The White Paper on the nation's food quality and food security
situation released yesterday aims to put at ease the hearts of
consumers at home and abroad.
Despite a string of health concerns triggered by fake and
below-standard food products recently, the authoritative document
insists that overall food quality has been improving steadily in
the country.
According to the White Paper, last year 77.9 percent of food
products sampled in the domestic market were up to standard, and
the proportion for the first half of this year rose to 85.1
percent.
Meanwhile, as a major world food exporter, the country's food
product exports are over 99 percent up-to-standard.
Such encouraging results are certainly good news for consumers
and our trade partners.
As a responsible country, China has set up an effective system
for safeguarding every link in food exports. Hence, a few bad
producers should not be regarded as representing all Chinese food
exports.
The Chinese government has always taken food safety seriously as
it concerns people's health, the market's credibility and the
country's image.
In recent years, efforts have been made by concerned authorities
to tighten industry regulations, step up legislation and law
enforcement and improve supervision of food quality.
The country has vowed to take severe measures to punish company
culprits, including blacklisting them and imposing export ban.
To improve its administration in food quality and safety and
promote international trade in food products, the country has also
been keen on borrowing successful experiences from other countries
and has actively engaged in international co-operation.
Back at home, being aware of the fact that China's food and drug
supervision work began late and its foundations weak, the country's
watchdog announced earlier this month that the State will invest
8.8 billion yuan (around US$1.2 billion) to improve technology and
infrastructure of food and drug supervision system.
However, it is a long way before we plug all loopholes in the
whole process of food production and marketing.
The fact that nearly 5,800 tons of substandard foods were
recalled in the first half of the year speaks volumes for the
urgency to build a more efficient and transparent supervision
system on the production and marketing of food products.
On the other hand, some profit-driven businessmen in the trade
have been blatant in giving a cold shoulder to concerned
regulations and laws. In this regard, severe punishment should be
meted out to deter whoever dares manufacture and market fake food
items.
(China Daily August 18, 2007)