China to Step up Food Safety Supervision

China will continue its fight against illegal practices concerning food safety this year, tightening supervision and combating unsafe food products in key sectors, according to officials.

The key sectors include diary products, edible oil, meat, health food, food additives, and liquors and wines, according to a statement from the office of the food safety commission under China's Cabinet, the State Council, that was released to Xinhua on Saturday.

A plenary meeting of the commission held on Friday worked out a list of major tasks to ensure the safety of food products in China this year.

The operation of food manufacturers would be strictly regulated and regulations would be enforced to ensure food safety compliance from producers, the statement said.

Also, efforts will be made to improve the country's food safety emergency response system and enhance its capability to monitor and assess food safety risks, according to the statement.

The meeting also called for the formation of a system to identify and punish responsible parties for food safety accidents, as well as to target underlying causes behind such accidents.