Governing China's food quality through transparency: A review

In coping with food quality problems, China relies heavily on state institutions, such as laws and regulations, governmental standards and certification, and inspections and enforcement. Recently, transparency (or information disclosure) has been introduced in China's governance framework to cope with its growing food quality and related sustainability problems. This article investigates to what extent and how China's transparency institutions and practices regarding food production and products play a role in governing food quality and safety. Four forms of food chain transparency are distinguished and assessed: management transparency, regulatory transparency, consumer transparency and public transparency. It is concluded that in China food chain transparency is still in its infancy with respect to governing domestic food production and product quality and safety, and that only with respect to global (export) food chains transparency and accountability put some pressure on agro-food chain actors to improve their performance with respect to food quality and sustainability. By the same token furthering transparency on food quality is desperately needed as the state's food management and control system alone proves not capable to provide safe food that is credible and trusted by domestic consumers.     

Recent developments in the application of nuclear technology in agro-food quality and safety control in China

Having effective control on quality and safety of Chinese agro-food is of global significance due to the massive volume of production and export. Because of the technical advantages, as well as advocation of peaceful use of such technique by international community, nuclear techniques have been widely applied in China for food control purpose. This paper reviewed the recent developments of nuclear technique applications for food traceability (stable isotope analysis on beef, wheat, lamb, tea) and authentication (stable isotope analysis on organic food, apicultural products, camellia oil, orange juice), food contaminant analysis (radio-immunoassay and stable-isotope dilution for drug residues and microbial toxins) and food quality assurance (gamma ray and electron beam irradiation) in China, specifically with an intense discussion upon the first application as the authors believe it will be the most promising nuclear based technique for food quality and safety control. In conclusion, current situation of application was outlined and defects of discussed technologies were identified for future development.     

API and CPTDC Jointly Promote Chinese Enterprises to Go Abroad

In order to push the certification forward and help more Chinese enterprises to go abroad, API (American Petroleum Institute) and CPTDC (China Petroleum Technology & Development Corporation) jointly held a meeting between March 4 and 8, 2004, to promote API certification of Chinese enterprises.     

Willingness-to-pay price premiums for certified fruits —A case of fresh apples in China

Food safety certification has increasingly received much attention by Chinese consumers since the melamine milk crisis. The paper aims to determine consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) a price premium for fruit quality certification, and outreach strategy to monitor fresh fruit regulations. 504 fresh apple consumers in four cities located in different parts of China were interviewed face-to-face by a structured questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to reduce and summarize information on fruit attributes variables. Probit regression model was employed to identify critical determinants of consumers' WTP for certified fruits. Gender, education background and monthly income were the positive deciding factors for consumers WTP a premium for certified fruits. Better knowledge and higher confidence in certified fruits would foster consumers' WTP. Fruit quality and purchase convenience were also important factors being considered by consumers.     

ISO 9002质量体系认证后的管理与效果

本文介绍了中海石油平台制造公司在ISO 9002质量体系认证后的管理,以及认证给企业带来的经济效益和社会效益,试图从中探索出一条海洋石油企业ISO9000系列标准质量体系认证后如何管理的路子。     

“东西伯利亚—太平洋”管道工程项目中焊接相关认证介绍

详细介绍了俄罗斯“东西伯利亚—太平洋”原油管道项目中与焊接相关的5个方面认证工作要求,即焊接工艺鉴定、焊工资格认证、焊接技术员认证、焊接材料鉴定、焊接设备认证等,藉此指导国内管道工程公司能更好地进军俄罗斯远东长输管道施工市场。     

船用二冲程低速机技术进展与船用发动机油评定

介绍了国内外船用低速二冲程发动机的现状、发展趋势,Wartsila和MAN BW公司船机的最新技术以及美孚、道达尔、壳牌石油等国外油公司评定船用发动机油的试验台架。强调船用发动机油的开发要与船用发动机技术的发展紧密结合,通过与船用发动机制造商(OEM)的合作取得相关油品认证对于油品公司具有重要意义。     

Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for beef food safety assurance labels in the Kumasi Metropolis and Sunyani Municipality of Ghana

The demand surge for assured food safety and quality in livestock products among consumers in developing countries in particular has been phenomenal. The present paper examines consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for beef food safety assurance labels in the Kumasi Metropolis and Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. Consumers' in both Kumasi and Sunyani mainly rely on beef attributes which assures them of their safety. Key attributes include hygienic condition of the shopping environment, excellent and attractive packaging that minimizes contamination, leanness and certification of beef products for safety and quality. Therefore, guaranteed food safety information and attributes should emerge as a new index and basis for future trade in the beef industry. Preference heterogeneity exists among consumers in Kumasi Metropolis and Sunyani Municipality for verified animal health status, food safety inspection and certification and nutritional label. Hence, it is important for beef investors, government and NGO's to segment consumers into different classes when designing strategies to mitigate unsafe beef production, marketing and consumption. Higher willingness to pay exists for verified animal health stamp in both Kumasi and Sunyani compared to assured nutritional label, food and drugs board food safety certification license. Willingness to pay estimates in Kumasi were higher for assured nutritional label, food and drugs board food safety certification license compared to Sunyani. Consumer preferences for food safety inspection and certification, and nutritional label are explained by age, income and education in Sunyani Municipality whereas preferences for verified animal health status, food safety inspection and certification, and nutritional label are influenced by age, income, education and gender in Kumasi Metropolis. Albeit the impact of gender and age are negative for verified animal health status and food safety certification license in both locations. Therefore, the use of selective demographic targeting to maintain or build strong food safety and quality measures should be seen as a reality by policy makers and investors in the beef industry. Minimizing microbial, chemical and physical food contamination and incidents of food safety in Kumasi and Sunyani requires adoption of strict certification and inspections starting from the health status of animals to be slaughtered to the final product with proper labeling information for consumers, combined with strict sanitary inspections at the shopping or selling place. Also, sensitization of women on food safety practices, handling and violation of food safety is very essential in Kumasi and Sunyani.     

LNG汽车产业技术标准分析

国内液化天然气汽车（LNGV）产业的快速发展过程中，已呈现出技术标准建设严重滞后的问题。因此，必须加大力度开展对LNGV相关技术标准、规范的分析研究工作，进一步完善标准化建设。从现状看，国内LNG加气站建设是难点，是影响产业发展的瓶颈问题，而其中，建站技术标准缺乏是重要原因之一。建议国家尽快组织力量将实用性较强的美国国家防火协会标准《LNG汽车燃料系统标准》（NFPA 57）等，结合国内具体情况转化为我国的技术标准；尽快编制《液化天然气汽车加气站技术规范》，以解决LNG加气站设计、建设、消防验收等问题，加速推进我国清洁汽车的发展进程。     

Improving quality and safety of aquatic products: A case study of self-inspection behavior from export-oriented aquatic enterprises in Zhejiang Province,China

The goal of the current study was to examine factors that influence aquatic enterprises' conduction of routine self-inspections, and explore difficulties that arise during and after the adoption of this system. A survey using a systematic random sampling for 64 export-oriented aquatic enterprises through personal interviews and mailed questionnaires in four offshore cities of Zhejiang Province, i.e., Ningbo, Zhoushan, Wenzhou, and Taizhou, China, was conducted. Results from the logistic regression model demonstrated that variables such as improvement of product quality, enhanced customer satisfaction, higher profit, firm scale, quality system certification, and export approach had significant positive relationships with self-inspection behavior, while export market uncertainty and peer competition had negative relationships with self-inspection behavior. From the data obtained, managerial implications and implications for policy makers on self-inspection for other areas of China, or other developing countries could be derived.     

中国和欧洲管道交流干扰腐蚀标准差异分析

随着我国长输管道迅猛发展,管道与输电线路并行、交叉的问题日益突出。交流干扰腐蚀对管体、防腐层、阴极保护设备和人员安全造成威胁;而特高压输电线路普及应用,对管道设计和运行安全提出更高的要求。为提升我国管道腐蚀防护标准的技术水平,跟踪研究了国外管道腐蚀标准的制修订信息。以新版的欧洲标准EN 15280-2013为例,研究与我国标准的重要差异,该标准新修订的主要内容包括制定交流腐蚀从业人员资质评估标准,管道设计阶段评估交流腐蚀干扰影响程度,综合电压、电流、电流比值和土壤电阻率确定交流腐蚀判定准则,考虑高风险区域、管道运行历史和内检测数据确定交流腐蚀测试点等。最后,针对我国管道交流干扰腐蚀技术水平,提出了国家标准GB/T 50698-2011的改进建议。     

Chemical safety of conventionally and organically produced foodstuffs: A tentative comparison under Belgian conditions

This paper goes through the chemical risks able to affect the organic and the conventional agro-food products. For each type of contaminant a tentative assessment has been made in considering not only the levels of exposure but also the toxicological data when available. When comparing both production systems with regards to food safety, it appears that, for the well-known toxicants (pesticides, nitrates), organic products present some clear advantages, but it is also recognized that natural toxicants need to be better identified within this mode of production. Environmental and food processing contaminants are present in both organic and conventional products. It is recommended to improve the monitoring programmes by paying more attention to the mode of production as well as to the whole array of relevant contaminants.     

Consumers’ familiarity with and attitudes towards food quality certifications for rice and vegetables in Vietnam

This study investigates consumers’ attitudes towards, and familiarity with, food quality certification in selected urban areas in the South of Vietnam. Cross-sectional data were collected by means of a consumer survey (n = 500). Consumers’ awareness of food quality-related terms was relatively low. Less than half the participants claimed to understand the meaning of good agricultural practices (GAP), organic food and sustainability. Consumers’ familiarity with food quality certification (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP), Global Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBALG.A.P.), organic, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)) was also low. Familiarity with food quality certification was positively associated with general attitude and food choice motives, namely food safety concern, perceived importance of healthy eating, and perceived importance of environmental consequences relating to food purchase. Food safety concern and perceived importance of environmental consequences were positively associated with consumers’ attitudes towards safe vegetables, as well as high quality rice. Perceived importance of healthy eating was positively related to attitude towards high quality rice. Findings suggest that food safety aspects of safe vegetables and high quality rice should be emphasized during policy and marketing activities for food quality certification. Additionally, an increase in the perceived importance of environmental consequences relating to quality food purchase should be encouraged to enhance positive consumer attitudes towards quality food. Efforts to improve public awareness and knowledge of food quality certification and sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries such as Vietnam are highly recommended.     

Development and Application of the Amphibious Modulized Skid-mounted CTU

This paper mainly introduces the structural composition,operating principle,major technical parameters,design features and technical features of the amphibious modulized skid-mounted coiled tubing unit(CTU).It also describes the experimental condition of this unit and its application in Jidong Oilfield.The unit has been successfully operated in Jidong Oilfield 30 well-times.The maximum lifting or snubbing depth is 2,300 m;the velocity is 15 m/min;the manifold pressure is 20 MPa;the maximum deviation angle is 35.8°.It has successfully realized the modularization of the CTU.The whole system uses an explosion-proof design,which achieves the second class of explosion-proof grade in the oilfield operation area,and gets the explosion-proof certificate and certification of the China Classification Society.It also obtains the marine operation qualification.This paper has a certain referential significance for the CTU's design and research.     

职业技能鉴定质量分析初探

职业技能鉴定是推行职业资格证书制度的重要环节,鉴定的质量直接关系到职业资格证书的真实性、权威性。通过对试卷的有效性和可靠性的分析,以及对试题难度、区分度的分析,对职业技能鉴定质量的分析方法进行了探讨,阐述了质量分析在职业技能鉴定中的作用。     

Simple sequence repeats are able to trace tomato cultivars in tomato food chains

PCR-based markers represent an innovative tool to trace raw material in agro-food chain and certify the identity of premium food products. We evaluated Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) as a possible robust, fast and cost-effective technique that allows tomato food products to be traced through the production chain back to the variety. We used 14 microsatellite loci to discriminate 17 of the most common tomato varieties used in Italy for processing. We then proved that SSR allelic profiles are conserved through the production chain of three different types of commercial products and that DNA fingerprinting pinpoints possible cases of erroneous information. Our data confirmed the efficacy of microsatellites to discriminate tomato cultivars and proved for the first time that, if appropriately selected, SSRs allow an unambiguous identification through the production and distribution chain of tomato products.     

Measuring microbial food safety output and comparing self-checking systems of food business operators in Belgium

The Belgian food safety authority has provided incentives for food business operators to set-up a certified self-checking system (SCS), based upon good practices and HACCP principles. A selection of food processing companies in Belgium was invited to take part in a self-assessment study to evaluate the effect of SCS certification on the performance of an implemented food safety management system (FSMS) and on company's microbiological food safety output according to their sector and company size and to compare the added value of SCS against voluntary standard certification.Results revealed that the majority of food processing companies (90%) were already certified for a voluntary standard such as BRC or IFS prior to or next to the Belgian SCS certification (50%). Although five clusters could be identified among the eighty-two participating companies in the performance profiles of their food safety management system and microbiological food safety output, overall no significant difference could be identified between SCS certified and non-certified SCS food processing companies. However, assurance activities (i.e. set-up of sampling plan, validation and verification of the FSMS) were elaborated at a more advanced, tailored level in SCS certified companies. No significant differences were found according to company size, but depending on the sector more robust FSMS could be identified (e.g. animal products processing sector). The benefits of the widespread presence of a third party certified food safety management system (whether voluntary standard or national SCS) as a basis for governing food safety are also reflected in the favourable inspection results obtained by Belgian food safety authority (76.90%–78.71% compliance in years 2009–2011; 12 823 SCS certified companies being visited) at the processing level. Whereas higher non-compliance in inspection results is noted (47.55–52.45% compliance in years 2009–2011; 4 415 SCS certified companies being visited) in the distribution sector, encompassing a large amount of small food service operations and retail outlets. The introduction of certified SCS is still exceptional in that sector (4.11% in 2011) and the introduction of voluntary standards is less common due to lack of incentives, capacity and resources. Thus, there are indications that a certification system based on audits is an appropriate approach in pro-actively governing food safety and supporting the implementation of control and assurance activities at advanced level, hence increasing the robustness of the food safety management systems as a basis for good microbiological food safety output.     

中压加氢裂化生产合格喷气燃料技术开发与应用

为满足市场对喷气燃料的需求并与企业现有装置相契合，中国石化石油化工科学研究院（简称石科院）开发了生产合格喷气燃料的中压加氢裂化技术。通过考察反应压力、裂化催化剂、原料油、转化深度及体积空速对喷气燃料性质的影响规律，提出了中压条件生产合格喷气燃料的加氢裂化技术方案。中压加氢裂化生产合格喷气燃料技术在中国石化上海石油化工股份有限公司1.5 Mt/a中压加氢裂化装置得到工业应用，在国内首次实现了中压条件下蜡油生产合格喷气燃料。装置工业标定结果表明，采用该技术加工高硫减压蜡油（VGO）馏分，在氢分压约10 MPa的条件下，喷气燃料馏分收率达到20%以上，且满足3号喷气燃料质量要求，尾油馏分BMCI值约为10，是优质的裂解制乙烯原料。     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of glycoalkaloids in potatoes from conventional,integrated, and organic crop systems

During the last decade organic agro-food products, including potatoes, have been progressively introduced in the Portuguese consumer market. Nevertheless, the quality of these products with regards to chemical safety still requires the implementation of monitoring programmes. In this communication we compare the glycoalkaloid content in varieties Santé and Raja of marketed Portuguese potatoes from conventional, integrated, and organic crop systems, using HPLC. In Santé tubers, the corresponding total amount of α-solanine and α-chaconine was respectively 37.3, 44.2, and 38.4 mg/kg fresh weight, whereas for Raja a decreasing concentration on the total glycoalkaloid content was observed from conventional (79.5 mg/kg) to integrated (59.6 mg/kg) and organic tubers (44.6 mg/kg).     

The reliability of third-party certification in the food chain: From checklists to risk-oriented auditing

In recent years, certification has become increasingly relevant for agribusiness. In Europe, substantial parts of the value chain are already being certified by standards such as the International Food Standard (IFS) or GLOBALGAP (the former EurepGap). It is not known, however, whether these approaches can de facto ensure high quality control. This article is based on a database analysis of the German certification system Quality and Safety (QS) and a workshop with the QS-certification bodies conducting 85% of all agricultural audits. It seeks to deduce the first empirical hypotheses concerned with the connection between the reliability of third-party certification and the institutional framing of standards.