The World Expo 2010 will provide safe and quality food meeting the strict standards of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a top official of the Shanghai event's main food suppliers said on Thursday.
COFCO, the largest farm produce and food product manufacturer in China, will spare no efforts to guarantee food safety for the Expo Shanghai, Ning Gaoning, president of the group said during his visit to the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination in Pudong.
Beijing established 25 local food safety standards and chosen nine farms in the city as designated sources of major food products, such as meat and vegetables, for the Games last year.
A food tracing system was also built for the transfer of food products destined for the Olympics.
COFCO signed an agreement with the Expo organizer on July 31 to become the 13th senior sponsor of the Expo.
The group will provide farm produces, food and oils, vegetable and fruits, soft drinks, sugar and drinking alcohol for the Expo.
The cooking oil "Fortune" of the group was Expo 2010's exclusive edible oil product and the "Great Wall" wine became Expo 2010's exclusive wine product.
Expo Shanghai has 184 days of exhibition and up to 70 million estimated visitors, so the food supply is a crucial issue, said Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee.
Zhong said she believed the group will help the organizer to guarantee the food safety all the way from production to the dinner table. She expressed her appreciation for the support offered by the food group.
Ning and other officials of the group also visited the Expo Exhibition Hall at the Expo Mansion of the bureau and some of the main Expo structures, including the China Pavilion, Expo Boulevard and Expo Park, at the Expo Site. Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the bureau, accompanied the group officials during the visit.