Intertek Hong Kong Speaks at Food Expo 2022

03 Oct 2022

Safeguarding food safety by using big data for risk management

On Aug 11, Intertek Hong Kong was invited by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to speak at the exhibition seminar at Food Expo 2022.

Organised by HKTDC every year, Hong Kong Food Expo brings together gourmets from all over the world. It is aimed both at retailers, manufacturers and suppliers as well as the general public. The Expo covers a comprehensive entertainment program with cooking shows of prominent chefs, tastings, and award shows, to provide a complete culinary experience.

Over the last few years, global food systems have been disrupted by conflicts, economic shocks, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing global food insecurity. This year, industry leaders were invited to share their expertise under the theme of “Testing & Certification Services in the Food Industry – Sustainable Food Packaging and Food Safety”. Professionals shared their knowledge on best practices in food safety and food packaging, helping food manufacturers and retailers to ensure food quality and safety throughout diverse supply chains.

During the exhibition seminar, Denis Leung, our General Manager from the Food Services Team, shared his expertise on the topic of “The Use of Big Data in Food Safety”. He explained that big data is crucial in risk assessment. One example is the trending of food hazards, issues and risks across the supply chain. With the help of the appropriate tools, potential safety issues can be identified more quickly so that we can make informed sourcing decision about the suppliers across different regions and countries.

Denis also introduced “Horizon Scan Interactive” - a platform for risk characterization, which alerts users to the emerging issues, threats and risks across all food sectors around the globe. In case of a food safety hazard, Horizon Scan Interactive can help with source-tracking so that users can promptly respond to the issue.

Says Denis: “The use of big data in food safety is not about making predictions, but rather to review existing options and the potential issues, so that we can make evidence-based decisions. Indeed, the use of big data in food safety truly is an innovative science-based approach to food safety hazards. As a leading Total Quality Assurance provider, we strive to safeguard food safety. With the large bank of collected data, Intertek believes more in-depth analyses can be performed in the future to further improve food safety and optimise food safety investments.”

It was an honour to share the fruits of our labour with everyone and look forward to next year!