Brookings Institution website May 13 published "China's new food safety law for consumers and businesses what it means," a text, author is John Thornton China Center Visiting Fellow Lim (sound).
    The article said that China in October 2015 issued a revised "Food Safety Law", which aims to strengthen the supervision of Chinese domestic food companies, and to enhance monitoring of the supply chain. The Act provides that a violation "Food Safety Law" will have severe consequences. The revised "Food Safety Law" is a step in the right direction, but the improvement of food security requires more than just new regulations. Between the need to strengthen food safety supervision to bear responsibility for the various government agencies (including the China Food and Drug Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, etc.) inter-agency coordination.
    China to export food safety and quality standards set higher than the domestic food market. Export food quality and food quality between the local market and there is a gap, which is not uncommon in developing countries. But after several large-scale food safety incidents, Chinese domestic consumers are paying close attention to the quality of their food, no longer willing to accept such a gap. To safeguard public health and to improve consumer confidence in the domestic development and implementation of higher food safety standards is very important. Improve consumer confidence will take time, but it is an integral part of China is seeking consumer-driven economic component.
    The article said that the biggest obstacle facing China's food safety supervision department, the domestic food industry is still fragmented, with many small businesses. Under the new regulations, supervision and inspection needs increase, which will increase operating costs and may lead to industry consolidation, and from a regulatory perspective, this will help them easier to manage China's domestic food industry. But the emerging trend is that consumers from small and perhaps unproven retailers to buy food, which actually makes it more difficult regulatory agencies to perform their duties. This is because, when the transaction occurs through non-traditional retail channels, the product harder to track, if there are problems, but also more difficult to recall. Traceability is essential for the protection of food safety, because it makes the food in question to be identified. Then, the production of such food companies can remedy the situation, and may supply chain accountable every step.
    Chinese government has supported aggregated production units in rural level initiatives. These farmers so they can coordinate production base of grain production, and marketing to large retailers. Interested parties to join the rural areas to provide safe pesticides and pesticide application guide; farmers can sell directly to large retailers. Direct relationship between farmers and retailers can have greater traceability, to verify that the necessary checks on the spot to provide convenience. This mode is suitable to improve food safety, especially as it relates to the use of pesticides, but this approach needs to expand, and thereby make a meaningful impact on China's domestic food market.
    The article said that since China is not the only country facing food security challenges, it can learn from the lessons of other countries. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute Vivian Hoffman said, "in many ways the public sector can take advantage of the ability and energy of the private sector, so that food safety regulation more effective." For example, China could consider a larger regulatory cooperation, this strategy involves the private sector to join supervision. Regulatory agencies in the development of standards to allow enterprises to participate in, contribute to preventing the local standards so that companies are either unattainable or simply sink into the plight of the standard ignore. Hoffman clear that allowing enterprises involved does not mean sacrificing the safety of consumers. On the contrary, it will create a more transparent process, so that enterprises can in the necessary follow higher standards. The private sector can participate test their products, but still need to verify the test.
    Open communication with consumers is also very important. Food safety risk-based approach (which is an international practice, China also adopted) may pose a particular challenge: Sometimes, the eyes of consumers in the food supply of the most dangerous aspects of scientific and technological personnel, there are perceptions of risks different. For example, scientists may focus on biological contaminants, and consumers are worried about pesticides and additives.
    The article said that China revised "Food Safety Law" is a step in the right direction, but regulation and law enforcement remains a challenge. Fortunately, this is not an insurmountable challenge. Wary consumers will continue to demand higher quality and more traceable head of food, a trend that is applied to the regulatory body a growing pressure to enforce its high standards, and also provide a huge positive for the enterprising Opportunity.