New guidelines are released by the NFSC for evaluation of food quality. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Chinese State Council released new guidelines for the review of food quality and handling. These rules were created so that consumers will be protected and ensure that food sold is safe.
These guidelines, to be implemented by the National Food Safety Commission (NFSC), will require food manufacturers to submit an annual evaluation of each locality and the NFSC will determine if an investigation is needed.
The grading system follows a rating of A, B, or C. The lowest grade of "C" means that a locality had significant or repeated food safety accidents.
Establishments which perform well will be given commendations while violators will be investigated. Officials of such localities will be given incentives for good performance.
Local officials who are part of areas with repeated offenses will have career consequences.
It is not clear, however, how central government officials will have points deductions in cases of bad performance. The new guidelines aim to encourage good performance and effective management skills among local leaders.
Local food stalls should also be regulated, according to the government. There are about 400,000 food stalls with personnel less than 10.
Chen Xu, deputy chief for legal affairs at China Food and Drug Administration, said, China has more than 400,000 small food workshops, most of them with fewer than 10 workers, but they are not effectively regulated."
He added, "Such workshops and food stalls, many of them family-owned, usually lack adequate facilities for food processing and sanitary conditions are not satisfactory. But they are not effectively managed due to the fact that there are so many of them and sparsely located."
The deputy chief said that more legislation should be put into food safety.
