Representatives attend the Fifth International Meat Secretariat (IMS) World Pork Conference in Qingdao (By Zhu Zheng)

Foreign representatives in the World Pork Conference (By Zhu Zheng)

Qingdao: Over 800 world leading meat industry experts from some 30 countries, including China, Britain, Germany, and the United States, travelled to Qingdao, Shandong province for the Fifth International Meat Secretariat (IMS) World Pork Conference. The (IMS), established in 1974, is a non-profit group consisting of poultry organizations from across the world.

The conference, which runs from September 3 to 4, is being held for the second time in China, after Nanjing hosted it in 2007.

“The exchanges and cooperation in the meat industry relate to the entire food industry and play an important role in economic cooperation,” He Luli, honorary President of China Meat Association, said at the opening ceremony. “The global economic and technical exchanges and cooperation should be further strengthened to create a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation environment,” He added.

Under the theme “Modernization of the World Pork Industry—Science, Health, Stability and Sustainability”, the conference will center on the global meat trade policy, the effect of technology achievements on the global pork industry, global pork consumption habits, segmentation standards, trade cooperation and development.

The declaration of the Fifth IMS World Pork Conference was issued during the conference, which states food safety is a global problem and it is the responsibility of the international community to ensure food safety. Patrick J. Moore, President of the International Meat Secretariat, said of the conference, “I expect the conference will give a boost to the development of the global meat industry despite the impact of the global economic downturn and the A/H1N1 flu epidemic.”

Editor Li Jing

By Wang Qian (China Daily Shandong Bureau)