BEIJING - Vice-Premier Li Keqiang has called for "more forceful measures" to deal with food safety problems and crack down on food safety crimes.

In a written instruction forwarded to a recent national meeting attended by officials in charge of food safety offices, Li pushed for practical efforts to ensure food safety in a bid to boost consumer confidence and promote social harmony.

In a separate written instruction, Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu urged authorities to "resolutely guard against major food safety incidents" and strengthen law enforcement and regular supervision.

Food safety has become one of the most troubling issues since various scandals, such as tainted infant formula and cooking oil collected from sewers, have been exposed by the media.

To address food safety issues, authorities have requested the death sentence be applied in the most serious food crimes.

In the latest scandal, Henan province penalized 113 people, including 77 government employees, over chemically-tainted pork that was reported in March.