2014 food safety guideline issues

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2014-06-25

More technology will be adopted in food safety inspections at county levels. Inspection work is encouraged to be outsourced to a third party.

Local authorities are encouraged to invest more in informatization of food safety inspection, such as creating databases. Information on food safety will be promoted in a variety of ways, including the Internet of Things, anti-counterfeiting technology and bar codes.

Laws and regulations

A series of laws and regulations on food safety will be revised or enacted. Sprouts, live poultry, health products and kitchen waste will be specially targeted.

A food tracing mechanism that focuses on farm product safety, circulation of meat, vegetables, alcohol and dairy product safety will be applied.

Labeling and verification of certain foods, such as pollution-free agricultural products, green food, organic products, Muslim food and GM food, will be completed.

Standardization on food safety will be streamlined and unified. A new national standard on important foods, such as edible vegetable oil, honey, grains, drinking water and seasoning, will be stipulated. More regulations on inspections and management of food safety will be released.

Collective efforts for food safety

Enterprises engaged in baby milk powder and baijiu will play a bigger role in facilitating food safety crackdowns, as they are encouraged to appoint specialists to supervise the entire production process, and explore an accountability system as well as a compensation system.

Authorities will also bolster agricultural mass-production and standardization, guide transformation and upgrading of major industries and strengthen brand building. Some enterprises engaged in infant formula production will be merged or reorganized, with production being streamlined.

A compulsory liability system on food safety will be applied to major industries and fields.

A credibility system will be launched for all market players. Enterprises with poor credit will have trouble with financing, loans, tax payments and applying for more land.

Whistleblowers in food safety cases will be rewarded, while an enhanced confidentiality system will be enacted.