Economy

Shanghai mayor vows to ensure food safety

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-24 13:27

SHANGHAI -- The Shanghai municipal government will take the "toughest measures" to crack down on illegal food production and ensure food safety, said Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng on Monday.

Han made the remarks while attending a food safety conference, during which the establishment of a supervising commission on food safety was announced.

The Shanghai Food Safety Commission will coordinate various organizations and departments to strengthen food production supervision, according to Han.

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Shanghai will also work on a blacklist mechanism to expose and strictly punish enterprises that lack credibility and responsibility, Han said.

A series of food safety scandals have emerged recently despite repeated calls by Chinese authorities for the overhaul of the country's food industry.

Last month, steamed buns in Shanghai were reported to have been dyed or laced with coloring additives to mislead consumers.

In March, the country's largest meat processor, Shuanghui Group, apologized to the public after some of its pork products were found to contain clenbuterol, an additive that stops pigs from accumulating fat and is poisonous to humans.

In 2008, melamine-tainted milk powder left at least six babies dead and sickened 300,000 others across the country.