4 October 2013 ‘Black Swans’ a problem for meat industry, according to visiting Chinese Professor

Lincoln University hosted distinguished Professor Tang Shuze from Jinan University in Guangzhou on Thursday 3 October.

Professor Tang is Dean of the International School as well as Programme Chair of Food Quality and Safety. He also served as the Deputy Director for Meat Processing of the China Animal Products Research Association and is an expert member of the Emergency Management of Guangdong Provincial Government.

He was visiting Lincoln University to sign two Memoranda of Understanding: one with the University itself with the goal of developing student and staff exchanges, research partnerships and postgraduate programmes, while the other is with Lincoln University’s Centre for Food Research and Innovation to explore joint research opportunities in Food Science.

During his visit he also took the time to present a lecture on the current state of meat production in China and trends in meat consumption among Chinese citizens.

Professor Tang noted that while Chinese consumption of meat increases as a result of increased prosperity, the risks associated with meat safety also rise and are exacerbated by the country’s current meat production and processing model.

“With a more complicated food chain, more people are involved,” says Professor Tang. “Modern methods are good for efficient production, but not necessarily good for food safety control.”

Currently, around 31% of food-safety incidents in China are meat related and could involve pathogens (many of which are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics) or a toxin intentionally brought into the meat production process.

According to Professor Tang, increased demand also increases the possibility of so-called ‘black swan’ events. That is, events which have a low probability of occurring such that they are scarcely foreseen yet can come with significant negative consequences.

In order to mitigate some of these food safety issues, Professor Tang suggests smaller scale meat industries across the country, a clear differentiation between food safety and food security, and the exploration of taxation methods to balance or share the profits among participants in the supply chain.

The two new MOU’s between Jinan University and Lincoln University will prove invaluable as a means for sharing information and expertise in the critical areas of food production, science and safety.