A team of 12 Chinese food safety officials have just finished a two-week food safety study program in New Zealand, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) said on Tuesday.

It was the first comprehensive food safety study program looking at the complete system in New Zealand by a Chinese delegation, the NZFSA said in a press release.

The visit followed on from New Zealand Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson's visit to China in October and other ministerial and prime ministerial contacts with China in which cooperation activities have featured.

During their visit, the delegation of 12 Chinese central government officials participated in technical workshops to discuss and further understand New Zealand's respected food regulatory system. They also visited seafood, meat and dairy businesses and farms to see how food safety standards are applied here.

NZFSA senior deputy director Bill Jolly said the study visit has been a great example of how China and New Zealand have worked closely together on food safety culminating in the provisions on food trade in the free trade agreement signed in 2008.

He said the Chinese delegation has been keen to understand more about New Zealand's science and risk-based regulatory approach to managing health and food safety.

"They have shown an in-depth base knowledge which indicates the level of commitment China is putting into food safety. They have also posed searching questions in order to fully understand how we manage risks in our food supply and they will share their insights with central government in China," he added.

Next year, officials from NZFSA and New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) will visit Beijing to conduct seminars on New Zealand's experiences with the World Trade Organization concept of regionalisation and equivalence and how the appropriate use of these concepts can provide the necessary assurances in a more targeted and efficient way.

NZFSA will also continue to work with the Chinese authorities on their implementation of the NZFSA-developed electronic certification (E-cert) system for managing secure assurances on foods exported by New Zealand to China.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2009)