China steps up crackdown on food and drug safety crimes

Food safety administration staffs inspect a restaurant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Nov 10, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Chinese authorities have recently unveiled measures to facilitate coordination between administrative and judicial organs in handling food and drug safety cases.

A document to the effect was jointly issued by China Food and Drug Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate as well as the executive office of the food safety commission under the State Council, China's Cabinet.

In the past, problems, such as ambiguous standards in case transferring or undefined responsibilities of different authorities in investigation, have hampered China's effort to combat food and drug safety crimes.

Therefore, the package of measures have been drawn up, streamlining standards and procedures of works including transferring of cases from administrative bodies to police, lead sharing and joint investigation of major cases.

According to the document, food and drug safety watchdogs, public security organs and judicial authorities at all levels need to establish a collaboration mechanism in sharing and publishing information of the cases, and will hold regular joint meetings to discuss cases.

Authorities have also called for an online information platform that enables cases of suspected crimes to be transferred, heard and supervised via the Internet.