How to make people eat healthier
——Interview with Chen Wei, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Jiangnan University
Our reporter, Changli Guo Jingyuan
In today's day when the standard of living is improving, people not only need to eat well, but also eat healthily.
What is the current development status of my country's food industry?
How to promote the high-quality development of the industry through technological innovation?
Recently, a reporter from Economic Daily interviewed Chen Wei, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Jiangnan University.
Reporter: What is the significance of the food industry to my country's economic and social development?
What measures does my country have to promote the innovation and development of the food industry?
Chen Wei: The food industry is a pillar industry that guarantees national food safety, maintains social harmony and stability, and promotes the rapid growth of the national economy. It is no longer just to meet people's needs for food satiety and diversification of categories, but also to focus on the first and second. The strategic industry integrating the three industries plays an important role in promoting the construction of a healthy China.
Since the Tenth Five-Year Plan, the Chinese government has gradually increased its support for the development of food and related industries through the implementation of special projects such as the Science and Technology Research Plan, the “863 Plan”, the National Science and Technology Support Program, and the National Natural Science Foundation.
After 2017, with the gradual development of the “13th Five-Year Plan” and “14th Five-Year Plan” special food technology innovation projects, a systematic deployment and planning of food science and technology innovation has been carried out at the national level, and support for food science and technology innovation has been significantly strengthened. The strength of food science and technology has been continuously improved and a number of major scientific and technological achievements have been made.
Reporter: What is the current status of my country's food technology development?
Chen Wei: As the country and society continue to invest in food science and technology, my country's food science and technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and more remarkable results have been achieved.
China’s food science and technology research and development strength has been continuously enhanced, the level of basic research has been significantly improved, the overall gap between the research and development capabilities in the high-tech field and the world’s advanced level has been significantly reduced, and a number of nutritious and healthy food processing, Chinese traditional food industrialization, bulk grain conversion, Food bioengineering and food equipment manufacturing are represented by major innovations that lead the development of the industry, and have realized the historical transformation of core key technologies from a single "follow-up" to "follow-up, side-by-side, and lead" coexistence.
A talent team has been established to support the rapid development of food science and technology for basic and applied basic research and key technology research and development. Universities, scientific research institutes and corporate research and development centers have continuously cultivated and transported professional talents for the development of my country's food industry and food technology advancement, and promoted modern food in my country. Structural adjustment and technological upgrading of the processing industry.
At present, my country's food industry system has built a complete platform for technological innovation and achievement transformation.
Through a variety of systems such as the National Engineering Technology Research Center R&D System, the National Agricultural Products Processing Technology R&D System, and the Industrial Technology Innovation Alliance, it has promoted the close integration and collaborative innovation of research institutes, universities and enterprises, and solved the problems in the food industry. The "stuck neck" problem has accelerated the output and transformation of food science and technology achievements, and the industry's awareness of innovation has continued to increase, achieving the unification and integration of the three chains of "industrial chain, innovation chain, and value chain".
In addition, the level of international exchanges and cooperation in my country's food science and technology is also increasing, and food industry enterprises are continuing to integrate into the international market.
Of course, my country still has some shortcomings in food science and technology innovation, such as the lack of innovation in key core technologies and equipment, the lack of innovation in the whole chain and interdisciplinary, etc. This is also the food industry will continue to strive to improve and solve during the "14th Five-Year Plan" task.
Reporter: Food safety is one of the most concerned topics of the common people.
After years of development, what is the overall level of food safety in my country?
Do you have any suggestions for establishing a sound and scientific food safety system?
Chen Wei: "Food is the heaven for the people, and security is the first for food."
Food quality and safety assurance system is the key construction content of the food industry in various countries, and the construction of food quality and safety early warning, risk detection, traceability system and international standards and regulations has become the core of global food quality and safety assurance.
In recent years, my country’s food inspection and quality safety control capabilities have continued to improve, and a national food safety standard system has been formed. Food safety supervision will enter a new era of information and intelligence. Food safety technology support capabilities will continue to be strengthened, and food safety assurance systems tend to perfect.
However, there is still a clear gap between my country and developed countries in terms of food quality and safety control technology support.
The food safety system can be improved from the following perspectives: one is to work together from multiple angles to establish a diversified food quality and safety control system; the second is to carry out multi-dimensional big data analysis and establish information-based risk monitoring and analysis technology; the third is to prevent food quality and safety. Upgrade of control, from passive prevention and control to active regulation.
Reporter: With the improvement of people's living standards, food nutrition and health has become a hot spot of social concern.
What do you think of the development trend of food nutrition and health in the future?
Chen Wei: At present, my country’s food supply structure and consumption pattern have undergone fundamental changes, from “well-eaten” to “well-eaten”, and now the consumption of high-quality fruits, vegetables and animal food by Chinese residents has increased rapidly. Health has gradually become the first demand.
The development of my country's food industry has entered an era of nutritional transformation. Nutrition and health food represented by precision nutrition and personalized food has ushered in unprecedented development opportunities. The breakthrough of food nutrition and health will become a new engine for food development.
my country's food science and technology is developing rapidly. With the rapid rise and vigorous development of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, big data and advanced manufacturing technologies, the development of interdisciplinary integration has promoted the continuous acceleration of food science and technology innovation and it is even subverting traditional food production methods.
In the future, research is expected to focus on changes in food components and functional factors, the relationship between theoretical design precision nutrition and human health during food processing, and on the basis of continuous improvement of the "food processing-diet nutrition" regulation mechanism, with the help of food industry Data analysis has established a complete, comprehensive, and systematic database of my country’s food nutrient components and food functional components, so that people can eat healthier.
——Interview with Chen Wei, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Jiangnan University