Representatives from nearly 130 Chinese food enterprises, which
are in Beijing for an international food safety forum scheduled for
Nov. 26-27, vowed on Sunday to improve quality control.
In a written pledge, they promised to strengthen monitoring
throughout the production process, resist using
substandard raw materials, improve management and share
quality-assurance experience and technology.
Another 300 or so domestic food companies joined the pledge by
fax or e-mail.
China has about 448,000 food production and processing
companies, which generated total output value of 1.28 trillion yuan
(173 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, up 29.9
percent year-on-year.
The producers' pledge followed government efforts to improve
quality standards, which cover seafood, eggs, vegetables,
toothpaste and toys.
In recent months, Chinese industries have been the focus of
numerous reports about substandard products, especially food. The
scandals have included vegetables containing pesticide residue,
fish contaminated with suspected carcinogens and eggs tainted with
the industrial dye Sudan Red.
In response to the reported scandals, the Chinese government
introduced a new recall system this past summer, began a four-month
national product quality campaign and issued a measure that
requires labeling of all food exports with an inspection and
quarantine symbol.
During the campaign, 626 criminal cases involving 774 suspects
were filed over substandard food and drug products, according to
the State Council, China's cabinet.
At the end of last month, the State Council gave in-principle
approval to a draft law on food safety to address "weak points" in
food production, processing, delivery, storage and sales.
Ahead of the approval, China and the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a joint statement, vowing to
strengthen cooperation in food safety, promote food trade and
protect consumers' rights.
The government also brought domestic and foreign reporters on
visits to food, toy and drug manufacturers to examine product
quality.
(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2007)
