It could be seen as both ironic and tragically timely that Beijing was the setting for an international food safety conference recently last month. Attending the China International Food Safety & Quality Conference was Jørgen Schlundt, director of the department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO). Dominique Patton spoke with him about the recent crisis and moves within and without China to improve its food safety systems.