food Products Ltd; and Mr Yves Rey, Independent Senior Advisor toIndustry Leaders / Former Danone Corporate GM & GFSI Chairman all sharedtheir hindsight and vision of the F&B development at the Forum.

Ms Anna Lin, Chief Executive of GS1 Hong Kong, appreciated theirinsights and underscored food safety as a shared responsibility. "Committed topromoting local food safety, GS1 HK will continue to connect with the industry,government, consumers and other stakeholders and foster more experience sharingand exchange on innovations and technologies. Together we will uplift the foodsafety standard and propel our industry growth."

About GS1 Hong Kong

Foundedby the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in 1989, GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) isthe local chapter of GS1^®, which provides global supply chain standards(product identification key and barcode) and a full spectrum of standard-based platforms,solutions and services that support companies' digitization to enhance supplychain transparency and efficiency, ensure product authenticity, and facilitateonline and offline commerce.

Currently,GS1 HK has around 8,000 corporate members covering close to 20 industriesincluding retail consumer goods, food and food services, healthcare, apparel,logistics as well as information and technology. By engaging with communitiesof trading partners, industry organisations, government, and technologyproviders, GS1 HK is fostering a collaborative ecosystem with the vision of"Smarter Business, Better Life".

Headquarteredin Brussels, Belgium, GS1^® is a not-for-profit, standardsorganisation that has 115 national chapters serving 150 economies globally.

Formore information about GS1 Hong Kong, please visit www.gs1hk.org.