HKBU hosts the Inaugural FoodMed Conference

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) organised the inaugural FoodMed Conference on 28 and 29 May. The conference, themed "Integrating Food and Chinese Medicine: Exploring Science, Technology, and Holistic Approaches for Health", brought together 300 researchers, practitioners, industry innovators, investors, experts, and regulatory officials from the fields of food and Chinese medicine.

The opening was officiated by Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Dr Terence Cheung Yung-yan, Consultant (Community Medicine) (Risk Assessment and Communication), the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Government of the Hong Kong SAR. The two-day event aimed to facilitate the exchange of professional knowledge on food as medicine, unlock food’s therapeutic potential and discuss its future developmental trends in supporting the primary healthcare in society.

In his welcome speech, Professor Alex Wai highlighted that the concept of “food as medicine” is deeply rooted in the millennia-old practices as seen in many cultures, but the global community has yet to explore the ancient wisdoms to their fullest potential in advancing public health.

“Alongside traditional Chinese medicine, HKBU’s transdisciplinary research combines experts in biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science to contribute to the innovation and technological development of ‘food as medicine’ in various aspects. Our concerted endeavour not only enriches the scientific underpinnings of dietary health but also catalyses the emergence of novel nutraceutical strategies that redefine wellness and disease prevention,” Professor Wai said.

Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU and Chairman of the Food Safety Consortium, remarked that: “The conference explores the vast potential health benefits of food-derived compounds and how technological innovation shapes the future development of the ‘food as medicine’ concept, and its translational development. Investors and entrepreneurs shared their entrepreneurial journeys at the conference, while the insightful perspectives of experts allowed us to glimpse the boundless possibilities brought about by cutting-edge technology.”

The conference featured keynote speeches by visionary leaders. Professor Chen Junshi, Chief Adviser of the National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment and Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, shed light on the transformative potential of food medicine homology in promoting health and wellness. Complementing this scientific focus, Dr Zhang Fei, Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Institute at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce, offered valuable insights on market opening, regulations, and investment opportunities for the food and drug industry in Mainland China. Mr Tom Heilandt, Former Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission gave views on the dynamic landscape of regulatory frameworks while Dr Maura Di Martino, Consultant of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, shared views on safety issues, regulatory challenges and foresight.

Thirty-five speakers from the local community, the Mainland and overseas delivered presentations at the two-day conference. The topics covered various aspects related to the concept of “food as medicine”, including regulatory frameworks, safety and quality, scientific and integrative approaches, innovation, scientific validation, and evidence-based practices, the translational Chinese medicine and food homology, challenges and opportunities in the industry and investment, as well as future developments.

Other speakers included Dr Sarah McMullen, Director of the China Office of the US Food and Drug Administration; Professor So Kwok Fai, Director of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration at Jinan University; Professor He Zuhua, Principal Investigator of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences and the Shanghai Institute of Plan Physiology and Ecology, and Member of CAS; and Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima, Former Director of Food Safety and Zoonoses of the World Health Organization (WHO), Former Deputy Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health, and Former Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/WHO.