China to grade provincial governments' food safety performance

BEIJING - The central authority will send inspectors to review provincial-level government food safety, according to a document published on Monday.

The General Office of the State Council published a circular on the annual review and assessment of food safety work.

According to the document, the State Council food safety committee will oversee the assessment and an office under the committee will work with other authorities to conduct the inspections.

Local governments will also be asked to evaluate their own performances.

A final assessment report will be issued by the central authorities and local governments' performance will be rated into three grades.

Leading officials with governments that receive the lowest rating will be summoned to talks with officials of the food safety office or other central authorities, and they may even have to face the leaders of the State Council if necessary, the circular said.

Also, officials with poor food safety performance will be disqualified from any awards or honorary titles that same year.