President invited to Hong Kong
Alan Richards, President of the Association was invited by the Government Chemist in Hong Kong to speak with staff in the laboratories and share experiences and expertise in food analysis.
Alan attended the event with Michael Walker (APA Training Officer and Consultant Chemist) who spoke about the UK referee analyst and Government Chemist roles. Alan said :
"We spent two full days giving presentations to both food chemists and the forensic scientists at the Hong Kong lab which employs over 400 people. It was a very interesting and informative trip where we discussed many issues related to food analysis and enforcement. The laboratory tours showed us that Hong Kong has invested heavily in some of the most modern equipment available for food analysis. No official food enforcement is done outside the government laboratory at present.".
- The visit culminated with a meeting with the Principle Assistant Secretary for food safety, Mrs Angelina Cheung in Hong Kong. Alan said :
" The government are about to publish a new food safety bill and specific regulations on food additives. The Secretary was very interested in our thoughts on how successful the food safety laws operated in the UK. I will watch these developments with great interest."
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