Food experts from Beijing will step up safety inspections in seven provinces ahead of the Lunar New Year, which falls on January 26, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.

The experts will crack down on non-edible substances and excessive use of additives in food during the busy holiday food sales period, Ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an told a press briefing.

The inspection would cover markets, restaurants and additive producers in the provinces, including Hebei, where the melamine-contaminated milk formula scandal began, Mao said.

"We will severely punish groups or individuals who violate the law," he said. "We will also update the public on major cases across the country."

According to the ministry, the country had screened 22.4 million babies who were fed melamine-tainted formula by the end of December and found 296,000 were sickened. Hospitals treated 52,898 sick babies nationwide, with 52,582 cured.

Mao also said the government had allocated about 10 billion yuan (US$1.46 billion) for infectious disease control and new drug research and development (R&D).

The ministry's mid-term R&D outline encourages researchers to develop new drugs and improve the prevention and cure of infectious diseases, such as AIDS and hepatitis, by 2020.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2009)