Political Advisors Urging Stronger Food Safety Regulation

Members of China's top advisory body are urging tighter supervision and better working efficiency to ensure food safety.

Zhang Ru has more:

With the steady increase of living standards, food safety has become a big concern among Chinese people, especially after a number of food scandals.

"Now we can buy white flour and steamed buns at anytime. Our lives are much better than before. But flour and steamed buns look so white that I dare not eat them. I am worried that whitening additives would harm my health."

"Almost all parents in my neighborhood choose imported milk powder for their children."

Repeated food safety scandals include poisonous rice and an infant formula scandal in recent years have undermined consumers' confidence in the domestic food industry.

At the ongoing annual session of China's top political advisory body, CPPCC, political advisors have submitted more than 200 proposals related to food and drug safety.

Wang Gang, a member of the CPPCC, calls for reforms of the current food safety supervision system.

"The efficiency of the government response to food safety incidents is impaired by current joint supervision of different administrations. Many incidents were exposed by the media instead of the authorities."

China's current food safety system involves eight departments. Wang proposes that the central government set up a coordinated and integrated food regulatory body.

Wang points out the current supervision team is poorly-staffed.

"For example, in a city with four to five million residents, a team of less than 60 people oversees all local catering businesses."

Wang calls on more investment in technology to improve food quality supervision.

"First, the standard of food additives can not be updated timely because China's guidelines of food additive are based on foreign standards. Second, research of additives that fit China's culinary culture is far from enough. This may lead to misuse or overuse of food additives."

Policy advisor, Li Dongyu, expects harsher punishment on food safety crimes.

"Besides financial punishment and other punishments, the industry and commerce department should not allow offenders to get involved in the food industry anymore."

In 2009, China passed the Food Safety Law after a series of food scandals.

A statement issued by the National Food Safety Regulation Work Office says in 2010, China dealt with 130,000 cases involving food safety, 115 of which were criminal.

For CRI, I am Zhang Ru.