CRI听力：China Tightens Control on Food Safety

Candy maker Guan Shengyuan was accused earlier this month by the Philippines of allegedly exporting products containing formaldehyde and other harmful substances. The Shanghai-based company, supported by official findings, has denied the allegations and threatened to sue the Philippine quality watchdog for defaming the brand. They blame counterfeiters for spreading quality-compromised products. Foreign media have given wide coverage of supposedly 'tainted' Chinese products that did not reach foreign standards of health and safety. Now it appears evident that many of these reports have been exaggerated.

However, such media stories have spread misconceptions and stirred up consumer angst in overseas markets trading in made-in-China products. At Friday's press conference, the country's top quality control agency says the government has never, and will never, loosen up on its control of export safety, especially on food products, ensuring 'made in China' labels still maintain good quality and value for money.

Li Changjiang, the quality inspection chief, says at least 99 percent of China's exports meet quality standards and his administration will continue the fight against fake products and inadequate additives.

"The qualification rate of Chinese food products is increasing. As an illustration, a recent nationwide random inspection has found that the average qualification rate of food in China is 85.1 percent, and for common daily necessities, such as rice, flour and oil, the rate is as high as 91.5 percent. And for export products, the rate is even higher, averagely over 99 percent."

The official does confess that there are still problems in the export sector, given the prevalence of small food manufacturers, many of whom are illegal private workshops and use backward technologies and have insufficient management systems, thus producing sub-standard products for export purposes.

In its latest effort to clean up the industry, China has cancelled the business licenses of two firms that exported wheat protein products tainted with toxic chemicals, ones that wound up in some US pet food. Li Changjiang says that as a major food exporter, China cannot and will not mess around with its food safety.

"According to our regulations concerning food exports, we file on record all cultivation farms and require the registration of all companies involved in the processing of food for export. This means, before such companies can export any food overseas, a stringent inspection and quarantine is conducted and only those that pass the test are exported."

To beef up international cooperation, China is working with various foreign government agencies on information exchanges and standards up-dates. The latest initiative will be a vice-ministerial-level talk on food safety between China and the United States next month.

Lin Lin, CRI News