National advisory body to discuss
int'l
challenges
BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature approved the Food
Safety Law on Saturday, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen
food safety control "from the production line to the dining table."
The law, which goes into effect on June 1, 2009, will enhance monitoring
and supervision, toughen-up safety standards, recall substandard products and
severely punish offenders.
The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee gave the green
light to the intensively-debated draft law at a four-day session, following a
spate of food scandals which triggered vehement calls for overhauling China's
current monitoring system.
Winning 158 out of the 165 votes, the law said the State Council, or
Cabinet, would set up a state-level food safety commission to oversee the entire
food monitoring system, whose lack of efficiency has long been blamed for
repeated scandals.
Departments of health, agriculture, quality supervision, industry and
commerce administration will shoulder different responsibilities.
These would include risk evaluation, the making and implementation of
safety standards, and the monitoring of the food production and circulation
sectors.
The law stipulated a ban on all chemicals and materials other than
authorized additives in food production, saying that "only those items proved to
be safe and necessary in food production are allowed to be listed as food
additives."
Health authorities are responsible for assessing and approving food
additives and regulating their usage.
Food producers must only use food additives and their usage previously
approved by authorities, on penalty of closure or revocation of production
licenses in serious cases, according to the law.
Producers of edible farm products are required to abide by food safety
standards when using pesticide, fertilizer, growth regulators, veterinary drugs,
feedstuff and feed additives. They must also keep farming or breeding records.
Offenders could face maximum fines which would be 10 times the value of
sold products. If businesses are found producing or selling a substandard
foodstuff, consumers can ask for financial compensation which is 10 times the
price of the product. That's in addition to compensation for the harm the
product causes to the consumer.
To better protect consumer rights, the law bans food safety supervision and
inspection agencies, food industry associations and consumers' associations from
advertising food products.
Individuals or organizations are prohibited from advertising substandard
food products. Those advertising such products would face joint liability for
damages incurred.
The law has been revised several times since it was submitted to the NPC
Standing Committee for the first reading in December 2007. In April 2008, it was
opened to public scrutiny and more than 11,000 comments were made to the
lawmaking body.
Chinese lawmakers review food safety,
insurance, criminal laws
BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council, or
Cabinet, will set up a food safety commission to strengthen the country's food
monitoring system, whose lack of efficiency has long been blamed for repeated
food scandals.
The decision was written in a draft law on food safety,
which was submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee,
China's top legislature, on Wednesday and is likely to be voted on Saturday
after a fourth reading. Full story
China to set up central food safety
commission
BEIJING, Feb. 25
(Xinhua) -- China's State Council, or Cabinet, will set up a food safety
commission to strengthen the country's food monitoring system, whose lack of
efficiency has long been blamed for repeated food scandals.
The decision was written in a draft law on food
safety, which was submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing
Committee, China's top legislature, on Wednesday and is likely to be voted on
Saturday after a fourth reading.Full story
China's draft law on food safety to
undergo 4th reading
BEIJING,
Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The draft Law on Food Safety will have its fourth reading by
lawmakers next week after being removed from the agenda of China's top
legislature in December.
Members of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing
Committee will discuss the draft law at an upcoming bi-monthly session scheduled
from Feb. 25 to 28, according to a statement issued after a meeting of the
chairman and vice-chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee on Tuesday,
presided over by chairman Wu Bangguo. Full story
