China announces food safety investment
Chinese authorities are planning to spend over RMB72bn in an effort to improve the product safety of…Chinese authorities are planning to spend over RMB72bn in an effort to improve the product safety of its domestic farm produce, the Xinhua news agency reported today.
According to the report, the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to create a three-tiered program focused on research and inspection in the field of agricultural goods.
The move to improve quality control is linked to public fears of tainted local produce after prominent scandals such as the Sanlu dairy tainting incident.
In 2008, the Sanlu group was embroiled in a contamination scandal, with the dairy group found guilty of watering down its products with the chemical melamine.
The news comes as part of a recent push by Beijing to secure the nation's food supply.