NANJING - China will set up complaint centers in the coming years to help root out illegal food and drug producers and crack down on illegal additives, the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said at a work conference recently held in the capital of the eastern Jiangsu province.

The plan aims to build a telephone network across the country over the next five years to respond to public complaints concerning the food and drug sector, according a statement by the SFDA.

The move will help the authorities track down illegal producers, the statement said.

"To ensure the safety of food and drugs has become an increasingly important, urgent and difficult task for us," said Shao Mingli, head of the SFDA.

He said compared with the more developed countries, China faces more challenges in the area mainly due to lack of standards and monitoring.