COFCO’s Rice Division assisted China National Association of Grain Sector (CAGS) in holding the news conference calling on the rice business sector to be more self-disciplined and food safety committed. The call-on got a very positive response from senior management of other 12 large- and medium-sized rice companies who not only attended the event but also signed on the proposal. The event signals a message of determination of China’s rice sector in selling safe rice products and growing in a healthy way.
Mr. Bai Meiqing, Head of CAGS, Ms. Zhang Li, Head of Consumption Goods Industry Division of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other officials from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the State Administration of Grain (SAG) and other government agencies attended the meeting, showing their support for the initiative.
As Mr. Bai said, grain was what people lived on. Rice was one of the three staple foods of Chinese people. It should be given top priority in food safety. China’s rice and rice products were safe on the whole, but negligence should not be risked. Top management of companies should be to blame for any food safety problems. There should not be any excuse for such significant social responsibility. Food safety should be what agri and food companies live on. Top management of companies should personally coordinate in the food safety job and other employees should do a good job hierarchically. Never let one unsafe piece out of the plant. And the whole value chain should be monitored. In addition, rice companies should develop branded rice products, produce on a standard way, and cater to the change in consumption habit. Today was an epoch of retail-packaged rice.
As responded by Mr. Dong Zhongxin, Vice President of COFCO, as leader of China’s agri and food market, COFCO kept on improving its integrated business model which had produced remarkable results in origination, economy of scale, logistics, etc. COFCO would do its job in food safety and quality control.
Bad Wuchang rice threw China’s rice industry into big trust crisis. Domestic media and the public could not remove their doubts on China’s rice quality. In a proactive response, COFCO’s Rice Division assisted CAGS in initiating this event.
According to Ms. Yang Hong, Deputy General Manager of China Agri-Holding Industries (HK0606), COFCO’s Rice Division had established a complete and sound quality control system. Experts found 26 critical control points in the value chain to pay special attention to. As China’s largest rice processor and trader, COFCO’s Rice Division was devoted to guaranteeing the health, nutrition and safety of each piece of rice out of its plants. Fortune rice and Wuhu rice were both grown in and originated from rural areas without any pollution or contamination.
