China Focus: China beefs up Food Safety Law

China is preparing a tougher Food Safety Law to come into effect on Oct. 1, said a senior official with China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) on Tuesday.

Guo Wenqi made the remark at a seminar on food safety and rule of law in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province.

In April, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, adopted an amendment to the 2009 Food Safety Law with the heaviest civil, administrative and criminal penalties yet for offenders and their supervisors.

According to Guo Xiaoguang, head of CFDA Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement, the CFDA has been working with a dozen agencies, including financial institutions, taxation and fiscal departments, on dealing with serious food safety violators.

Enterprises that violate the revised law may face restrictions on loans, taxation, bidding and land use. The CFDA will also provide bigger rewards to whistleblowers.

Hua Jingfeng, deputy head of Public Order Administration at the Ministry of Public Security said, "We encourage tip-offs from the public and food industry associations."

He said the ministry wants trained police specialized in food crime and so far 21 provincial public security departments have set up food safety teams.

Guan Yingshi from the SPC said people's courts are taking measures to promote public awareness of food safety law. For example, trials of some notorious food crimes will be on live broadcast.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate will take action over neglect of duty in food production as well as safety supervision.

"By analyzing the underlying causes of the cases through investigations and trials and drawing lesson from them, the SPP will be able to give advice and help businesses set up regulations and fix loopholes," said Huo Yapeng of the SPP. Endit