China urges higher food safety standards

Chinese food safety authorities have been urged to better supervise food safety standards, in the latest move to improve efforts in this area. In a document issued on Monday, the National Health and Family Planning Commission called for local health departments to study and evaluate local food safety standards, especially standards on the registration of local food-producing enterprises. The commission also asked local authorities to implement food safety regulations in a scientific and transparent manner, and stick to enterprises' role as the first person responsible for food safety scandals. Provincial health departments were told to improve service and streamline registration procedures in order to provide convenience. China is in the process of cleaning up and integrating its food safety standards, and 5,000 redundant food safety standards will be removed by the end of this year.