Department News

Cornell exports its food safety expertise

June 22nd, 2012By Stacey Shackford

Cornell will take its food safety expertise abroad through a new partnership with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) of China and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).

Kathryn Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, recently met with representatives of GMA and SJTU, signing a letter of intent to establish a joint academic program to address food safety challenges in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region.

“We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunity to work with Jiao Tong University and GMA on this critical issue. The signing of this letter of intent is the first step in building the cadre, curriculum, and expertise to increase the safety of the APEC food value chain,” said Boor.

The three institutions will work together to explore the feasibility of developing specific curriculum in supply chain food safety that will include academic certification programs and training. GMA will serve as a key advisor to both Cornell and SJTU, providing advice, counsel and private sector perspective to these universities.

“In recent decades, as our food supply has become more global and more complex, partnerships like these have become even more critical to enhancing food safety,” said Pamela G. Bailey, GMA’s president and CEO.

Kexuan Tang, dean of Jiao Tong University’s School of Agriculture and Biology, praised the initiative as a shining example of how academic institutions and industry can work together to address global challenges.

“This collaboration will bring together some of the finest minds in food safety science to develop curriculum and training programs that will help us to build a foundation for increasing the safety of the food supply in the APEC region,” Tang added.

This unique partnership was made possible, in part, by Rich Products Corporation, a privately-owned frozen food manufacturer based in Buffalo, N.Y., and a company renowned around the world as a leader in food safety.

“We’ve enjoyed an excellent relationship with Cornell over the years, and consider the university a valuable source for recruiting new talent in the areas of food science, research and development,” said Kevin Malchoff ’74, MBA ’75, Rich’s executive vice president of business development and member of the CALS Advisory Council.

“Given our significant presence and experience in China, and our strong association with the GMA, we saw the potential connection between these two outstanding universities as a real opportunity to enhance the long-term safety of our global food chain,” Malchoff added.