A group of 120 teachers and students from Hong Kong embarked on a special journey to Guangzhou Customs on June 22 to gain a better understanding of the inspection and quarantine procedures for food provided to Hong Kong.

A technician introduces the food and plant quarantine laboratories to students from Hong Kong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The delegation visited the Guangzhou Customs Food Laboratory and Guangzhou Customs Plant Quarantine Laboratory, deepening their understanding of inspection and quarantine supervision, quality control and technical support pertaining to quality and safety for food and agricultural products supplied from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong.

Guangdong province is the main source of Hong Kong and Macao's food and agricultural products, with about 70 percent of those supplies coming from areas under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Customs. All of the fresh milk imported from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong and Macao comes from Guangzhou Custom areas as does 80 percent of chilled poultry meat. The figure for chilled pork is also 80 percent, while chilled aquatic products are at 75 percent and vegetables are at 65 percent.

Hong Kong students carefully observe the food testing procedure. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The technical inspection department of Guangzhou Customs is one of the largest and most powerful testing technology organizations in China's customs system. The Guangzhou Customs Food Laboratory is a national key laboratory for food safety testing and was among the first laboratories to obtain the qualifications of the national food inspection agency and food re-inspection organization. It offers strong technical support for the protection of national interests and consumer health, maintains economic order in the market, and has made anti-fraud and other important contributions in response to food safety emergencies over the years.

Students from Hong Kong visit the Guangzhou Customs Food Laboratory. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The plant quarantine laboratory at Guangzhou Customs is a national key laboratory for quarantine and monitoring of substances that may host fruit flies. It is at the leading position in the field of insect identification, disease identification, quarantine and disinfection treatment, fruit fly monitoring, and quantitative risk assessment.