China’s New Food Safety Law Suggests Shift Toward Risk-Based Regulation
By Joel Haggard, USMEF senior vice president, Asia-Pacific region
The much-anticipated update of China’s national food safety laws is unlikely to change access conditions for U.S. red meat products – at least in the short term. An apparent shift toward risk-based safety regulation, however, is a positive step for China, a nation long saddled with a negative food-safety record and reputation. The new law was passed February 28 by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s de facto legislature.
While USMEF is still awaiting release of the full text of the law, we know that it establishes legal parameters allowing the government to strengthen monitoring and supervision of China’s food supply, establish and enforce standards, recall unsafe products and punish violators. According to Xinhua, China’s official news agency, the law is designed to close “loopholes” in the enforcement of food safety regulations.
Although official statements indicated that the State Council will establish a new national food safety commission, the law fell short of announcing the streamlining of food safety responsibilities. These duties are currently spread across a number of ministries and administrations including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce. USMEF believes that the Ministry of Health will assume the central role of formulating standards and coordinating policies and enforcement. It is also our understanding that AQSIQ will continue to play the lead role in monitoring and enforcing regulations regarding the import and export of meat and other foodstuffs. In a sign that China will be resolute in discouraging potential offenders, the law even allows the government to punish celebrities who endorse food products that are later found to be unsafe. The law is also designed to increase consumers’ ability to sue offenders if they become victims of tainted food.
Initial reports suggest that China will utilize more risk evaluation in establishing its standards, while increasing penalties to deter shoddy manufacturing. Greater recognition of the need for risk-based food safety regulations could provide long-term benefits for U.S. red meat exporters, who continue to face significant market access challenges in China. The U.S. still has yet to finalize an agreement for beef and beef product imports into China, making it one of the last overseas markets to deny access for edible bovine products. The U.S. and China also continue to discuss access conditions for pork products. In recent years, shipments have been stopped for violations of China’s zero tolerance policy for common pathogens on raw meat, and on products derived from animals fed certain FDA-approved feed additives, such as ractopamine.
USMEF will provide further analysis on the impact of the new food safety law once the full text is available for review.
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
By Joel Haggard, USMEF senior vice president, Asia-Pacific region
The much-anticipated update of China’s national food safety laws is unlikely to change access conditions for U.S. red meat products – at least in the short term. An apparent shift toward risk-based safety regulation, however, is a positive step for China, a nation long saddled with a negative food-safety record and reputation. The new law was passed February 28 by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s de facto legislature.
While USMEF is still awaiting release of the full text of the law, we know that it establishes legal parameters allowing the government to strengthen monitoring and supervision of China’s food supply, establish and enforce standards, recall unsafe products and punish violators. According to Xinhua, China’s official news agency, the law is designed to close “loopholes” in the enforcement of food safety regulations.
Although official statements indicated that the State Council will establish a new national food safety commission, the law fell short of announcing the streamlining of food safety responsibilities. These duties are currently spread across a number of ministries and administrations including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce. USMEF believes that the Ministry of Health will assume the central role of formulating standards and coordinating policies and enforcement. It is also our understanding that AQSIQ will continue to play the lead role in monitoring and enforcing regulations regarding the import and export of meat and other foodstuffs. In a sign that China will be resolute in discouraging potential offenders, the law even allows the government to punish celebrities who endorse food products that are later found to be unsafe. The law is also designed to increase consumers’ ability to sue offenders if they become victims of tainted food.
Initial reports suggest that China will utilize more risk evaluation in establishing its standards, while increasing penalties to deter shoddy manufacturing. Greater recognition of the need for risk-based food safety regulations could provide long-term benefits for U.S. red meat exporters, who continue to face significant market access challenges in China. The U.S. still has yet to finalize an agreement for beef and beef product imports into China, making it one of the last overseas markets to deny access for edible bovine products. The U.S. and China also continue to discuss access conditions for pork products. In recent years, shipments have been stopped for violations of China’s zero tolerance policy for common pathogens on raw meat, and on products derived from animals fed certain FDA-approved feed additives, such as ractopamine.
USMEF will provide further analysis on the impact of the new food safety law once the full text is available for review.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.