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On
the heels of international outcry over tainted food and
counterfeit drugs, China said it plans to revise rules related
to food and drug safety and implement nationwide inspections,
the New York Times reported.
The most recent thorn in China's side involved its export
of ingredients that tainted pet food and animal feed. The
breach spurred one of the largest pet food recalls in U.S.
history, and ramped up pressure on Beijing to better ensure
the quality and safety of its exports.
This week, China's State Council said it planned by 2010
to establish new controls on food and drug imports and exports,
as well as increase random testing on medicines. It also
said it would maintain data on inspections of 90 percent
of all food products.
China's government also vowed safety checks on most food
makers, and said it would stop the sale of counterfeit drugs
and medical devices.
The goal five years from now, the government said, was that
"100 percent of the significant food safety accidents are
investigated and dealt with" and that "90 percent of the
food that needs to be recalled is recalled."
"Recently our country has had a series of export food problems,
and that has triggered a lot of overseas attention about
China's food safety," said Wei Chuanzhong, deputy director
of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection
and Quarantine. "This has put us on high alert, and led
us to seriously look into the reasons for the problem."
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