Food safety: A highlight of two sessions
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It's been nearly 10 months since China's Food Safety Law came into effect.Public trust is gradually rebuilding following the series of tainted food scandals in 2009. But NPC deputies say more needs to be done to reinforce food safety.
The scandal of melamine tainted dairy products in the first half of 2009 is still fresh in many people's minds. The incident jeopardized trust between some of the country's biggest dairy producers and their customers. And restoring consumer confidence has not been easy.
A consumer said, "I don't feel reassured when buying food products. My choice is to shop at big shopping mall and buy branded products."
China's new Food Safety Law came into effect on June, 1st 2009. It set up a recall system and scrapped previous guidelines that allowed some larger companies to be exempt from inspections.
Heavier penalties are also in line from people who break the law. NPC deputies at the two ongoing sessions believe more needs to be done.
NPC deputy Xu Juyun said, "Food safety is a big responsibility concerning people's well being. The criteria for food safety should be strictly supervised by the government. It's of vital importance that food safety be well dealt with internally."
The current law has unified food safety standards and created a national food safety watchdog. Consumers have the right to claim compensation as high as ten times the product's purchase price.
The State Council has also set up a special committee to coordinate and instruct different ministries on their responsibilities.
It's a good sign that the Food Safety Law aims to establish a powerful and effective legal system and help increase consumer confidence. But there is still a question mark over how well the law can be implemented for the benefit of the public and to what extent food scandals can be avoided in the future.
