November 2006
Extract from the Report of the 15th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia, Seoul , Korea , 21 - 24 November 2006 (See http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/664/al30_15e.pdf )
China has established the Codex Contact Point in the Ministry of Agriculture and a National Codex Committee (NCC) including nine members: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China Light Industry Chamber, State Grain Administration, China General Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and State Food and Drug Administration.
Some difficulties have been experienced in China in the use of Codex standards and related texts. For example, small and middle size enterprises are still quite common in China , but Codex standards and related texts are generally based on large businesses. Many laboratory facilities and equipment need to be upgraded to meet the requirements by those very stringent standards, which means that considerable resources are needed.
2001
The Ministry of Public Health exercises overall responsibility for the implementation of national policies on food safety. Within the Bureau of Health and Epidemic Prevention of the Ministry, there is the Food and School Hygiene Division. Food safety administration is managed by two staff members under the director of the division. In each province or municipality, a Bureau of Public Health will have an epidemic prevention station which supervises and coordinates the activities of the district or county epidemic prevention stations. Responsibility for the enforcement of laws and regulations related to public health, including food safety, rests with the epidemic prevention stations, which were first established in 1950 in all counties, districts, provinces and municipalities. The responsibilities of the food hygiene sections of the Epidemic Prevention Stations include sanitary inspection of food establishments, quality control of food, investigation of outbreaks of foodborne diseases, surveys on the microbiological and chemical composition of food and health education for food handlers and some related research work.
The Institute of Food Safety Control and Inspection, Ministry of Public Health, serves as a technical and scientific advisory body to the Ministry of Public Health and conducts applied research in the field of food safety. The Institute cooperates closely with the Ministry of Public Health in the preparation of food regulations and standards.
In coordination with the Institute of Food Safety Control and Inspection, the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene which is also within the Chinese Academy for Preventive Medicine (CAPM), is responsible for conducting some of the research work. The Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene has been participating in the Joint WHO/FAO/UNDP Food Contamination Monitoring Programme since January 1981.
In addition to the Ministry of Public Health, other ministries with responsibilities for food and food safety are the ministries of agriculture, commerce, grains, light industry, communications, chemical industry, railways and foreign trade. To promote the exchange of information and to prevent unilateral decision-making by ministries, a national coordination committee for food safety has been set up and is composed of representatives from these ministries operating under the chairmanship of the Vice-Minister for Public Health.
Training courses on food contaminant analysis, food toxicology and microbiology are regularly conducted for the benefit of food safety personnel. The courses are usually organized by the Institute of Food Safety Control and inspection in collaboration with epidemic prevention stations and medical colleges.
Facilities for contamination monitoring are available at the Institute of Food Safety Control and Inspection, the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, and some provincial and municipal epidemic prevention stations.
To promote food safety awareness, relevant health messages are relayed over the radio and television and posters and other written materials are distributed.
There were two stages in the development of food laws and regulations. During the first stage, the following regulations were issued:
The second more systematic stage began in the mid-1970s with the Introduction of national food hygiene standards for grains, oils, meats, seafoods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, eggs, food additives, etc. These standards are still preliminary and are undergoing further study.
In 1979, the State Council promulgated the Chinese National Regulations on Food Safety which serve as the basic food legislation to protect human health by strengthening supervision and disease prevention measures. The regulations deal with general provisions, health standards for food, food safety requirements, inspection of food hygiene, Inspection of exported or imported products, penalties and supplementary provisions. Imported foods are examined by the Port Health Services, while foods for import or export are examined by the State Administration of Commodity Inspection. Pesticides, radionuclides and other toxic substances affecting the quality of food are examined by the Health Department under these regulations. Depending on the violation, punishments for offenders range from fines or closure of premises to criminal prosecution.
Meat inspection follows the National Meat Hygiene Regulations promulgated by the Ministries of Public Health, Agriculture, Commerce and Foreign Trade and requires both ante- and post-mortem inspection.
In principle, all food premises have to be licensed. One of the conditions for licensing a food establishment is the annual medical examination of its food handlers for the following diseases: dysentery, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, suppurative and exudative dermatitis, and other diseases.
Cases of food poisoning are notifiable. The reporting system for food poisoning outbreaks was suspended during the Cultural Revolution but is gradually being reestablished. Mainly cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. infections and staphylococcal intoxications are reported.
The Food Sanitation Law (Trial) of China was approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee on 19 November 1982. The new law was acted on a interim basis on 1 July 1983, and the Chinese National Regulations on Food Safety were abolished on the same day. The law deals with general provisions for food safety, food additives, materials used in food containers and packaging, apparatus and equipment for food, health standards for food, establishment of inspection methods, control and inspection procedures, legal responsibility and supplementary provisions.
Information last updated - January 2007