Food safety in China
Food safety in China is a widespread concern for
Overview
Food safety has been a concern for many decades in China. The majority of food problems lies within poisonous foods deliberately contaminated by producers for higher profits. The most common types poisonous foods in china include: adulteration, additives, pesticides, and fake foods. These poisonous food production techniques allowed producers to either increase production, increase mass of produce, lower market prices, and increase shelf-life. Poisonous food production was very well-organized and largely scaled, involving government agencies participating in such malpractice.[4]
The growing
China's food regulations are complex, its monitoring system can be unresponsive, and the government departments that oversee and enforce policies have overlapping and often ambiguous duties. There are around ten national government departments that share the responsibility to ensure food safety. There are also numerous provincial and local agencies that monitor local food production and sales. The food and drug laws themselves have been created "in an ad hoc way without the benefit of a basic food law," as Henk Bekedam of the World Health Organization told the Wall Street Journal (9 April 2007, B1).[6] The last major revision of the food and drug laws was made in 1995[7] when the Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China established general food safety principles. Both the State Council and the departments under the State Council can issue regulations and directives concerning food.[8]
Changes in China's food production system are generating an awareness of food safety problems. China's agricultural system is composed mostly of small land-holding
On July 10, 2007, Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of State Food And Drug Administration, was executed by lethal injection for taking bribes from various firms in exchange for state licenses related to product safety.[13]
Government departments
Approximately ten government departments and ministries under the
No single agency is responsible for all food safety regulations and enforcement in China, and the departments' duties often overlap.[15] There are also local and regional food safety agencies, but there is no clear hierarchy of agencies at the local or national levels. In response to complexity of numerous agencies monitoring and regulating food safety, the National People's Congress established the State Food and Drug Administration in 2003. The State Food and Drug Administration was supposed to oversee the all aspects of food safety regulations and unify food safety controls. However, the State Food and Drug Administration has not become the main governing department as the government had intended, and the other national agencies have continued to regulate and monitor food safety. This unclear division of duties has created conflict and confusion when citizens have sought to complain or when a major crisis needed to be resolved.
The National People's Congress (NPC)[16] is primarily responsible for implementing food safety laws. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the State Council also regulate food safety issues.[17] The Food Hygiene Law of 1995, passed by the NPC, amended the 1982 Food Hygiene Law and regulates most aspects of food safety.[18]
Ministry of Health
Established in 1949, the
The general duties of the Ministry of Health are:[22]
- To draft health laws, regulations and policies; to propose health development programs and strategic goals; to formulate technical protocols, health standards and to supervise their enforcement.
- To propose regional health programs, to conduct overall planning and to coordinate the nationwide allocation of health resources.
- To formulate working programs and policies on rural health, as well as maternal and child health care; to guide the implementation of primary health programs and technical protocols on maternal and child health care.
- To implement the policy of "Prevention First" and to conduct health education to the general public. To develop programs on the prevention and treatment of diseases that endanger the health of the population; to organize the comprehensive prevention and treatment of major diseases; to publicize the quarantine list of communicable diseases and the surveillance list of infectious diseases.
- To guide the reform of medical institutions; to formulate criteria for medical practitioners, medical quality and service delivery, and to supervise their enforcement.
- To regulate by law blood collection at blood or plasma centers and the quality of blood for clinical transfusion.
- To draft key national development programs on medical science, technology and education; to organize key national medical and health researches; to guide the dissemination and application of medical achievements. To administer the affiliated institutions.
- To supervise communicable disease prevention and treatment, food health, occupational, environmental, radiological, and school health. To formulate food and cosmetics quality control protocols and be responsible for their accreditation.
- To formulate national development programs on health professionals and professional ethics protocols for health personnel; to draft and implement staffing standards for health institutions and accreditation criteria for health personnel.
- To organize and guide multi-lateral and bilateral governmental and non-governmental health and medical cooperation and exchanges and medical aid to other countries, to participate in major health events initiated by international organizations. To coordinate medical and health exchanges and collaborations between China and the World Health Organization and other international organizations.
- To implement the policy of developing both western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
- To do the routine work of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee.
- To coordinate and dispatch technical health capacity nationwide, to assist local governments and relevant agencies in emergency response to major epidemics and diseases and in epidemic and disease prevention and control.
- To undertake other work as designated by the State Council.
State Food and Drug Administration
The
The general duties of the SFDA are:[25]
- To draft health laws, regulations and policies; to propose health development programs and strategic goals; to formulate technical protocols, health standards and to supervise their enforcement.
- To propose regional health programs, to conduct overall planning and to coordinate the nationwide allocation of health resources.
- To formulate working programs and policies on rural health, as well as maternal and child health care; to guide the implementation of primary health programs and technical protocols on maternal and child health care.
- To implement the policy of "Prevention First" and to conduct health education to the general public. To develop programs on the prevention and treatment of diseases that endanger the health of the population; to organize the comprehensive prevention and treatment of major diseases; to publicize the quarantine list of communicable diseases and the surveillance list of infectious diseases.
- To guide the reform of medical institutions; to formulate criteria for medical practitioners, medical quality and service delivery, and to supervise their enforcement.
- To regulate by law blood collection at blood or plasma centers and the quality of blood for clinical transfusion.
- To draft key national development programs on medical science, technology and education; to organize key national medical and health researches; to guide the dissemination and application of medical achievements. To administer the affiliated institutions.
- To supervise communicable disease prevention and treatment, food health, occupational, environmental, radiological, and school health. To formulate food and cosmetics quality control protocols and be responsible for their accreditation.
- To formulate national development programs on health professionals and professional ethics protocols for health personnel; to draft and implement staffing standards for health institutions and accreditation criteria for health personnel.
- To organize and guide multi-lateral and bilateral governmental and non-governmental health and medical cooperation and exchanges and medical aid to other countries, to participate in major health events initiated by international organizations. To coordinate medical and health exchanges and collaborations between China and the World Health Organization and other international organizations.
- To implement the policy of developing both western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
- To do the routine work of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee.
- To coordinate and dispatch technical health capacity nationwide, to assist local governments and relevant agencies in emergency response to major epidemics and diseases and in epidemic and disease prevention and control.
- To undertake other work as designated by the State Council.
Ministry of Agriculture
The
Ministry of Commerce
The Ministry of Commerce handles the regulations governing food trade, foreign investments, food distribution, and domestic and international market activities.[33]
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine
The
State Administration for Industry and Commerce
The
The Mission of the SAIC is as follows:[39]
- Draft and promulgate guidelines, policies, laws, rules and regulations concerning administration for industry and commerce.
- Handle and administer the registration of all kinds of enterprises (including foreign-invested enterprises), organizations or individuals that are engaged in business activities as well as resident representative offices of foreign companies; examine and ratify the registration of business names; review, approve and issue business licenses and carry out regulation thereof.
- Supervise market competition, investigate into illegal trade practices including monopoly, unfair competition, smuggling, selling of smuggled goods, pyramid selling and disguised pyramid selling and mete out corresponding penalties according to law.
- Carry out standard supervision and administration in accordance with law to ensure healthy order of business operation in various markets.
- Regulate the operation of brokers and brokerage agencies.
- Regulate contract performance, auctions and registration of chattel mortgage; investigate and penalize illegal practices such as contract frauds.
- Regulate advertising activities, investigate and penalize illegal practices.
- Take charge of trademark registration and administration, protect exclusive right of trademark, investigate and penalize trademark infringements and reinforce recognition and protection of well-known trademarks.
- Regulate the self-employed, private partnerships and private enterprises.
- Lead and guide local administrative authorities for industry and commerce nationwide.
- Carry out international cooperation and exchanges in areas related to the functions of SAIC.
Ministry of Science and Technology
The
National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety
The
- 1950–1957: National Institute of Health, Ministry of Public Health
- 1957–1983: Institute of Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
- 1983–1985: Institute of Health, China National Center for Preventive Medicine
- 1985–1986: Institute of Health, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine
- In 1986, the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene was established under the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine.
Food safety regulations
In October 2007, China approved new legislation aimed at improving and monitoring national standards in food production. New laws will standardize food production and clamp down on illegal activity in the industry. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine drafted the new regulations covering the production, processing and sale of food. They will create national standards and replace the existing patchwork of rules which are overseen by several government agencies.[43]
Food Safety Law
The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China took effect on June 1, 2009 and became the major food safety protection law.[44] This legislation describes all the responsibilities of food safety regulations to the Ministry of Health, who is responsible for food safety risk assessment, formulating food safety standards, food safety information dissemination, and setting codes of practice for food testing organizations.[44] The law also clearly describes the duty to monitor food production, servicing, and circulation by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State of Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the State Food Drug Administration.[44] The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China does not clearly state how these food safety monitoring duties are divided among these agencies.[44]
This law offers a new aspect of authorizing consumers to seek compensation from the distributor or producer of harmful food products, up to 10 times the price of the said food product.[44] The Food Safety Law does not state clearly whether local governments shall provide compensation if there is malpractice in government action.[44] Food contamination incidents in China have not shown signs of decline after this particular Food Safety law.[4]
In January 2016, the State Council of China issued the "Measures for the Administration of Food and Drug Complaints and Reports", clearly implementing the content and system of the plan, encouraging and supporting the public to report food violations. [45]
Legislative reform after the Food Safety Law
China began a new legislative reform four years after the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China. These amendments contain frameworks stating regulation for online food trading, mandatory food safety liability insurance, infant formula, and enhanced penalties for violations.[46] These amendments encourage regulation from nongovernmental stakeholders in the food industry, such as food industry associations, nongovernmental organizations, the media, and consumers.[46] The promotion of a reporting measure where any person may report alleged food safety violations and receive rewards is an example.[46] Moreover, the amendments will require the National Food Safety Standard Evaluation Committee to include members of consumer associations and food industry associations.[46] These reforms present a shift from a government-centered framework of China's food safety policy.
Food safety incidents
The People's Republic of China (PRC) has received increased international media scrutiny following the reform and opening of the country, its joining the World Trade Organization, and the increased awareness of Chinese people in urban areas to food safety. There have been numerous incidents involving food safety in the PRC including the unconventional use of pesticides or other dangerous chemical additives as food preservatives or additives and the use of unhygienic starting materials as food ingredients. There were two catastrophic food scandals in the past decades that resulted around 300,000 cases of food-borne diseases. The first incident occurred 3 decades ago in Shanghai where consumption of raw clam lead to a Hepatitis A outbreak. The second incident is the 2008 Chinese milk scandal which caused kidney stones in infants, devastating almost 300,000 children.[47] The 2008 Chinese milk scandal received the most attention among food safety incidents. This incident brought China's food safety policy under scrutiny in the international eye, playing a part in the institution of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China in June 2009.[44]
See also
- Blockchain Chicken Farm
- Food safety
- Food security
- Food safety incidents in China
- Food policy in China
- Soil contamination in China
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External links
- National Food Quality Supervision and Inspection Center Archived 2009-09-19 at the Wayback Machine
- China Academy of Safety Science and Technology
- State Food and Nutrition Consultant Committee Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology
- National Food Safety Information Center
- China Food Safety Web
- Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong Government
- China Food Information Network
- Food Safety Network, certification consulting, laws and regulations, and training and education.
- China National Food Industry Association- information, food regulations, certification, technology, and statistics
- Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Food Safety on China Digital Times
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Penn Program on Regulation's Import Safety Page
- Greater China Food Safety Database Archived 2013-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
- Inspection in China