Shanghai weighs food safety proposal

Shanghai is turning to legislation to improve food safety management in the city as it considers implementing a system that would track food products' origins and processing.

Shanghai lawmakers this week held a hearing on a draft proposal on establishing a comprehensive food-safety traceability system. The system will help identify all food safety-related information, including a product's origins, purchase date, storage and sales information through technology.

Earlier, a draft of the plan was released to invite public comments.

A total of eight major categories of food products are listed in the traceability system, including dairy, meat, grain crops, edible oil, aquatic products and vegetables, according to the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Shanghai is not self-sufficient in food production. Many food products are provided by other areas. The planting, breeding and transportation patterns in different regions have brought risk to food safety and people's health," said Yan Zuqiang, head of Shanghai FDA.

The food safety traceability information will be printed on the payment confirmation provided by supermarkets, shopping centers and other food-product operators.

If they fail to provide the information, they could face fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,624).

Delegates at the hearing also called for including small business in the city's first food traceability law

"There are a large number of small food shops and small restaurants in the city, which are closely related with low-income groups and also easily produce food safety risks," said Zhang Huiming, vice-president of Shanghai Food Association.

A series of food-safety scandals across the country recently has raised concerns.

The most recent case happened in Shenzhen, Guangdong province earlier this month. A Shenzhen branch of US-based retail giant Wal-Mart was accused by a local television station of selling food beyond its expiration date, reusing cooking oil and reselling rice that had been returned by customers.

Last month, Shanghai Husi Food Company, owned by the US-based OSI Group, was accused by a Shanghai television station of using expired meat and forging production dates to extend shelf time.

The company supplied food to a number of global brands such as McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks.

Six senior executives of the company have been arrested by Shanghai police.

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn