State Council OKs 5-year plans on public health

The State Council, China's Cabinet, approved two important five-year plans on Friday to enhance supervision of food and medicine safety amid the government's efforts to better protect the public’s health.

The two plans, passed at an executive conference presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, outlined the government's blueprint in ensuring food and drug safety during the 13th Five-Year Period (2016-20).

According to the plans, the government will keep a close eye on key areas, such as schools and roadside vendors, to ensure that the food sold there is safe. The authorities will also enhance supervision toward excessive pesticide usage and misuse of food additives.

The government will speed up the establishment of a mechanism to make sure all medicine production procedures and sales are traceable, and the production and sales of counterfeit medicine will be punished heavily.

The sample tests will cover all kinds of food, blood products, vaccines and essential medicines to improve the capacity of risk surveillance and assessment, according to the plans.

The government will also speed up the amendment to the national standard on food safety and raise the safety standard of food, medicine and cosmetics.