Foodsafety'atoppriority'ByWuJiao,LiXiaokunandShanJuan(ChinaDaily)Updated:11-03-03Assetsofofficialswillbemadepublicgradually,saysspokesmanBEIJING-Awarningtopotentialfoodsafetyoffendershasbeenissuedbyaseniormemberofthetoppoliticaladvisorybodyafteranumberofincidentsoffoodcontaminationcauseddeathsandendangeredlives.Describingtheproducersofcontaminatedfoodas"lackingintegrityandshame",ZhaoQizheng,spokesmanfortheFourthSessionofthe11thNationalCommitteeoftheChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference(CPPCC),warnedthattherevisedCriminalLawwillserveasadeterrenttopotentialoffenders.Zhaoalsocalledonthehealthauthoritiesandthoseentrustedwithqualitysupervisiontoimprovemonitoring,andaskedthemediatoactassupervisors.TheStandingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople'sCongress(NPC),thetoplegislature,passedanamendmenttotheCriminalLawonFeb25atitsbi-monthlysession.Whilereducingthenumberofcrimespunishablebydeathby13to55,therevisedlawimposesharsherpunishmentsonoffendersinvolvedinfood-relatedcrimes,includingcapitalpunishment.Zhaoissuedthewarningwhileaskedtocommentonrecentfood-safetyscandalsatthefirstnewsconferenceoftheFourthSessionofthe11thNationalCommitteeoftheCPPCC,whichwilllastuntilMarch13.Enterprisesmusthavecredibility,andnotoriousfirmslikeSanlu,producerofmelamine-taintedbabyformulaproducts,aredoomedtoperish,hesaid.AccordingtoZhao,Chinahasbecomeincreasinglyawareofissuesinvolvingfoodsafety,asprovenbythestricterpenalties.Inrecentyears,foodsafetyhasbecomeamajorpublicconcernonthemainlandafteraseriesofscandalsinvolvingtheillegaluseofprohibitedingredientsandadditives.In2008,melamine-taintedmilkpowderledtoatleastsixinfantdeathsand300,000fellillafterbeingfedcontaminatedproducts.Theincidenthastakenaheavytollonthedomesticdairyindustry.Importeddairyproductsaccountforhalfofthedomesticmarket,up10percentagepointsfrom2008whenthemelaminescandaloccurred,saidMaYing,deputydirectoroftheDairyIndustryManagementOfficeattheMinistryofAgriculture,onTuesday.ForeignbrandsnowaccountfornearlyhalfofChina'sinfantmilkpowdersupply,whichtotaled560,000tonslastyear.Afterthemelaminescandal,theStateCouncilestablishedanationalfoodsafetycommissionandappointedVice-PremierLiKeqiangtoheaditinFebruary2009.TheNPCStandingCommitteelateradoptedtheFoodSafetyLaw.Toenhancesupervision,monitoringcentershavebeensetupin31provinces,218prefecturesand312countiesonthemainland,accordingtotheMinistryofHealth.In2010,Chinadealtwith130,000casesinvolvingfoodsafety,115ofwhichwerecriminal,accordingtoastatementissuedbytheNationalFoodSafetyRegulatingWorkOfficeinlateJanuary.Atotalof248peopleinvolvedwerearrested.Atthesamenewsconference,Zhaoalsosaidthattheassetsofgovernmentofficialswillgraduallybemadepublic.Theprocesswillbetime-consumingasChinahasnearly10millioncivilservantsandalargenumberofpeopleworkingingovernment-affiliatedinstitutions,Zhaotoldreporters.Currently,governmentofficialsarerequiredtoreportnotonlytheirincome,propertyinterestsandinvestments,butalsoiftheirspousesorchildrenliveabroad,hesaid."Manythingshavetobedone,step-by-step,beforethedefinitionofassetsismadeclear,"hesaid.MembersoftheCPPCCwillcarryoutmoreresearchandsuggestproposalstohelpimproveregulationsgoverningthedisclosureofassets,Zhaosaid.Ontheinfluenceofonlinepublicopinion,Zhaosaidpeopleshouldbecautiousabout"Internetmercenaries",thosewhopostcommentsonlinetomanipulateothers."WefeelthattheInternetculturea...
