Unified food quality system is needed
By Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-11 11:06

Nine officials have been removed or given disciplinary penalties following a fake milk powder scandal which led to 12 deaths and malnutrition complaints for 189 babies in Fuyang, East China's Anhui Province.

The officials included the mayor, the vice-mayor in charge of market supervision and health work, and top officials with the city's industrial and commercial or health bureaux.

Before these moves, businessmen who violated laws involving this case have already been arrested.

However, such strict punishment measures for local officials and businessmen still have not made the public feel secure about their food staples. Fuyang's tragedy shows only one part of the whole picture, considering the alarming loopholes in the country's food safety system.

When Fuyang's case was exposed, other cities also discovered cases of bogus instant milk being sold. Since what we have seen is not a problem limited only to Fuyang, punishing those only in Fuyang is far from enough.

For one thing, the substandard milk powder goods were not local products. Fuyang officials deserve to be investigated for allowing inferior goods to be made available in the local markets.

But how about the producers? How about officials in the areas of production? Even in Fuyang, the conspicuous absence of officials charged with undertaking quality inspection duties on the lists of people being held responsible is causing public suspicion.

Reforming and strengthening the national supervision system on food safety should be the basic solution.

A unified examination system on food quality should be put in place.

Currently, at the provincial level, many departments are in charge of food testing. For example, the industry and commerce administration bureau is responsible for overseeing circulation of food in supermarkets. As for food production or processing, it is the duty of quality testing departments. The department of public health is in charge of food hygiene in restaurants.

Lack of a unified examination system has affected the efficiency of food quality supervision, and authorities cannot reach every corner of the sector.

Thus, a unified examination system on food quality is urgently needed.

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