Associate Professor Quancai Sun from the Faculty of Medicine of the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) has been appointed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as a member of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
JECFA is an international scientific expert committee jointly administered by FAO and WHO. The committee primarily conducts safety evaluations of food additives, contaminants, natural toxins, and veterinary drug residues based on toxicological animal studies and human epidemiological research data. It quantitatively assesses human exposure levels and related health risks, and establishes or revises corresponding Health-based Guidance Values (HBGVs). HBGVs serve as a crucial basis for establishing international and national food standards and assessing risk evaluation outcomes, playing a key role in safeguarding global consumer health and promoting fair food trade. JECFA experts are required to possess outstanding professional backgrounds and ensure the transparency and independence of the scientific advice they provide. To date, JECFA has completed safety evaluations for over 2,600 food additives, approximately 50 contaminants and natural toxins, and about 100 veterinary drug residues. Simultaneously, JECFA provides science-based advice on food safety risk management to FAO, WHO, their member states, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
Associate Professor Sun has long been engaged in research areas including food nutrition and toxicology, high-value utilization of food by-products, dietary nutritional interventions, and protein-based food colloids. He has published over 70 academic papers in authoritative journals in the field of food science. He also serves as an Associate Editor for journals such as Current Research in Food Science and Food Science and Human Wellness, and as an editorial board member for Current Opinion in Food Science and Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, actively promoting academic exchange and disciplinary development.
This appointment as a JECFA member signifies the high recognition by an authoritative international organization of Associate Professor Sun’s academic expertise and professional contributions. It also reflects the international influence of the MUST in the fields of food safety and nutritional science. In the future, he will contribute his professional knowledge to international food safety assessments and the development of HBGVs, supporting global food risk governance and the cause of human health.
Associate Professor Quancai Sun
