China to Improve Quality Standards for Food Safety

China is making plans to upgrade its food safety system, stressing improved quality standards and strengthened supervision, according to a notice made public at www.gov.cn.

In late February, south China's Hainan Province took emergency measures to stop toxic cow peas from entering the market after about 3.5 tonnes of Hainan cow peas found were tainted with a poisonous pesticide.

To prevent such incidents and help ensure food safety, the country plans to increase the frequency of food tests and inspections -- especially for dairy products and other high-risk food.

National quality standards for diary products will also be released this year.

At least six infants died and almost 300,000 became ill across the country after consuming dairy products tainted with the industrial chemical melamine. The scandal was first reported in September 2008 and prompted a food safety overhaul nationwide.