On 20 May, the International Forum on Future Food and Biotechnology 2021 of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was successfully held in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The forum was organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and co-organized by the Department of Environmental and Light Textile Engineering of CAE and Jiangnan University, focusing on the development trend of future food, synthetic food biotechnology, intelligent food manufacturing, future food and healthcare design and other topics. More than 400 government officials, academicians from home and abroad, renowned experts and corporate representatives gathered to share international research results, frontier academic developments and engineering innovation in the field of future food and biotechnology, aiming to ensure the security of emerging food sources and provide scientific and strong support for maintaining the health of the general public.
In the morning, Du Xiaogang, Mayor of Wuxi, Chen Wei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Jiangnan University, Qu Jiuhui, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the Divisionof Environment, Light and TextileIndustriesEngineering of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Tang Haiying, Deputy Director of the Second Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. 7 overseas academicians from the USA, UK, Germany, Sweden, Australia and Malaysia delivered their speeches to this forum via video. The opening ceremony was hosted by Zhu Qingbao, Secretary of the CPC of Jiangnan University Committee.
Du Xiaogang firstly expressed his warm congratulations on the convening of the forum. He said that this forum focuses on the profound changes in the global food industry, which is in line with the new trend of the future development of food and biotechnology, and is of great significance for us to seize new opportunities for the future development of the food industry and promote the high-quality development of the food industry in the new era. He hoped that the forum participants would take this strategic high-level forum as an opportunity to promote a strong link between industry, academia and research institutions, and to promote the life and health industry in Wuxi by riding on the construction of the Taihu Bay Scientific and Technological Innovation Belt.
On behalf of the organizer, Chen Wei extended a sincere welcome to the participants. It is hoped that this forum can serve as a good platform for everyone to understand and learn the latest international scientific research achievements and frontier dynamics in the field of future food and biotechnology, and can further promote the development of Jiangnan University’s food science and engineering program and light engineering program. It can also become a rewarding practice to promote innovation in science and tech engineering, and guarantee the security of food supply and safeguard people’s health.
Tang Haiying said that this forum focuses on the frontier and future development of food science and biotechnology, and intends to focus on promoting the establishment of new methods, new tech breakthroughs, new equipment, new standard and new product in food science and technology. It is hoped that the participating experts will reach consensus through the sharing of ideas, discuss the basic research and innovative applications in the future development of food and biotechnology, provide advice for the manufacturing strategy of China, and build a stronger think tank in the national engineering science and technology.
Qu Jiuhui pointed out that the future of food and biotechnology is not only an important science related to the livelihood of people in the nation, but also a great project to promote the building of a community of shared future for the mankind. This forum provides an opportunity for everyone to have an in-depth exchange, to discuss the path of innovation and to jointly promote the tremendous development of the future food industry and technology, which is believed to play an important role in providing the solution to the food challenge that is crucial to the survival of mankind.
Academician Pang Guofang, Academician Sun Baoguo, Academician Yue Guojun, and Academician Zheng Yuguo gave invited academic speeches on the future food industry and technological development. The lecture was hosted by Academician Chen Jian and Academician Chen Wei with Jiangnan University.
In the report, Pang Guofang focused on the topic of "Informatization Leading the Innovative Development of Food Safety Pesticide Residue Detection Technology", demonstrated the research and development of cross-border integration technology of "high resolution mass spectrometry + Internet + data science/geographic information system (GIS)". The technology helped to generate intelligent big data report on pesticide residue and visualize pesticide residue risk traceability, which improved the ability to supervise food safety in advance and further ensure food safety.
Sun Baoguo pointed out in his report entitled "The 14thFive-Year Plan for Food Industry Technology Development Strategy" that during the 14thFive-Year Plan period, food research and development should adhere to the dual orientation of flavor and health. The food industry should take reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, multi-disciplinary as the foundation, and use high technology to improve the level of food processing, manufacturing, flavor, and health, and build a food science and technology theoretical system, technical system, and innovation system for China’s dietary patterns and eating habits so as to improve the international competitiveness of China's food industry.
Yue Guojun delivered a report entitled "Thinking of Future Food Development under the Background of Carbon Neutrality". The report emphasized that food needs to solve three core problems in the future: resource loss, nutrition balance, and taste. In the future, the carbon source of food will be based on carbohydrates platform, with synthetic biology as the key, the latter's multidisciplinary cross-integration innovation is at the core of future food technology competition.
Zheng Yuguo's report focused on "the future and development of carbohydrates". He introduced the dietary health value of carbohydrates and the importance of sucrose substitution, analyzed the current status and latest development of carbohydrates manufacturing technology at home and abroad, elaborated on the application of carbohydrates in food, medicine, health care and other fields, and pointed out future development trend of carbohydrates under the strategic layout of the national health industry.
As an attempt to explore the direction of scientific and technological innovation "for people's life and health", it is a high-standard and high-level meeting to exchange achievements of the world's food industry and scientific and technological development. In the afternoon, 21 domestic and foreign academicians and experts discussed topics such as the sustainable development of the global food industry in the future, research on functions and safety of food in the new era, the development trend of food manufacturing technology towards total nutrition, high technology and intelligence on three paralleled branch venues, which fully demonstrated the innovative design and research results of the future international food industry and technology
The forum also witnessed the signing ceremony for the establishment of the Asia Pacific Science and Technology Center of Jiangnan University and ADM Company of the United States. The cooperation agreement was signed by Mr. Liu Yuxiang, President of the American ADM Company and Academician Chen Jian of Jiangnan University on behalf of the two parties. The ceremony was presided over by Gu Zhengbiao, Vice President of Jiangnan University.
Du Xiaogang, Mayor of Wuxi, attended the forum and delivered a speech
Zhu Qingbao, Secretary of the CPC of Jiangnan University Committee, anchored over the Forum
