Market access set for food producers
(People's Daily Online)
Updated: 2005-03-03 15:20

China is making aggressive efforts and progress on securing food safety. All food processing businesses will face market access system and food exporters will be under close watch.

Ge Changrong, deputy director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said at a press conference on March 1 that food under 28 categories with more than 500 varieties would be included in the market access system which they were promoting hard around the country.

This means that food producers get license only when they are proved to be comply with the laws governing their capacity and quality control. Food has to be labeled QS (quality security) sign before marketing. Market access system has been implemented on 375 varieties of food.

Ge confirmed that a majority of food available on the market now was supplied by producers which had got approval for their production.

Actually all suppliers of rice, flour, oil, soybean oil and vinegars have to get such approval. In China, 29,661 producers of these food have got license whose annual output accounts for more than 95 percent of the sales on the market across the country.

Ge's department is near the finishing line for the application of market access system on 10 categories: meat products, milk, beverage, seasoning, instant noodle, cookies, canned food, refrigerated beverage, refrigerated rice and noodle, and extruded food. 2,801 producers are granted permits.

For another 13 categories such as tea and candy, detailed evaluation rules has been issued based on a special research on market threshold. Certification will be launched soon throughout the country.

Crack-down on fake and shoddy food has also been intensified. A special campaign was focused on the areas and products which were plagued with fake and shoddy food.

Meanwhile, to boost the food export, close cooperation between food producers and raw materials suppliers is believed to be a good way to improve the food safety. Ge's administration is also striving to strengthening the prevention of epidemic diseases and the control over residue of pesticide.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine began to take the responsibility of supervising the food processing from January this year. The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the growing and breeding of raw materials while the Administration of Industry and Commerce is in charge of the commercial circulation. The Ministry of Health makes sure that public places for food consumption, such as canteens and restaurants, is safe enough for diners.

The State Food and Drug Administration functions as a coordinator to organize concerted campaigns when it is necessary.

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